Grand Theft Auto crashes onto iPhone

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For anyone who that the iPhone was to be taken seriously as a games platform, and there have been many, the release today of Grand Theft Auto as an iPhone app should seal the deal that the iPhone is the real thing as far as being a games console is concerned.

OK, it is only the 'Chinatown Wars' version of the game, which has already been out on Nintendo DS and got a pretty luke-warm reception from fans of the full on GTA console game. But, despite the limitations of the platform and the distinctly retro top down look and feel of the thing, it is still GTA on a damn phone! It still manages to look really cool, and play really well. How incredible is that?

Probably not as incredible as the price point. Here in the UK the App Store is asking £5.99 for the game, while in the US it is $9.99 and that's rather important as it means that a proper big boys game has broken the ten bucks barrier. If it's going to stand a chance of making a real impact in terms of sales then a game has to be below ten dollars.

Sure, it may not appeal to your average gamer but perhaps that is not the target market for Rockstar. I reckon they are going for the occasional gamer market as well as (and I know I am stating the obvious here) the iPhone grab the latest app crowd. But the fact that Rockstar Games could bring GTA onto the iPhone platform and, one has to assume, still have enough margin to make it profitable at that price point could mean that there will be exciting times for all 'pocket gamers' in the months to come.

Certainly both Nintendo and Sony must be keeping a slightly more serious eye on Apple now, having pretty much dismissed the iPhone as being any real competition to handheld consoles very early on. I doubt, at least on the evidence of this particular game anyway, that Xbox 360 or PS3 fans will be rushing to download it, no matter how cheap or portable it is though.

Perhaps the group of people to be most excited about all this, ironically enough, are the one man band games developers who have been producing innovative and addictive games for the iPhone since day one. With the arrival of the GTA franchise the platform gets taken seriously by gamers, and that means the potential not only for more sales but also of more exposure within the industry itself.

Dani AI

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was right to flag the moment: a major franchise on the iPhone helped change how people thought about phones as gaming devices. The important takeaway for readers here is why a port matters more than the exact visuals — ports validate the platform, push expectations for controls and performance, and raise the bar for discoverability and pricing. Those tradeoffs (control scheme, memory, battery, save formats) are why mobile versions often look and play differently from their console siblings.

If the game crashes or feels unstable on an older device, try these practical steps in order:

  1. Confirm the app build is compatible with your device/iOS (older 32-bit apps may not run on modern iOS).
  2. Reboot the device and close background apps.
  3. Free at least several hundred megabytes of storage; low free space often causes crashes.
  4. Backup saves, then delete and reinstall the app to clear corrupted data.
  5. If problems persist, test on another compatible device or restore from a known-good backup before troubleshooting further.

’s concern about indies is valid, but there are concrete ways small teams compete: pick a tight, original mechanic; ship polished, bite-sized experiences that play great on touch; iterate quickly and communicate updates; and use smart, low-cost marketing (targeted communities, press, and platform features). Technical discipline matters too — optimize textures and audio for low RAM devices, offer configurable touch layouts, and keep install size reasonable.

For those who found the game “short” like , that’s common for handheld ports focused on picked highlights of a franchise. When assessing legacy mobile titles years later, check device compatibility and whether the publisher still supports the app before buying or troubleshooting.

Member Avatar for Sodabread
Sodabread 88 Posting Whiz in Training

This could have a negative impact on the "one man band" developers, though. If more big players start pushing out games onto mobile platforms, I think many people will gravitate toward those just like they have in the PC market. There are quite a few indie game developers out there that make PC games, but most people still go for the next biggest thing from <insert dev studio here>.

Obviously, there are exceptions as with any rule. Puzzle Quest is a great example of that. I'd like to think I'm wrong and indie developers will continue to thrive and possible even beat out the big boys on the iPhone/Driod/etc.., but seeing too many small studios go down from lack of marketing dollars has got me a bit cynical about the industry.

Member Avatar for Appspy
Appspy 0 Newbie Poster

I wasnt the one who got to review this game for our review site, but I have played it quite a bit. This reminds me of the first GTA game that came out back in the day.

I liked it but was over the game after defeating it quite quickly.

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