iPwnGames: Did you already had plans to do an iPhone-version of Car Jack Streets when you first started developing the game?

We first began developing the game in early 2007 at which point the iPhone hadn’t been revealed by Apple. We knew by the time the game was ready for ‘normal’ mobile devices there would be some really nice high end devices on the market on which we could really improve the visuals and other elements – I guess we couldn’t have predicted just how much of a jump the iPhone was going to be though!

iPwnGames: What new controls can we expect in the iPhone-version of the game?

This is currently the biggest design decision we have yet to make on the game. We have tried a few different systems and to be honest everyone has their own thoughts on which is best. I expect that we’ll ship the game with at least two control systems for players to try and give them the choice of how they want to play. Certainly with Rock’n’Roll players responded really positively to the fact we allowed for both touch and motion control in the game. It is fair to say that with Car Jack motion control is not going to provide the level of accuracy we need to weave in and out of traffic in a stolen sports car so all systems will be a touch mechanic of some sort.

iPwnGames: Is it possible that the game might feature a multiplayer mode?

We are looking at connected features across all of our games and whilst we don’t expect to have this for the launch of Car Jack Streets it is on the agenda for future updates. Our initial plans are to implement an online ranking table for most cash earned that day/week/month/total but what we really want to do is offer real time multiplayer over WiFi and online. Not many players apart from journalists and the actual game developers got to experience the original LAN games of GTA with 4-16 players but I remember them very well and they were great fun. It would be awesome to be able to bring that kind of experience to iPhone gamers. Ultimately how far we take connected features will depend on the sales of the initial release as we would use a portion of profits for further update development.

iPwnGames: Do you think that a 3D Grand Thef Auto type of game would work on the iPhone?

There are a few technical and game-play issues to overcome. The iPhone is a powerful 3D device but to fully render a ‘living city’ in 3D might be pushing it a little beyond its current capabilities. Even assuming you could render that level of detail questions over achievable frame rate and therefore game-play fluidity would be raised. Then there are issues over control. Cube is a stunning technical achievement but moving a character in 3rd or first person in a fun and controllable manner is going to require a complete redesign of existing game control systems from the ground up. I guess we all wish Apple would release a joystick peripheral but perhaps that’s laziness on our behalf! I have no doubt that at some point in the future we will see a non-linear 3D city based game on iPhone and to the developer that solves some of these issues I have no doubt will be plenty of sales and fame!

iPwnGames: Do you have plans for a Nintendo DS-version of Car Jack Streets?
We are Nintendo DS approved developers so I’ll let you read in to that what you like!

iPwnGames: iVoodoo and Stress Toy are both smaller applications that are perfect to fill up a few minutes. Why do you prefer to develop smaller games?

Ian Dunlop: It’s the time from idea, to prototype, to final version that appeals. It’s a lot shorter than your typical large budget console game (> $1 Million / > 1 year). What that means is that I get to try out many different ideas, put them out and see which ones make money. It’s less risky and a lot more fun.

iVoodoo for iPhone

iPwnGames: What inspired you to do a game like iVoodo, are you interested in voodoo?

Ian Dunlop: I think the inspiration came from trying to make something “quirky”. Something that would attract attention given it’s nature. I started out with a “hurt the doll for fun” idea, and then after researching I decided that was being disrespectful to people who believe in this sort of thing. So I decided to go with a more respectful take on the subject – hence the different pin choices and lack of screaming noises when you stick a pin in the doll. Personally I don’t collect them or use them. Although maybe I do have a doll or two on my iPhone now.

Tilt Me for iPhone

iPwnGames: Are you happy with the sales and reviews for Tilt Me?

Ian Dunlop: Yes on both counts. I was quite happy with how well Tilt Me performed. It certainly encouraged me to continue my efforts on the iPhone. I like the direct feedback on the App Store as well. It is unfortunate that iPhone problems are often confused for problems with your app, but hopefully those issues will get straightened out by Apple in the next update.

iPwnGames: Could your new IP for the Wii become an iPhone game as well?

Ian Dunlop: Quite possibly. That is something that has been on my mind a lot. I have a finished playable demo of it running on the Wii, but have yet to find a publisher for it. Self publishing it on the iPhone via the App Store is definitely becoming becoming a higher priority for me.

iPwnGames: Is it possible that you will develop a Konductra game for the iPhone?

