The iPhone is attracting more developers to what has become a popular mobile-gaming platform. The latest entrant, EA Mobile, on Thursday announced the availability of SimCity for the iPhone and iPod touch.
SimCity is known to be somewhat addictive. In the game, players construct, manage and even destroy their own dream city, all in the palm of their hand. Now SimCity lovers can do all this with Apple’s touchscreen technology.
“SimCity for the iPhone and iPod touch takes mobile games to a whole new level,” said Adam Sussman, vice president of publishing Americas and Asia for EA Mobile. “Easy to learn, a lifetime to master, it’s one of the largest mobile games ever produced, providing our customers with hundreds of hours of great game play.”
Optimizing for the iPhone
With SimCity, iPhone and iPod touch owners can build an entire metropolis right on the device — from budgets to bulldozers and taxes to tornadoes. Gamers can incorporate contemporary landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the Washington Monument into the city skylines.
Gamers can also strike a balance between industrial and residential zones to keep their city thriving, manage utilities like water and garbage, and control traffic. When iPhone gamers are ready for a change, they can tap the screen to call in a disaster or watch UFOs rain destruction upon their city.
“Look at the games that are appearing on the iPhone, not only iconic titles like SimCity and Tetris and Scrabble, but new titles that are optimized for the platform,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Jupitermedia. “You have to wonder how much pressure this is going to put on Sony and Nintendo going forward, particularly Sony.”
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