When iPhone Met PS3
If you’re still hiding your bulky PS3 BD remote under the couch, or sticking all sorts of PSX/PS2 USB adaptors into your system with duct tape and optimism, you will now have a much sleeker Blu-ray control option. Sleeker, sexier, and…phonier. Netblender has created a software development kit for the iPhone (by meta-using the newly released Apple SDK) which will allow the already much-more-than-a-cell to communicate with Blu-ray players. The SDK, called BD Touch, is available in two flavors: “Connect” for standard app creation, and “Premium Blend/In” for more enterprising developers.
Some of the “endless possibilities” Netblender claims BD Touch will make realities are: transferring digital copies of your Blu-ray movies from the main menu directly to the iPhone, offering film suggestions based on the movies in your library (“I see you’ve been watching Fight Club…”), immediately connecting to sites or trivia about the film you’re watching, and (one of the more interesting), “turning existing Blu-ray discs into games that use the iPhone as the game controller.” Game developers must be one of their target demographics, as the comparison continues in their explanation of the “Premium Blend/In” version’s capabilities: “Connect multiple iPhones to a Blu-ray disc simultaneously, similar to multiple game-system controllers.”
One of the coolest and scariest images in my mind is this gaming focus turning into an analogy like iPhone::PS3 as GBA::Gamecube. Transport your iPhone Spore creature to your PS3 Spore world! A fun reward in theory, but easily exploited into a punishment for non-iPhone owners where unlockables that would have previously been included on the game itself become bonuses for only those that own both. Of course, this is a mostly unfounded fear until Sony buys Apple (haha) or finds some way to profit directly from iPhone sales. An iPhone-as-headset connection may be interesting, or using the keypad to chat or send messages on Home (if it’s ever actually released). Considering all of the features the iPhone brings to the table, this casual partnership will definitely benefit the PS3 and its developers. And those upper tier of us who could afford an iPhone and PS3, with money left over to buy any applications that come from this.
Tags: Apple, Netblender, Nintendo
This has got to be the most amazing, and pathetic thing I have ever seen…
Technology is advancing, no doubt about that. But why do we need to hook our phones up to the console when we already have controllers?
Interesting.
I think this will actually turn out to be pretty cool (assuming someone has both a PS3 and an iPhone). It’s sort of like how people were able to hook up the DS with the GameCube (or was it DS with the Wii . . . bleh, I don’t follow Nintendo . . .) . . . but yeah, it’s a pretty cool way to get users to interact more using an innovative control method. Now I wish I had a PS3 and an iPhone (or just having one works too . . .)
technological convergence has gone a little too far in this case. I think the potential cons far outweigh the pros. Who would want to use an iPhone as a controller? I mean the ps3 controllers are way easier to use and I’m sure if they do form some sort of partnership it will wind up preventing gamers without iPhones from accessing content. The less expensive peripherals the better if you ask me!
This application would be very handy for use as a remote for blu ray play back. anyone that owns a ps3 and watched a movie on it would have experienced accidentally nudging the controller and skipping a chapter or two…. its too easy to do.
this iphone app would rid that issues, im getting it for sure.
but yeah you wouldnt use it for playing games.
i think this would be great! maybe the iphone would work as a keyboard and mouse (touchpad) for the PS3. i sure as hell would prefer this over typing using the PS3 controller.
It doesnt work..