Ian Dunlop: That is also a possibility. I am working on a puzzle style game and that should be out this month although nothing has been submitted to Apple for review yet. If that goes well I may dust of the Konductra code and get it out there. I would likely change it around somewhat as I’ve had some new ideas in mind for a while.

Stress Toy for iPhone

iPwnGames: Here’s our typical question again: do you like developing for the iPhone and do you think that it will lift mobile gaming to the next level?

Ian Dunlop: I love it. It’s quite liberating to self publish your stuff instead of having to sell your idea / game to someone else. The App Store itself and it’s integration into the phone is 1st class and it gives me a lot of confidence in the system Apple has created.

App Store + iPhone = Next Level. Beyond that, it’s really just a marketing issue.

iPwnGames: We would like to thank Ian Dunlop for doing this interview with us.

We recently contacted Astraware‘s Alison Barclay to try to arrange an interview with someone who worked on GTS World Racing for the iPhone. Howard Tomlinson, Director of Game Development at Astraware – the Handmark Games Studio, took time to answer some of our questions concerning the iPhone and their first experiences with Apple’s device. Tomlinson is very positive about the iPhone and told us that they’re looking into new updates and features for GTS World Racing.

iPwnGames GTS World Racing has been out for a couple of days now. Are you happy with the success of the game so far?

Howard Tomlinson “Yes! I’m really pleased with how well the game has done – both in terms of downloads (sales) and reviews and the web exposure. It has been good to see a range of reviews, and I’m particularly pleased that some of the reviewers who had comments – suggestions for improvements, complaints, etc. – have got in touch directly with more information and offers to help. That makes me feel positive about the future for us developing and publishing games for this new platform – just like with our other platforms, having the connection with the players of the games means we can create better games.”

GTS World Racing for iPhone

iPwnGames Is there going to be extra downloadable content for GTS World Racing?

Howard Tomlinson “We’re looking at adding additional content into updates – new features, in-game scenery, adjustments to difficulty/opponents etc. Because the iTunes distribution model makes it much easier to push updates out with more features and content, we don’t have to worry so much about making extra content something you have to download separately. We’re currently filtering through lots of suggestions (both from customers, testers, and all of the team here!) to decide what kinds of additions and changes, and in what order to do them.”

iPwnGames Can we still expect a demo-version of GTS World Racing?

Howard Tomlinson “We (Astraware) have come from a background where we provide trial versions of all games, without crippling features. The move to iPhone makes that a bit harder to achieve. The definitions of “Lite” seem to be vague at the moment, and we’re still thinking about what to do. We really wanted to make sure that people could see what the game is all about, and making a video seemed like a good way to show it off.”

iPwnGames Were there some challenges developing GTS World Racing for the iPhone.

Howard Tomlinson “The first rule of iPhone development club is… you do not talk about iPhone development club.

“Without going into specifics, it had (and still has) the challenges of developing for a new platform with a new SDK, and launching into a store and system where we weren’t entirely sure how things would work out. Lots of similarities with various developments from Astraware’s past, where for instance we’ve been working to bundle in with an entirely new device, OS, resolution, and more, in an unfeasibly tight timescale!

“It’s fun – terrifying, frustrating, confusing, nerve-wracking fun “

iPwnGames What are your plans for future iPhone-games?

Howard Tomlinson “More games, and more styles of games. We want to experiment with some of the more esoteric features of the iPhone, but to do so in a way that complements games rather than detracting from them. We’re learning a lot because although we’re experts in smartphones – and we have a pretty good understanding of how people use them and what they want from the games they buy – not all of that is exactly the same with iPhone. A good example is that the emotional attachment that people feel for their iPhones is greater than for other phones. (Apple is typically very good at this, though the IT community is quite polar about it!) That means that we need to rethink some of the games to feel more personal. That’s a much subtler development aim than usual, where it is normally a “implement this feature” “bigger explosions” “more cowbell” kind of approach.”

iPwnGames Are you planning to port more of your popular mobile games to the iPhone?

Howard Tomlinson “Very much so. We’re bringing our own IP across where it makes sense, and lots of our licensors are working with us to expand to cover iPhone too. We’re also looking at revisits of some of our older games, where we reckon a new treatment for iPhone would be fun. It’s a balance between experimenting with new ideas and playing it safe with trusted games and brands.”

iPwnGames Are you going after the casual gamer or the hardcore gamer with your future iPhone-games?

Howard Tomlinson “Is this really an “or” question? Are they really different people?

