During a recent interview, former Sony exec Jack Tretton admitted that the PS Vita arrived too late in a market where dedicated gaming machines were no longer needed, such as smartphones and tablets that were just as good. In fact with every new smartphone or tablet released, we are seeing an improvement in its gaming capabilities.The iPhone 7 is a good example as it was launched with support for haptic feedback, and endless runner (skier?) Alto’s Adventure is one of the first few games to be updated to support the feature.
According to its developers, “Thanks to the expanded Taptic Engine, we’ve been able to pinpoint exciting moments in a run and tie them to more precise vibrational feedback. Now, you’ll feel a nice jolt of satisfaction upon collecting a wayward llama or sliding over an ice boost. The golden burst of a super coin or powdery landing of a huge combo will hopefully be a little more thrilling.”
“We’ve even tried to give some consideration to calmer moments: reaching minimum & maximum zoom or snapping the perfect shot in Photo Mode will vibrate like a real camera, immersing you in the joys of being your own mountain photographer. The list goes on, but rather than spoil it all, we’re excited for players to stumble onto each new interaction and find their favourite ones.”
Haptic feedback is now possible in the iPhone 7 thanks to the use of an expanded Taptic Engine, which previously was limited to the iPhone 6s for 3D Touch, but by expanding it, developers will be able to take advantage of the feature to make games a little more immersive. Alto’s Adventure is available via the iTunes App Store for $3.99.