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2010 Predictions: Slide To Play on iPhone games next year

With the weather turning colder and holiday music already in the air, we can't help but turn our sights toward 2010.

We asked several notable reviewers what they think is in store for the games industry next year. Here's what Andrew Podolsky, Editor-in-Chief of Slide to Play, predicts for iPhone gaming in 2010:

1. The rise of the iPhone social networks. Soon, your unlockable achievements will actually mean something as your reputation online becomes more pronounced. Companies like Aurora Feint have already signaled their intent to assist developers with online multiplayer, and the first-party networks from companies like Ngmoco, Gameloft, and Chillingo will start to have an effect that matters. Maybe they'll offer a discount on DLC for dedicated players, or host more tournaments for big prizes in 2010. Rewarding repeat customers is a great way to build a community, and these companies have much to gain from it.

2. Apple will allow developers to set their own game release schedules. Instead of the completely unworkable status quo of "submit for review, wait approximately two weeks for approval," Apple will allow certain top-tier developers to schedule their own release date for games. This will allow developers, the media, and fans to prepare for solid release dates, instead of nebulous timeframes. The iPhone equivalent of "Emergence Day", the heavily marketed release date for the Xbox 360 blockbuster Gears of War, will occur in 2010.

3. We'll finally get our World of Warcraft. A real MMO powerhouse on the iPhone is an inevitability, and one of them will be good enough to get people to join clans, schedule raids, and track down rare loot. Maybe you won't have to pay per month to play, but some other form of wallet-vacuuming, like microtransactions for gear or gold, is almost certain. Maybe it'll even be ad-supported. Developers couldn't afford the server costs without some form of long-term revenue.

Special thank you to Andrew for taking the time to share his predictions.

Come back throughout the week to see what Matt Dunn, TouchGen, Tracy Erickson, Pocket Gamer, Jeff Scott, 148Apps, and others foresee in 2010.

What do you think will happen in 2010? Send us your thoughts. We'll compile the most interesting predictions into a final post.

Note: The opinions expressed by the interviewee in the entry above may not represent the opinions of Glu, its Board of Directors or officers.

Categories: Industry, iPhone