“After seeing the biggest, meanest FPS hardcore gamer in the office playing Hexic 2 by choice, and also having experienced my wife (a puzzle game obsessive) beat seven shades of sh*** out of me on Soul Calibur (I, II, III… will I ever learn?) – I’d argue that the casual and hardcore gamer are often one and the same!

“But the answer is “yes” – we’re covering all bases, with plans for lots of styles.

“I think the other question is whether the current buyers are the same kind of mix of casual and hardcore gamers as other platforms (PC, Smartphone, Handhelds), and whether this will change as iPhone goes – as it certainly will – from early adopters to a much larger market.”

iPwnGames Do you think the iPhone is ready to lift mobile gaming to the next level?

Howard Tomlinson “Undoubtedly – though not for the reasons of it being a progressive piece of hardware (which it is, in my opinion!) – but because Apple have done something which lifts the industry in a new direction. They’ve connected all of the dots from hardware manufacturer to application developer to consumer, which hasn’t been achieved before. The challenges for a developer to move from a hobbyist to actually making some livelihood are very much reduced. That’ll result in a lot of creativity – and a lot of truly great games, and most likely many truly dire games too.

“My worry is that there are only so many promo slots, and “top 10” positions, so that great games that don’t quite make those positions don’t get the exposure to keep them above the flood of mediocre titles. How’s a user to determine what’s great and what isn’t? Reviews and ratings alone won’t be enough. I think there are still some changes to happen over time with the iTunes App Store to make it work better. It’s going to be a fun couple of years as all this gets worked out!”

Video of GTS World Racing for iPhone

iPwnGames: What are your experiences with developing for the iPhone. Do you like developing for it so far?

Sarah Thomson: Yes, this device is a pleasure to work on. The iPhone is currently the number one mobile platform by a mile not just in gaming, but verticals, music, social networking and it is also catching up rapidly on corporate functionalities. John Carmack sums it up pretty well: “It is more powerful than the Nintendo DS and PSP combined.” The ARM11 processor and dedicated MBX-lite graphics core can work wonders, if you know how to push them. All that said, it is still a low-powered mobile device which presents several unique development challenges even for experienced mobile developers like IUGO. We suspect developers taking the leap from PC/console/handheld might be in for some surprises and may need to change the way they usually do things. Overall, we like how the device is pushing the envelope for gaming and IUGO’s immense mobile development experiences actually allow us to assimilate the iPhone platform painlessly.

Toy Bot Diaries Entry 1

iPwnGames: How many Toy Bot episodes are you planning to develop?

Sarah Thomson: Toy Bot Diaries is a trilogy. We really liked the idea of episodic content because it allowed us to get the first “entry” out onto the App Store relatively quickly without sacrificing on quality. Episodic content also tends to cultivate user loyalty and product longevity. On the design side, we are able to take more time in the development of the storyline which further bolsters the quality of the product over time.

iPwnGames: Would you like to develop an iPhone-version of EA’s Boom Blox?

Sarah Thomson: We’re really proud of our work on Boom Blox Mobile, but in the end, the IP belongs to EA. It’s totally EA’s call as to how they wish to continue with the Boom Blox brand. There are so many great ideas of our own we have for the iPhone that I think we rather focus on as opposed to the “what if”. If they approached us with the idea of Boom Blox on the iPhone, we’d be open to it.

Shaky Summit

iPwnGames: Could Toy Bot and Shaky Summit be ported to other mobile devices as well or would you rather have it to be an iPhone-exclusive?

Sarah Thomson: We work in a platform agnostic method with all of our own tools and libraries capable of producing a multi-platform game. We can put any or all of our games onto pretty much any mobile platform. That could be a possibility in the future for our own IP. We’ll most likely play that one by ear. The App Store makes it so accessible and easy for smaller developers like us to get out content out there. It’s not as easy for the traditional mobile platforms. But, I think this will start shifting, as we’ve already seen other companies and platforms do. They kind of have to if they want to compete with Apple.

iPwnGames: What’s the audience you’re trying to target with your iPhone games? Are you chasing the casual gamer like many other developers do nowadays or are you also thinking about the hardcore gamer?

Sarah Thomson: IUGO does not make one particular kind of mobile game. We’ve done everything from casual to sports to hardcore games. Shaky Summit is the epitome of casual gaming for the iPhone. It will appeal to a broad audience and both genders. There is virtually no learning curve for Summit which allows for players of all ages to instantly enjoy the gameplay.

