Michal Ždanský Just a few months ago, there was news that Apple will introduce its own game controller, this was also indicated by the fact that the company owns several related patents. However, this speculation was denied for a while. However, as it turns out, there was a little truth to it. instead of own hardware, Apple introduced in iOS 7 a framework to support game controllers.
Not that there aren't already game controllers for iPhones and iPads, here we are for example Duo gamer by Gameloft or iCade, the problem with all controllers so far is that they only support a handful of games, with support for titles from major publishers mostly lacking. Until now, there was no standard. Manufacturers used a modified interface for Bluetooth keyboards, and each controller had its own specific interface, which represents an annoying fragmentation for developers.
A new framework (GameController.framework) however, includes a clearly defined set of instructions for controlling games with a controller, a standard we've been missing all along. The information Apple provided in the developer document is as follows:
“The Game Controller Framework helps you discover and set up MFi (Made-for-iPhone/iPod/iPad) hardware to control games in your app Game controllers can be devices connected to iOS devices physically or wirelessly via Bluetooth. The Framework will notify your application when a driver is available and let you specify which driver inputs are available to your application."
iOS devices are currently the most popular mobile consoles, however, touch control is not suitable for every type of game, especially those that require precise control (FPS, action-adventure, racing games, …) Thanks to the physical controller, hardcore gamers will finally get what is it was missing all the time while playing games. Now two things have to happen - hardware manufacturers start making game controllers according to the framework's specifications, and game developers, especially big publishers, have to start supporting the framework. However, with standardization coming directly from Apple, it should be easier than before. And it can be assumed that Apple will also promote such games in its App Store.
The ideal candidate as a hardware manufacturer is Logitech. The latter is one of the largest manufacturers of gaming accessories and also produces many accessories for Mac and iOS devices. The Logitech gaming controller for iOS almost seems like a done deal.
The framework for game controllers could also have a major impact on turning the Apple TV into a full-fledged gaming console. If Apple did open an App Store for its TV accessories, which already include a modified version of iOS, it could well swamp Sony and Microsoft, who introduced new generations of consoles this year, and claim a place in the living room of users.
how will it be with saving progress in games?
As before? Why should anything about storage change with the arrival of a driver? How could such a question occur to you while reading this article?
For example, the Nintendo 64 controller had the ability to insert external storage media into the controller to store positions, but I'm not sure if this was just a fluke or if this is still used on other consoles. The question, I would say, is directed in this direction, on the other hand, if Apple has iCloud and synchronization through it, the support of external memories on gamepads does not make sense...
iCloud is an obvious choice, after all, many developers have already implemented such position saving. The question is how complex this implementation is and whether it could be simplified for "just" storing positions.
Come on glory.