iPhone Reviews 2.0

Gameloft are on a roll again and releasing 8 of their premium titles for a lower price point compared to most of the competition. Instead of raising the price point to over $12.99 they are hoping to sell more at the $6.99-$9.99 price point. It will be interesting how it pans out for them, but for now check out their titles being ported over.

Gameloft, a leading publisher and developer of downloadable video games, today announced the launch of eight Apps for iPad on the App Store. The games are: N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance; Modern Combat: Sandstorm; Dungeon Hunter; Asphalt 5; UNO; NFL 2010; Let’s Golf!; and, Real Football 2010. Each game will capitalize on iPad’s distinctive gaming features and offer a unique set of original characteristics and gameplay.

“With iPhone and iPod touch, Apple changed the way consumers perceive and interact with their devices and created a revolutionary era for the mobile gaming industry,” said Michel Guillemot, president of Gameloft. “We are taking full advantage of all the new possibilities and features iPad is bringing to developers with games that will once again transform the digital gaming experience."

The iPad allows players to interact with games in unique ways:

* The large, stunning screen brings a higher level of graphic detail to the games in addition to the optimization of textures and models. The screen size and depth perception ratio allows the player to feel completely immersed in the experience. For example, Real Football 2010 was re-mastered to include HD resolution grass surfaces, textures, characters and animations.

* More direct and enriched controls allow for more intuitive thought and action response, as well as fully customizable buttons and mappings that fit the player’s preference. For instance, the N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance App for iPad includes more contextual controls in the environment: open an airlock door by rotating three fingers, slide the button upwards to make an elevator move upstairs, etc.

* The larger screen means there will be more ambitious gameplay sequences such as increased field of depth, complex map layouts and more intense action sequences. In N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, the player can enable MTA - Multi Target Acquisition which is a new feature for iPad gaming. The player can trigger a new functionality from the regular rocket launcher, then directly draw a grid on the battlefield to kill all selected enemies on screen in one shot. In Real Football 2010, the larger surface allows for a more strategic overview of the playing field and gave the designers more space to create comfortable control schemes.

* Multiplayer challenges will also be increased on iPad and cooperative gameplay will be easier and more attractive on the larger screen. Whether a spectator or participant, online challenges will become more fun and engaging. With UNO, the world famous card game, users can gather four friends and play on a single iPad using the new “One Device Multiplayer” mode. They can also connect with friends on iPad or iPhone devices for local and online Wi-Fi multiplayer gameplay.

With more than 900 developers dedicated to Apple’s platforms, Gameloft is ideally positioned to seamlessly develop great products for iPad. Gameloft ended 2009 with 55 games for iPhone & iPod touch and has hit 10 million paid downloads on the App Store.