Kicking off this week in iOS gaming was an appearance I made on the Australian games podcast, GameHugs. It's an industry-centric podcast that explores the backstory of web sites and studios in the world of video games (and often mobile games). On the most recent episode, I get into what goes on behind the scenes running a site like TouchArcade, as well as the odd chain of events that led me to TouchArcade — including, but not limited to, getting banned from the MacRumors forums. It's a fun story, but if that's not your cup of tea, as usual there are always tons of other things going on in the world of iOS games.


I've mentioned it in previous roundups, but things are starting to get real when it comes to the impending release of iOS 11 and with it, what we've been calling the 32-bit app-pocalypse. We started casually compiling a list of our favorite games that have yet to be updated, which grew into this gargantuan article filled with some amazing titles that likely aren't going to work in the future. It's worth skimming through, as if you've been buying iOS games for a few years now I'd be really surprised if you didn't own at least one of the games on the list. It might be worth one last play through before iOS 11 steamrolls everything next month.


We've been giving Sega a pretty hard time surrounding the launch of the "Sega Forever" lineup of free with one-time unlock classic emulated games, as most of the re-released titles perform worse than the first time they hit the App Store, back in 2009. This week, they released Ristar, which as mentioned in the tweet above includes a new emulation engine. This new engine is loads better than the one used in the rest of the Sega Forever lineup, making Ristar a game worth checking out just to experience the difference. Hopefully Sega quickly updates the rest of its library with the updated emulator.


If you've got kids who are into Minecraft either on the Mac, or Minecraft: Pocket Edition, chances are you've heard about Minecon. If not, it's an event Mojang puts on that is the place to be if you even remotely care about the game. It features meetups, developer Q&A, and other things along those lines. The problem is, Minecraft is a very inclusive game and an expensive conference with a limited number of tickets is fairly exclusive. In the future, they're shifting the event to be focused around livestreaming and interactive community events that everyone, not just people at Minecon, can participate in. This seems like a really cool move. Watch the video above for way more details.


In regards to games to look forward to, one title we're super stoked for is Darkest Dungeon coming to iPad. We've known it's been in the works for a while, but now we have a release date: August 29. Darkest Dungeon is an award-winning RPG that currently is only available on Steam. The iPad port is going to have a really cool feature: totally cross-platform Dropbox save syncing. I'm always a huge fan of this sort of thing, and really wish more developers took the time to implement it — particularly when porting games like this.


The International is taking place this week, which is basically the DOTA 2 equivalent of the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl being sandwiched together into one massive week long event. Between games, they announced that they were going to reveal a game Valve has been working on. Valve fans have been dying for Half Life 3 (or Portal 3, or any other sequel) for years now, and many thought this would be it. What they ended up revealing is a likely free to play fantasy collectable card game called Artifact. The crowd reaction was incredible:


While I'm sure Artifact will do very well, particularly if they tie in the Steam Marketplace, yet another digital collectable card game is close to the most boring thing Valve could have announced. Regardless, with these kinds of games the key is to get as many people as possible playing them. Platforms have yet to be announced, but it really wouldn't surprise me at all if Artifact came to both Mac and mobile. Whatever it's going to be on, it won't be released until next year.


When it comes to to digital collectable card games you can actually play right now on both Mac and iOS, Hearthstone's new expansion launched this week. Aside from loads of new cards, Knights of the Frozen Throne also features some really cool single player content. Blizzard is releasing new missions each week until players finally face off against the Lich King himself. Oh, and per the above video, the Lich King is really into reading mean tweets.

gamevice

(Photo by Afterpad)

Last, but not least, is a puzzling lawsuit by Gamevice. If you haven't heard of them, they make some pretty cool MFi controller accessories that you stick your iPhone or iPad in to play them in a form factor that's pretty close to the Nintendo Switch. In the eyes of Gamevice, a little too close to the Nintendo Switch, which is why they're taking them to court for patent infringement. If Gamevice is successful in their lawsuit, they could put a stop to Nintendo Switch sales all together. It seems unlikely, but as a spectator sport, watching these patent cases evolve is always interesting.

That's it for this week in iOS gaming, but as always if you enjoy these sorts of things be sure to check out TouchArcade. We review tons of games, post way more news like this, and have a weekly podcast that's also a great way to keep up in the world of iOS games.

