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Over the years, mobile applications have become a way of connecting people to great causes, and with the introduction of the iPhone back in 2007, applications like Waze, AroundMe, and iTreadmill are great examples. We at HiDef believe that desktop gaming is just one way of contributing to great causes, and mobile is the next logical step.

Game engines for the iPhone/iPod touch have come a long way since then. Commercial engines are expected to keep up, but having advanced open-source solutions already available is impressive to say the least! Because there is such a great opportunity in this space, I have cultivated my skills to meet these new demands for HiDef. After having looked at open-source desktop based game engines (with a focus on the rendering aspect), it was time to look at their mobile counterparts for one of the most popular platforms on the market, the iPhone/iPod touch.

Cocos2D

Cocos2D is a complete framework for building 2D games written in Objective-C, combining hardware accelerated graphics through OpenGL ES, integrated physics through Box2D and Chipmunk, sound support through OpenAL. Several games using the engine are available on the App Store. If you are looking for an easy to use engine, support from a large community, wealth of knowledge in the form of tutorials and examples, and you are interested in building a 2D game with 3D special effects if needed, then look no further.

SIO2

SIO2 is a 3D game engine with an easy to use C/C++ code syntax. It combines OpenGL ES graphics, integrated physics through Bullet, 3D sound support through OpenAL, and a sophisticated scene/object creation and management through the use of Blender open-source modeling software. The engine is used in several games available on the App Store. Developer documentation comes in the form of an excellent set of tutorials, an active forum, and a wiki covering various other tutorials and content. If you don’t mind the requirement of having a splash screen show up on startup with the free edition (the indie edition doesn’t have this limitation but it is not free), then SIO2 makes up an excellent engine for your 3D game project.

Oolong

Oolong, written by computer graphics guru Wolfgang Engel, is a game engine written in C++ with some help from Objective-C. It combines similar components as SIO2: OpenGL ES graphics, Bullet physics, OpenAL sound support, and adds an industry proven memory manager from Fluid Studios. The engine lists a few commercial titles on its website, available on the App Store, and the commercial engine iTGB as its core! Nice. The only downside of the engine is that it is difficult to use, since developer documentation and tutorials are lacking, though you will find code examples and an active community. Oolong is made by a graphics programmer for a graphics programmer, so if you are the latter, you will be rewarded with excellent performance.

Conclusion

iPhone/iPod gaming is definitely an evolving discipline, with thousands of games already available on the App Store. The device user base is rapidly growing, and the need for software is there, so why not penetrate that market with your idea, especially if it garners interest in a great cause? Games such as Geared and Flight Control, no longer bring in only the "fun" aspect, but they have become educational, brain and reflex building, and socially immersing.