As expected, Apple used their annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this month to show off the next version of OS X and iOS, along with some refreshed MacBooks and a glimpse at the future of the Mac Pro, their high-end desktop. Many who had been paying attention to the conference were most eager to get a look at iOS 7, which had been correctly rumoured to be undergoing a major facelift.
Assuming that upon release it is similar to the beta version presented at the conference, someone upgrading from iOS 6 to iOS 7 would first notice the bright colour infusion in the operating system. Gone are the colour palettes rooted in realism, instead replaced with bright blues and primary colours that evoke those associated with the psychedelic subculture. Applications take up more screen space and, in general, look much flatter than before. Many applications take on a white colour scheme (with a few in black) and have text and visual elements in a colour chosen for that app. Many have praised the overall design, and are pleased that it has removed the leather stitching and green felt backing that previously adorned their applications. However, considering the scale of a project with this scope in such a short time period, there are some expected oversights that will likely be ironed out in the final version or subsequent ones, but have been noticed by those who took interest in iOS 7.
The biggest source of criticism were the home screen icons used for default applications, which looked inconsistent and unpleasant. While this may seem like a small point to pay attention to, these icons are the first thing anyone sees upon turning their phone on, so much like an ugly cover to a book, having something that initially gives a user a negative impression could be bad for a product of any sort. The icons displayed inconsistency in design, with some using bottom-to-top gradients as were the norm previously, others using top-to-bottom gradients, and then ones that chose for a flat white or black background and a simple symbol. The icons fill up much of the allocated rounded rectangles as well, to the point where they almost touch the borders, which looks visually uncomfortable. Luckily for Apple, the part that received the most praise were the system applications that people spend most of their time in, so if they are able to apply the same care to their home screen that they were able to apply to their applications, more people will be less timid about upgrading their iPhones and iPads.
Concurrently with WWDC was the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), where Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony announce what’s coming for the next year for their platforms, along with the third-party developers with which they work. Nintendo eschewed their traditional presentation for a web-based broadcast, where they introduced new games for the Wii U, including a Xenoblade-like game called X and a new entry in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, which so far introduces new characters Mega Man, the trainer from Wii Fit, and the villager from Animal Crossing. Unfortunately, much of what Nintendo had to show is coming out in 2014, but gamers will be able to play The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Pikmin 3 and the Wii U remake of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker this year. Triforce-protecting players like myself are going to have a pretty fun holiday season, but for those who don’t play Zelda, there are a few other non-exclusive games to play as well, like Assassin’s Creed IV. The system is still struggling to bring in more games, but the selection on 3DS has been getting more robust.
It’s nice to see at least one of the portable consoles doing really well, since the game quality difference between the ones on 3DS and PlayStation Vita versus the ones on iOS and Android is still rather perceptible. While a segment of people seem to be happy with the quality of games you can play on iOS, there are still people who look for an experience like that in Fire Emblem: Awakening or Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 that hasn’t yet translated well to mobile phones. Interestingly, one of the things Apple announced silently at WWDC this year was support for Made-for-iOS game controllers, using a standard published in their developer documents that shows support for controllers using the traditional ABXY and d-pad layout, as well as another with support for analog sticks. This could help iOS pull in more games that just play better using buttons and control pads, particularly those that were ported from other devices first, like Final Fantasy or Sonic the Hedgehog, which currently use virtual sticks that provide no feedback. Not everyone would have a third-party controller to stick in their iPhone though, and you likely wouldn’t always have it on person, so it’s curious how this will pan out for Apple and whether it will convert more traditional handheld gamers.
For Sony and Microsoft, the focus was on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, both of which are expected to come out later this year. Most of the details on these consoles were announced previously, including the DRM policies of the Xbox One that introduced restrictions on used game sales and the rights to ownership over a player’s games. Sony received a standing ovation for announcing that their used game policy wasn’t changing, which Nintendo has also stood by, putting Microsoft in an awkward spot for most of the conference. The price for each of the consoles was announced as well, with the PlayStation 4 getting a launch price of $399 and the Xbox One getting a price of $499. One of the games coming out for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One that has been in development since the start of the last generation of consoles is Final Fantasy XV, which most might recognize as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, a game that was supposed to be set in the universe of Final Fantasy XIII, but has diverged enough from the initial vision that it has merited its own numbered release. Kingdom Hearts III was also announced for both consoles, after many years of wondering about its future. With this and Diablo III’s release last year, perhaps Half Life III is just around the corner?
After the conference, Microsoft pulled back on their whole cloud-based vision, announcing that there would be a day-one update for the console to reverse their initial decision that restricted used game sales and required daily online checks with Microsoft’s servers to prevent games from locking down on the console. While there will undoubtedly be attempts in the future to implement more restrictions for the sake of other game features, for now it appears that video game players will not face any new rules.
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