TBD is an action puzzler that gamers of all experiences will get into. We took great care in making the controls intuitive, yet balanced with enough challenge to draw the player in and get hooked. TBD is great for both short bursts of play and longer, more intense sessions. We think once people get their hands on Entry 1, they’ll be salivating for Entry 2!

Re-Volt

Now Re-Volt is an entirely different story. Re-Volt is going to be our high-impact, earth shattering FPS for the iPhone. This game is definitely geared towards the more experienced player. That’s not to say beginners won’t love this game too. The beauty of the iPhone is the simplistic and just plain fun controls that make a game like Re-Volt a real form of entertainment for a broader audience. Because it is an FPS, I think it will initially strike a chord with the hard core gamers. But, I think word will spread and its popularity will be wide spread.

iPwnGames: Will you release demo-versions of Toy Bot and Shaky Summit?

Sarah Thomson: Definitely there will be a free demo for TBD. It’ll be up soon actually. The free demo is a fantastic way to allow users to try the game before spending their hard-earned cash. We also believe once they’ve had a taste of the game through the demo, they’ll be rushing to buy the full game outright. We’re pretty confident with our product and its upcoming success. For Summit, I’m not sure about a demo, stay tuned on that one.

iPwnGames: Do you think the iPhone will kick mobile gaming to the next level?

Sarah Thomson: Yes, even if it is unintentional. We’re already seeing insane numbers coming back from the first month of the 3G and App Store. Sega’s Monkey Ball sold 300,000 units in 20 days? That’s amazing. It’s gotten us pretty excited about getting our games onto the platform. We truly feel the iPhone and the App Store will spark a shift in power from the big publishers to the independent game developer. This environment will spawn innovation and really, really cool games that no one has seen before in the mobile space. It’s an exciting time for us and the mobile gaming industry.

iPwnGames: So far we’ve seen a lot of pick-up-and-play games for the iPhone, but do you think iPhone games could keep someone busy longer than fifteen minutes?

Sarah Thomson: Absolutely! I’ve been playing TBD in hour increments easily. Summit will probably be more suited to shorter sessions, but Re-Volt will certainly consist of long-term game play. The iPhone is comparable to the DS or PSP; kids play on those handhelds for hours.

iPwnGames: Some people are saying that Toy Bot is even cuter than Wall-E. Do you agree with that?

Sarah Thomson: Hahaha!! Well I’m biased but heck yes TBD is cuter than Wall-E!! Toy Bot is a lovable character that has cuteness turned up to level 10. TBD the game as a whole is full of endearing details which is a big part of its appeal. It plays well into the comic book-inspired graphics that any age can connect with and enjoy.

iPwnGames: We would like to thank Sarah Thomson for this interview and wish them all the best with their upcoming titles for the iPhone!

iPwnGames: Here’s our typical question again, do you like developing for the iPhone?

Paul Farley I’ve been working in mobile gaming for over seven years now and so the first thing that strikes me about the iPhone is that it’s great to be developing on one device and with one SDK again! Our forthcoming mobile title Car Jack City will have close to 2000 separate builds to take into account all the devices and languages required, when you are managing that amount of development being able to focus upon getting the best out of one device is a refreshing change. Thus far our technical team have found the iPhone a dream to work with; not only have Apple provided a decent development environment and tools but the 3D performance has yet to break and we keep throwing stuff at it!

Astro Ranch for iPhone

iPwnGames: Did Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing inspire you to make Astro Ranch?

Paul Farley A number of the team are big fans of both Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing and they did provide some inspiration for the game, however the main inspiration came from our technical director Robert who has been obsessed with making a farming game from the very day we started Tag! We hope that Astro Ranch will build upon some of the best features of those kind of games and avoid some of the areas we felt didn’t work so well. It’s fair to say we will be adding a huge number of unique game play elements that take advantage of iPhone functionality and ensures that Astro Ranch is a gaming experience in its own right.

iPwnGames: Why did you pick the 50’s as the setting of Astro Ranch?

Paul Farley We felt that a 50’s sci-fi B-movie setting allowed us a huge creative canvas on which we could build an appealing art style, compelling back story and integrate a huge slice of humour into the game. The style is also one of our concept artist’s favourites, and as you can see she has a talent for bringing the Astro Ranch world to life through some crazy characters and appealing environment.

iPwnGames: Did Astro Ranch started as an iPhone-game, or did you first thought about it as a Nintendo DS or Nokia N-Gage game?

