Apple unleashes Game Center social network

By last updated

While third parties have developed several of their own social gaming networks for the iPhone and iPad, Apple entered the space themselves today with iPhone 4.0 and their Game Center Social Network. (Think Microsoft Xbox Live or Sony Playstation Network for iPhone and iPad apps).

Features include inviting friends, matchmaking, leader-boards, and achievements. And because it's built into the OS, developers get it "for free". Hard to compete with that...

[Image via Gizmodo]

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.
14 Comments
  • I can't wait to see what this is gonna be like when it is released.
  • Yawn....
    Its still a miserable gaming platform, no matter how many layers of glitz you hang on it.
    One more button on either end of the phone would do more for gaming than all this stuff.
  • No customisable sms ringtone or (timed) profiles ?!?!?!
  • To this point, the two main social gaming networks for the iPhone have been +Plus Network and OpenFeint. The companies behind those two have thrown a lot of resources at them, but I can't imagine that they would be able to compete against an OS-level network. I'll be interested to hear their reactions and see how they progress.
  • What noone wanted..
  • Amazing news. Now just buyout an indie gaming company, and start creating first-party games.
  • It's a wannabe Xbox Live, except we know it won't be as good.
  • This has some amazing potential. No longer are phones just for talking/general apps but they are now social. v1 might not fit the full bill but I look for v2 to rock the shop. We'll see though. Apple has been underwhelming me lately (iPad and iPhone OS 4 both underwhelm me).
  • This is HUGE news, if anyone doesn't think this is amazing you are out of your mind, and @Icebike - You're an idiot. Thanks come again.
    I'm not even trolling, im seriously just calling you an idiot.
    "Its still a miserable gaming platform" This is all i needed to read right here, which sealed my decision of your intelligence being that of a chimp.
  • @iPhoneMIlk: Why do you zealous fanboys always have to be such condescending pricks? People are entitled to their opinions, regardless of whether or not you agree with them.
    It may surprise you to learn that a person's opinion on a phone does not have any bearing on their intelligence.
  • Sounds really good to me actually, just wish I hadn't spent so much time racking up points on Plus ....
  • I like this bank b jail much, this is the provision where i can wrong smth from me, a joust with of low-down this is what i like.
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