Konami is no stranger to iPhone and iPod Touch development. They're responsible for the monstrosity that was Metal Gear Solid 4 Touch and the not-as-awful-but-still-awful Silent Hill: The Escape. But now, with hopefully a bit more development time behind it, Konami is now pushing their latest catastrophe-waiting-to-happen iPod Touch/iPhone game; Dance Dance Revolution: S[hake]. If you didn't already gather what this game will be all about by the S[hake], then you're probably going to laugh silly when I tell you the game is operated by shaking the iDevice you're using. Of course, there is also a touch-screen option for those not into the whole shaking idea.

The app is available now from the App Store or through iTunes and will set you back a measly £1.19. However, expect to pay significantly more than this for a palpable experience as you will have to buy individual tracks from the in-game music store. It's a shame there's no auto-generation feature for existing tracks on your phone, especially since free-ware PC clone StepMania has had this feature for considerable time now. Still, if you're looking to waste a funky-five minutes or so, this may be just up your street.

[Source: Famitsu]

Earlier this year, I found great joy with SEGA and new development studio (headed by former Sonic Team head-honcho; Yuji Naka) Prope's first video game; Let's TAP! a strange game about trippy visuals and alternative control schemes which revolved around the Wii's motion sensing capabilities. Now, the same concept comes to the iPhone and iPod Touch, using it's own motion sensing capabilities. Unlike the Wii version of the game, it's difficult to distribute boxes required to play the game with (you place the iPhone/Wii Remote on a hollow cardboard box and tap the box, not the device), SEGA says you can just use tissue boxes.

Coming in 5 varieties; Let's TAP Runner (450 Yen) is the portable version of the Runner game from Let's TAP. You tap rythmically to run, tap hard to jump and slow down when over obstacles like a tightrope. Let's TAP Gem Game (115 Yen) is all about tapping coloured orbs into little containers by tapping in varying forces, Let's TAP Silent Blocks (450 Yen) is a bit like Jenga only it's even easier to cheat but you tap out hexagons carefully by tapping gently, Let's TAP Voyager (450 Yen), which is a side scrolling shooter game and then finally there's Let's TAP Rhythm Tap (450 Yen) which you can think of like Donkey Konga (or any similar rhythm action games)... Sadly, you can't use your own music collection, only the tracks which the game comes with.

[Source: GAME Watch]

Over recent years, there have been constant rumours of Swedish phone maker; Ericsson pitching a Playstation-branded mobile phone with the capabilities to play high-end video game software. If the rumours are also true, Sony apparently shot the idea down, not wanting to hand a brand such as Playstation over to a 3rd party. However, since that time, Apple has moved into the phone market and started making some big splashes, stealing marketshare and poising the iPhone and iPod Touch as video game machines through the AppStore.

Now, rumours are circulating like sharks around a helpless inflatable lunchbox dingy that Sony and Ericsson may make that oft-rumoured Playstation Phone. Nikkei, a popular Japanese business magazine, the same one which had very creditable information about the Nintendo DSi has reported that the phone will start being internally developed next month. There was no mention of the Playstation brand, but if you want to steal marketshare from competitors there's no stronger brand to do it with. It shall be interesting to see what kind of phone comes forth from the smoke and mirrors, just remember that the last gaming-centric phone didn't do too well. Perhaps the lure of Sony's brand will prevail where others have failed.

[Source: Reuters, Via Kotaku]

Today Apple held a "iPhone OS 3.0 preview" event in which it outlined the latest version of the firmware which runs iPhone and iPod Touch devices. EA took this time to announce a The Sims game for the platform, ngmoco took this time to announce a pet sim and a FPS where Engadget was kind enough to snag a shot of them asking if you want to buy an in-game rocket launcher for 99 cents (... And that's where my interest in these people ended) and Apple announced a Bonjour service which adds peer-to-peer communication which the presenter himself said was ideal for gaming, a brief mention to in-game voice chat and the Subscription system on pay-for applications (already being abused by the previous example) which can effectively be called DLC for games.

iPod Touch users will have to fork over cash in order to get the Firmware upgrade, where as iPhone users get it free. There is an open Beta for everyone to participate in with the software, just don't expect any 3.0-dependant applications to be ready for sale any time soon. In un-gaming related news, the firmware also brings the iPhone into 1998 with MMS and Copy/Paste functionality. Finally.

[Source: Engadget]

Well, slap me silly and send me home to Mama. It seems Mama is moonlighting off Nintendo platforms recently with the announcement of the iPhone and iPod Touch version of Cooking Mama today. The game developed as usual by Taito will be released along side an iPhone/iPod Touch version of an Arcade-style Space Invaders (not that there isn't half a dozen Space Invader rip-offs already on the App Store). Cooking Mama which is (I'm lead to believe is currently available, but I have no way of checking right now) worldwide (Japan, America, Europe) for $6.99 or 800 Yen. Space Invaders (which I'm also currently lead to believe is available right now) will set users back just $4.99 or 600 Yen.