Paul Farley Originally we pitched it internally as a standard J2ME/BREW mobile game over a year ago. At the time we put it on the back burner because we didn’t feel we could do it justice on the platform and doubted how appealing the concept would be to potential publishers or phone operators. It’s very difficult to launch games on mobile right now without a large brand or license attached, so we agreed to return to the idea once either the market shifted or the technology improved. The iPhone addresses both of those issues with the technical performance of the device and the open nature of publishing direct to the appStore. This allows Tag to take an original game to customers direct and gives them, not the phone operators, the opportunity to make it a hit if they like it.

iPwnGames: Are you targetting a larger audience or the hardcore gamer with Astro Ranch?

Paul Farley At Tag we’ve always believed that we should make games that everyone can play. With this in mind Astro Ranch is being carefully designed to allow the player to choose how they wish to play the game. Primarily we expect that it will be played in 10 minute sessions (ten minutes is a whole day on the Astro Ranch) while on a bus or train by ‘casual’ players but we also want to ensure that if people like the game so much they want to sit and play for hours and hours they can. I think once players have built their ranch and collected most of the objects in the game they will return time and time again to enter competitions and make use of the connected elements. Ultimately we believe if the core game mechanics are fun it shouldn’t matter what level of involvement the player has with the game – everyone will be entertained and feel they are getting good value from the game.

iPwnGames: How important will connectivity be in Astro Ranch?

Right now the connectivity aspect of the game is the biggest technical hurdle for us to overcome. Not only do we want players with iPhone’s to be able to connect to each other but for the connected features to be device agnostic meaning it won’t matter if you have an iPhone, N-Gage, DS or even mobile version of the game the same functionality will be available across them all. We have previously completed a connected mobile game called Football Pro which is probably one of the only connected mobile titles in Europe that works well both technically and as a solid game experience, so we have some experience in this area. Primarily Astro Ranch will be a single player experience with the connectivity allowing the player to visit their friend’s ranches, send messages and presents, compete in competitions and trade items. We will ensure that some of the best objects in the game are only available to those that use the connected elements of the game and of course supply and demand on other planets will ensure that the player is always likely to get a better price for their crops and livestock by trading on an inter-galactic basis than locally.

iPwnGames: Will there be a demo version of Astro Ranch and Rock’n’Roll and what pricepoint do you currently have in mind for both games?

It’s too early to say how we will launch Astro Ranch at this stage; much will depend on Apple’s plans for the appStore over the next 6 months – for example if they launch subscription or micro transaction based payments we would certainly consider those structures. With Rock’n’Roll will we certainly be launching a free demo version for players to try ahead of the full launch. At Tag we passionately believe that our games have great game-play so we feel that a free demo will create an even larger demand for the paid game. Pricing for both titles will be competitive!

Rock’n'Roll for mobile phones, already available

iPwnGames: What will the gameplay of Rock’n’Roll on the iPhone be like?

Paul Farley Rock’n’Roll is an existing mobile game that we launched earlier in the year. Its game-play is very simple in that you rotate a maze and the main character drops through it, collecting musical notes in an effort to rescue his kidnapped friend. The game is ideal for mobile because you only need to press left and right to control the whole game and we did some really good work with the game engine to ensure the experience is excellent right down to very low-end handsets. When we were completing development we realised that the game was ideally suited to motion control and we worked up a couple of proof of concepts – one using the built in motion sensor on a Samsung phone and the other using camera motion sensing. Both worked well but neither technology was wide spread and so we decided for commercial reasons not to release either version. It’s shaping up well on iPhone though and we’ll offer the option of either touch or motion control depending on the player’s preference. Expect much the same great game-play experience as on mobile but with far better visuals and audio.

iPwnGames: Let’s end with another typical question of ours, will the iPhone lift mobile gaming to the next level?

Paul Farley It already has! The iPhone not only shows massive potential for game players but has also provided the business model that all mobile game developers have yearned for. The structure is there to reward developers who try to create new and ambitious games rather than relying on tired old licensing to sell games- so let’s hope in the years to come we see that promise fulfilled and many millions of players discovering the unique and rewarding experience mobile gaming offers.

iPwnGames: Why did you decide to release a demo-version of Crosswords a few days after the release of the full game?

Ben Gottlieb: We had always intended to release a demo in conjunction with the main release. Apple’s rules regarding demo versions are a little unclear, so it took a while to navigate their system (we had to tone down the ‘demo’ aspect and talk up the ‘light’ features). We think everyone benefits with the try-before-you-buy approach. Users are more confident that the product will do what they want, and don’t feel trapped by a purchase. We do 30-day demos on all our Palm software. Hopefully Apple will provide a solution to this in the future.

iPwnGames: Do you have more info on how Crosswords is doing so far?