Top Rated Comments

mw360 Avatar
74 months ago
Lol, stupid companies. I'm not sure they even look remotely similar unless that company has a patent on buttons and controls.

All gamevice has is a Bluetooth slide over controller for iOS. Get rid of the apple iPad shown in the pictures and what you have is a laughable design that piggybacks on another companies product(iPad). As for the tablet/gameboy that gamevice realeased, that contraption looks nothing like a switch. If anything it looks like a cheap, Wii U knockoff.

They are just sue happy because their product blows and the switch is awesome(aside from software).
I got a Gamevice recently and it's actually pretty good. It's has nothing to do with Bluetooth though, as far as I can tell. As for the lawsuit, I agree it stinks, and I hope it fails, but it's nowhere near as simple as whether the two look alike (and they do look alike btw).

IMO the case is quite strong, but the patent requires the two controllers be connected by a structural bridge, which helps secure the console between them. The lawsuit claims the Nintendo console itself is the structural bridge which helps secure the console. Who knows whether that sleight of hand will fly in court.

Lawsuit and patent...

https://insight.rpxcorp.com/litigation_documents/12571080

http://www.google.com/patents/US9126119
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scir91 Avatar
73 months ago
the switch is a video game system. the gamevice thing is just controllers. night and day difference
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WRChris Avatar
74 months ago
I got a Gamevice recently and it's actually pretty good. It's has nothing to do with Bluetooth though, as far as I can tell. As for the lawsuit, I agree it stinks, and I hope it fails, but it's nowhere near as simple as whether the two look alike (and they do look alike btw).

IMO the case is quite strong, but the patent requires the two controllers be connected by a structural bridge, which helps secure the console between them. The lawsuit claims the Nintendo console itself is the structural bridge which helps secure the console. Who knows whether that sleight of hand will fly in court.

Lawsuit and patent...

https://insight.rpxcorp.com/litigation_documents/12571080

http://www.google.com/patents/US9126119
Yeah I completely disagree about the two being remotely similar. Nintendos legal team will squash this pretty much immediately.

Why sue Nintendo for making a handheld console when there are other companies who make game cases for the same devices(that look much more similar)? Bigger settlement from Nintendo, if they get anything at all.

People buy a switch because it's a gaming console. People buy a gamevice case because it adds buttons to an iPad/iPhone they already have. It's easy to see that they are not the same product or even in the same category of products.

They look alike, just like a Ferrari and a Volkswagen look alike.(4 wheels and a motor)

I can disconnect my controllers and take a picture of just them, without the screen, if you would like to compare the gamevice contraption to my joy cons. I don't see why the iPad or non
gamevice device is relevant in this comparison.

I'm not sure gamevice has a patent that prevents other companies from creating a handheld console. Seems like they have tried to do just that, but you can't really patent a concept like handheld gaming with controllers on the sides of an electronic display. I would imagine that gamevice' patent would infringe on plenty of nintendos patents, if any patent infringement is going on at all.

Also, my joycons work even if they aren't physically connected to the display. Not sure the same can be said of gamevice, if it's not handled via Bluetooth like you insist. No bridge needed.

I'm not a legal expert but this is obviously a cash grab, in my opinion.

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WRChris Avatar
74 months ago
Lol, stupid companies. I'm not sure they even look remotely similar unless that company has a patent on buttons and controls.

All gamevice has is a Bluetooth slide over controller for iOS. Get rid of the apple iPad shown in the pictures and what you have is a laughable design that piggybacks on another companies product(iPad). As for the tablet/gameboy that gamevice realeased, that contraption looks nothing like a switch. If anything it looks like a cheap, Wii U knockoff.

They are just sue happy because their product blows and the switch is awesome(aside from software).

Attachment Image
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
apple tv 4k red image

Apple Releases tvOS 16.4 for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD

Monday March 27, 2023 10:00 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 16.4, the fourth major point update to the tvOS 16 operating system that came out last September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, tvOS 16.4 comes two months following the release of tvOS 16.3. The tvOS 16.4 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌ by going to System > Software Update....
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
Apple Music Classical

Apple Explains Why It Launched an iPhone App Dedicated to Classical Music

Monday March 27, 2023 8:54 pm PDT by
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music. In short, Apple says the app was designed to support classical music's complex metadata:Classical music is different. It has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces. The Apple Music...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...