Since the creation of smart phones, and the advancement of technology in general, application and game development has always flocked away from Apple products.
However, with the newest announcements made at the 2014 Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple plans to no longer be swept under the rug.
Declaring huge updates when it comes to loosening the reigns on game development and state-of-the-art graphics, it seems that Apple is tired of being second best and is ready to meet its competitors in the technological fields of battle.
Developers
Alongside multiple jaw dropping announcements about continuity, cross-platform features, and more; Apple also turned heads by announcing multiple leaps and bounds in development technology.
This technology will enhance iOS gaming like we’ve never seen it before, including enhancements to ease of access, compatibility and graphics.
Swift
Generating a notable applause, perhaps the most momentous topic discussed is the creation of a new programming language they called “Swift.”
This new language will be replacing its successor, Objective-C, and is said to be considerably faster than the forerunner. Swift will be able to live besides Objective-C, in the same app, enabling developers to continue working on existing projects.
Comparing the previous language to “speaking latin,” Apple’s revamp of programming means live coding and seeing those results in real time.
Not only does this mean a whole aspect of accessibility, it also means that new and eager developers will have their shot at an easier, faster language.
Metal
Inviting Epic Games founder, Tim Sweeney, to the stage, Apple announced a total overhaul of the technology designed to enhance the efficiency of iOS gaming.
By reducing OpenGL overhead, developers will now have a deeper access to the device’s hardware, which is now offering efficient multithreading, shader technology and more.
Apple proudly announce support from Crytek, Unity, Electronic Arts, and Epic Gamed. To prove to the audience that Apple wasn’t playing around, there was a live demo of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare running on the console version of Frostbite (while impressively pushing 1.3 million triangles), and The Collectables, a Crytek game.
Sweeney drove the point home by unveiling Zen Garden, a game demo built in Unreal Engine 4. Zen Garden substantiated claims to improve rendering efficiency by a tenfold increase, and will be free on the app store when iOS 8 is released this fall. iOS 8 will also be available to developers as a beta today.
SpriteKit
Yet another tool introduced for software development, SpriteKit allows developers to focus on the physics and lighting of their games.
These upgrades will introduce innovative tools for light sources, field forces, per-pixel physics, and inverse kinematics.
SceneKit
An extension of SpriteKit, SceneKit will focus more on the 3D aspects of games. This 3D scene renderer will an innovative step in the right direction, featuring its own physics engine, particle system, and a support system for scripted actions.
Convenience
On a less “techy” note, Apple also disclosed some contemporary changes to cross-platform accessibility that will allow gamers and developers to carry out his/her trade with ease.
With the announcement of forwarding calls straight from your iPhone to your iPad or Mac computer, you’ll never have to stop what you’re doing to answer a phone call again.
Halfway through that raid boss? No problem.
Chasing down an enemy in the fields of battle? “What’s up mom?”
Big Things Are Coming
Nevertheless, the Apple announcements created quite the buzz in the gaming community, as well as the general population.
Not only will developers be able to produce beautiful games with technology that was never available before, budding developers will have a chance to jump into the world of game creating with software much easier to understand.
For those seeking more information, the entire presentation can be viewed in full on the apple website, here.