Ben Gottlieb: We don’t release sales numbers, but we did very well last month. I expect a sharp drop-off this month, as there was a lot of pent-up demand before the release of the AppStore.

iPwnGames: Crosswords is off course a game that appeals both casual and hardcore gamers. Are you going to make games just for the hardcore gamer in the future?

Ben Gottlieb: We’re going to wait and see how the game situation on the AppStore shakes out. We don’t want to wade into a crowded market unless we’re sure we can provide a clearly superior product.

iPwnGames: Crosswords is off course a pretty expensive game, but is it possible that there will be a pricedrop in the future?

Ben Gottlieb: We wrestled with the price before release. As you know there was no guidance given by Apple with respect to price points; we looked at the product and felt it was worth $10. On Palm, we sell a less feature-rich product for twice the price, and it’s not viewed as an expensive product. Obviously there’s a degree of comparison pricing that’s going on, but we’re very leery of a ‘race to the bottom’ with prices. If all developers cut their prices, soon no one will be making enough money to continue development.

iPwnGames: How was the feedback of the community and how have they helped you improving Crosswords?

Ben Gottlieb: We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback, some positive, some negative, from the community. Certain areas where we hadn’t focused in the initial release became, in retrospect, more important, and so we went back and honed them in follow-on releases. For example, in our testing, we didn’t optimize typing performance, since no one is going to be speed-typing into a crossword puzzle. However, what we didn’t take into account was that slow typing, while not hindering game play, made the entire application feel sluggish. In version 1.1, we completely rewrote our rendering engine, and saw large performance gains there. That optimization was all prompted by our users.

iPwnGames: How are you planning to use the accelerometer of the iPhone in the future?

Ben Gottlieb: I think the accelerometer is a good tool for certain applications (some types of games, auto-performance, that sort of thing.) However, we didn’t see a reason to add support to it in the current version. In the next update, however, we do use it (just a little) to determine which way the user is tilting their device, so we can re-position controls more effectively and give a slightly more comfortable interface. We have a couple of ideas for potential games that involve the accelerometer, but there are both sensitivity and battery-life issues to consider.

iPwnGames: Are you planning to do more classic games for the iPhone in the future or are you thinking about something totally new for the iPhone?

Ben Gottlieb: We’re working on a non-game productivity application for iPhone right now. We love games, but also wanted to broaden our range a bit. We hope to announce it in the next few weeks. The Classic game market for iPhone (Solitaire, Sudoku, etc) seems a bit crowded, but as it calms down, we’ll take another look.

iPwnGames: Will the iPhone change mobile gaming forever?

Ben Gottlieb: I think it will. Before, if you wanted a mobile gaming platform, you had to get a dedicated device, or your options were rather limited. With the iPhone, it’s possible to bring an extremely powerful gaming device with you, without adding an additional item to your pocket. I have a PSP and a Nintendo DS, and while they’re great gaming platforms, I have to actively remember to bring them with me. My phone is always with me, so there are many more opportunities for gaming.

iPwnGames: And now, back to Palm or are you going to stay on the iPhone for a while?

Ben Gottlieb: Unfortunately, the Palm market has been in a downward slide for the last year or so. However, even if it weren’t, iPhone is just too much fun! We’ll be around for a long time on this platform

iPwnGames: Thank you Ben Gottlieb for letting us ask you some questions and we’re looking forward to your future iPhone projects!

Neil Young, an former Electronic Arts game producer who started his own iPhone development studio called ngmoco, gave an interesting keynote at iPhoneDevCamp 2 in San Francisco. Young tells why he quit EA to start his own iPhone development studio and what his plans for the future are.

The keynote is definitely worth watching, but here’s what he basically said about the iPhone and the plans of ngmoco. He thinks that the iPhone should try to do what the Nintendo DS is doing. As an example he told about Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, a game that cost $300,000 to develop and brought in $300 million. Small developers need to use the soft- and hardware they have just like Nintendo does with its not so powerful Nintendo DS. He says the iPhone has a lot of potential to beat both the PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS because it combines the best of the two.

Now it’s up to the small developers, he wants their ideas. He launched nglabs, a new part of ngmoco that gives the developers of 10 applications the opportunity to develop their own game. ngmoco will help them with the funding, each will receive $10,000 and ngmoco will publish the game. The developers can keep all the rights on their game.