14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has launched an iTunes page entirely dedicated to Game Center, after opening the service to the millions of iOS device owners worldwide via iOS 4.1.
“Get in on the action with Game Center, the social gaming network included in iOS 4.1 for the new iPod touch (as well as 2nd and 3rd generation), iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4,” Apple says.
“Download one of the games gathered here, invite someone to join, then get a game going.”
“Compare your scores and achievements with friends. Or choose to go up against people you don’t know in a multiplayer game. It’s your world. Everyone else is just playing in it,” the company notes on the page in question (iTunes link).
Game Center is Apple’s social network for games.
Specifically targeting the iPod touch userbase, the new app lets friends invite someone to join and get a game going, just like Apple said.
Alternately, gamers can choose to automatically go up against people they don’t know from anywhere around the world in a multiplayer game.
Once signed in to the Game Center app, users can invite someone by sending a friend request using their nickname or email address.
Leaderboards are there to see how a person’s score ranks against another’s.
Game players can compare achievements as well, and get a multiplayer game going via auto-match (find your friends if they happen to be looking for an auto-match, too), or by allowing Game Center to set you up with a soon-to-be-friend.
For now, the list of Game Center-supported titles is scarce (18 entries). Noteworthy games include Real Racing, Flight Control, Fieldrunners, Zen Bound 2, and Pac Man.
As noted above, Game Center requires iOS 4.1, meaning the service only works on devices that support the new software.
In addition to Game Center, iOS 4.1 also brings high dynamic range (HDR) photos on iPhone 4, support for TV show rentals on iTunes, the ability to upload HD videos to YouTube and MobileMe over Wi-Fi on iPhone 4, additional support for AVRCP-supported accessories, FaceTime calling directly from Favorites, and several bug fixes, as well as security improvements.