The iPlatforms seem to be growing a sheer strength of number of A to AA titles recently, along with some interesting independent games also breaking ranks, the iPlatforms could easily become a mainstream video game platform by the end of the year, especially if Apple launches their rumoured Premium Game section in the App Store. Is this just a fad or phase or is it mobile gaming finally finding it's feet? I'll let you guys decide.

[Source: Famitsu]

Have you ever stared at your mobile phone and wondered "You know, I wish I had a steam-punk first person shooter game on this thing?" or, perhaps the more common question; "Can I actually get a decent game for this thing?" Well, wish no more... Hopefully, as BioShock for mobile phones finally surfaces for the public to gander at. 2K Games has shown off the mobile version of the game at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, the small promotional video for the game can be seen here, however it only covers the 3D version of the game. There will also be a 2D version of the game, which people who actually attended the show said it felt like BioShock.

[Source: Kotaku]

Today Namco surprised us all by simultaneously announcing and releasing Time Crisis Strike for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Developed by Namco North America, the iPhone version of the game sells for $5.99, 700 Yen or £3.99. The game has all the hallmark Time Crisis Mechanics, tilt the device you're playing on to hide and reload, tap the screen to shoot stuff. The game has two modes, Arcade Mode which plays like you remember and a Crisis Mission Mode which doesn't. The game's now available on the iTunes Store or on the iPhone/iPod Touch App Store and weighs in at an amazing 24mb.

[Source: Famitsu]

This news broke on Friday, but with all the commotion of 50Hz Gamer Magazine's re-launch and quickly fixing the blog's skin bugs, I had missed it. So here it goes; Apple are rumoured to be considering a 'Premium' section to their iPhone/iPod Touch App Store. Currently the App Store is open for everyone who buys into Apple's $99 Software Development Kit to publish for a fee they choose, so long as Apple gets 30% royalty on each sale. This has meant games like the point-and-click adventure 1112 and the innovative platforming physics game Rolando, published by small companies and individuals have been able to actually be distributed to a wide audience.

However, if Apple goes ahead with it's (rumoured) plans, it will mean that big publishers for their platform (and anyone willing to buy their way in, most likely) will have their own little section in the App Store to sell games. Not only this, but the premium branding means that big publishers will be able to sell games at a higher than usual $19.99 (click to convert to £ (GBP)) price tag. Attempts to reach out to the 'big publishers' for the iPhone/iPod Touch were willing to give comment on the matter. Expect Apple to roll out any such new store around Apple's WWDC event.

[Source: Joystiq]

Well, after a whirlwind lot of mass internet hysteria, Xbox fanboys jumping up and down in excitement and the Internet exploding in ravenous rumours and speculation. However, today, the cards are laid on the table for all to see as Konami announces Metal Gear Solid Touch for the Apple iPod Touch and Apple iPhone mobile phone/portable media player platform. The game is a sort of gimmicky take on Metal Gear Solid 4, with scenes from the game basically made into a touch screen light-gun game which sees Snake take on the bosses from the Metal Gear Solid of Fourth. This was no surprise to some, GameTrailers' Invisible Walls radio programme called this last Friday, and what they had said was very true; Metal Gear Solid 4 had a lot of Apple product placement in the form of the in-game iPod to listen to tracks from the game in. It's just a shame that this is just a cheap mobile game which tries to poise itself as the next Metal Gear Solid game... Wonder how many will fall for it.

Also announced was a seemingly pointless Dance Dance Revolution S Lite game, which one would hope can use tracks from the iPod to generate songs for you to play (else it's useless). Silent Hill: The Escape was announced and sounds interesting, it's basically a 3D Action Adventure game with shooting elements from the description I have (poorly translated, mind you). And probably the most tried and true of the bunch; Frogger will make it's appearance on the iPod/iPhone platform, making it now available on every computer system ever created and that includes those swanky pace makers you can get. These games though, mark a huge leap forward for the iPhone game platform, picking up game developers as big as Konami, Hudson Soft and EA are enough to give the console some real legs as a gaming platform. Now if only someone would make a decent game for it, Apple would be in the money.

[Source: Dengeki Online]

Fresh from the Apple: "Let's Rock!" presentation where a new iPod Nano and iPod Touch were unveiled, despite the iPod Nano redesign being leaked a good week ago, there was some interesting and game-related information to take away from the keynote. For one, Real Soccer 2009 from Gameloft, will be coming to the iPhone/iPod Touch with full 3D graphics, EA will also be shovelling Need for Speed: Undercover onto the platform as well. How very exciting for us all...

On lighter news, those of you wanting to get access to the iPod Touch App Store without having to pay for that 2.0 upgrade, now you don't! 2.0 is now free to all iPod Touch users, making it game-ready. Downside, the newer 2.1 firmware will still cost you. But hey, who cares? You're finally now only paying for the games, not the software TO download games. (Thanks again for that, Apple. You sure love your customers.) iPhone users can get the 2.1 firmware for free on Friday.

[Source: Gizmodo (live blogging)]