iPhone games port to webOS in a "matter of days"
updated 03:30 pm EST, Fri March 5, 2010
Palm PDK to make iPhone game conversion easy
Palm's Plugin Development Kit (PDK) will make it extremely simple to convert iPhone games to webOS, a source said today. The kit's approach, which runs native code within the platform's web-based framework, is said by AllThingsD to be so direct that an iPhone game can be converted in a "matter of days." Few changes are necessary, and the performance is purportedly as fast as on its native Apple counterpart.
While not directly confirmed by Palm, Electronista can attest that ports of iPhone games like Need for Speed run smoothly on the Pre Plus. Also, major developers have already posted nearly three dozen ports of games from webOS and have described the experience in positive terms. Gameloft Publising VP for the Americas Baudouin Corman has described the experience as "smooth and friendly" and notes that its own porting habits are reflective of its longer-term plans.
"It's safe to say that we plan to continue this momentum for the remainder of the year," he said. "We've seen strong interest from Pre consumers for the kind of games we are releasing."
An abundance of games may be imperative for Palm, as it has accelerated the number of apps it has made available in the App Catalog but still pales in comparison to iPhone or Android. The company's app library has jumped from 1,000 to over 1,500 apps since the start of the year but is just a hundredth the size of the App Store and only somewhat over a tenth the size of Android Market.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005
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That's OK Devs, port all you want. But you're still missing something, like a world class app store. In all fairness it'll still probably be worth the effort, if you have something worthwhile to port.