Looks like the iPhone 3GS and the iPod Touch (3rd generation) are seriously jumping into the gaming fray. The news is that the Unreal Engine 3 is available for two of the most popular gadgets in the market today. What people are seeing are just demos, but the reviews are pretty good.
Anand Lal Shimpi shares his experience:
I got together with Mark Rein last week and he showed me an Unreal Engine 3 tech demo running on a 3rd generation iPod Touch. The same Unreal Engine 3 that powers Gears of War 2, running on an iPod Touch. The engine also works on the iPhone 3GS, and Mark tells me that we’ll see it on another mobile platform at CES (hmm…).
The demo is both playable and has a flythrough. It’s using a modified Unreal Tournament level previously shown off at GDC. A virtual thumbstick on the left side of the screen controls your movement, while tracking your thumb in the lower right corner of the screen controls the camera. Just tap the screen to shoot. Mark said this is a tech test bed and they’re experimenting with several different control schemes including ones with tilt.
So what does this mean for us, the users? Simple: BETTER games for these gadgets in the near future! The iPhone and iPod Touch are already being sought after because of the plethora of apps available. With the addition of the Unreal Engine, more serious gamers will take notice and we can enjoy a much better gaming experience on the go.