iPhone 'as powerful as Dreamcast' - Sega president

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 2:57am — Jonny Evans

Sega of America president Simon Jeffrey has some pretty nice things to say about the iPhone, describing the Apple mobile as being as "powerful as the Sega Dreamcast".

Jeffery also said he's delighted with how the iPhone version of Super Monkey Ball has been received, "Were deliriously happy," he said, interviewed by Kotaku.com.

He spoke a little on the relationship between Sega and Apple, "Our relationship with Apple is such that they talk to us really early about their gaming plans," he said. "We're one of the small number of publishers with content on the original iPod," he added. "It's very gratifying our content is so popular...we think the iPhone is everything that the N-Gage wasn't, as a device," he admitted.

Jeffray is disparaging about most mobile phone games played on tiny screens, admitting he personally doesn't see the attraction - but he does with the iPhone.

It gets better, though - the Sega exec's confirmation that the iPhone is as powerful as a Dreamcast is followed by the revelation that, "we're looking pretty sensibly at what we can do on the iPhone and what we can bring to that market. Bringing across some of the Dreamcast games to the iPhone makes perfect sense.

Jeffrey also confirmed Sega to be working to bring many more games to the iPhone, including "some pretty cool stuff". He predicts the iPhone gaming market will become extremely actve, "every games company is moving to it," he said.

( Filed Under:

Industry Intelligence

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Comments

Hahahahah. N-Gage. That's

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 4:17am — 9to5Mac Toob (not verified)

Hahahahah. N-Gage. That's the blueprint Apple followed for 'How NOT to Design a Phone.' I hope all the games companies developing for the iPhone doesn't mean the prices of the games are going to skyrocket now.

CEOh no he didn't

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 7:50am — quandmeme (not verified)

Wait, that's really a left-handed compliment. Dreamcast was what 1998? So saying they're excited about designing for for technology that is 10 years old can be taken either way. I thought at first that this was an Engadget-style CEOh no he didn't.

Yes he did :)

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 4:39pm — 9to5Mac Matt (not verified)

The Dreamcast was a pretty powerful machine in its day and to say that a PHONE now has the same power as that gaming console? Yah, that's a compliment.

Well, if you look at some of

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 8:12am — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

Well, if you look at some of the dreamcast games likely to be ported to the iphone like crazy taxi or jet set radio, many will agree that they can compete with today's wii games, at least visually. So I'd consider the statement by Jeffrey as a compliment.

Do you expect a mobile device

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 9:04am — CEO yes he did (not verified)

Do you expect a mobile device to have the same graphics as your XBox360 or PS3 of today? I took that as a compliment also to the iPhone. Dramcast games were great, and graphically pleasing.

@ quandmeme : Here is an

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 10:25am — Dreamcast - the rest of the story... (not verified)

@ quandmeme :
Here is an Apple Store link:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=261145890
To the On Networks HD Video about the Dreamcast from the "Play Value" series on video games (a great series BTW). This latest chapter is all about how the Dreamcast was actually a GREAT piece of hardware and technology that failed for reasons wholly unrelated to how great a console it was.
Don't be hating on the Dramcast. It is a great box.

I just hope all the hype on

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 10:26am — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

I just hope all the hype on the iphone game development makes game publishers and developers realize the untapped market potential of the gaming market in Mac's

I think the mac market is growing enough in the casual and younger demographics that it could happen.

Ohh Ya. Nativ games for Mac

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 2:01pm — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

Ohh Ya. Nativ games for Mac with simulation release.
It's still my dream. For then I can finely get rid of Windows.

Thats great news. I'm

Thu, 07/17/2008 - 3:25pm — Jan (not verified)

Thats great news. I'm honestly looking forward for Sega to import a lot of its old Dreamcast games to the iPhone. I guess the heads at Apple knew that the gaming war with the PC is already a lost cause so they never really bothered with Mac gaming - but the iPhone is another matter.