Let's not forget that MGS was not the only game Konami announced for the iPhone/iTouch. Granted, there aren't that many high profile franchices available yet, the only one coming to mind right now is Brothers in Arms, but with these announcements it's very likely that more will follow. Add to that the huge number of indie games (most of which are pure crap, but anyway) available and you already have a very successful gaming platform. And all Apple has done is enable 3rd parties to make and sell their apps. Oh, and yes, produced a great platform and great tools for it.

As for the storage space, you do know that it's same as with your music library? You can store everything in your computer HDD and just sync the ones you want in your iPhone/iTouch. And with the sizes of current games, you can store dozens in your 8GB iPhone in addition to loads of music and pictures. I really don't see storage as an issue, to be honest.

The thing that non-users don't really understand is how the AppStore is the game changer (pun intended). Apple are probably the most succesfull company doing digital distribution, and now they extended it to applications. And the key ingredient for success? No physical distribution of apps at all, so they are not competing against their own retailers. Nintendo and Sony can't just follow suit, or they will anger their retailers. In addition, I hazard a guess that Apple HW has fair margins for retailers as well, so even without software sales they have a reason to sell. After all, the HW has been selling great even without the apps. IMO, Apple has a better business model than Nintendo and Sony when it comes to HW and SW retail for the handhelds. That may lead to iPhone/iTouch getting major franchices via digital distribution, but it's unlikely to happen for DS(i) or PSP.

And in extension to Plaupius' arguments: Apple is offering lower licensing and distribution costs than the traditional platform holders which to gamers means one thing: lower prices.

For a DS game only 50 % of the retail price arrive at the publisher/developer after cost for platform licensing, production of the proprietary physical media and packaging, physical distribution and retail margins. Apple leaves 70 % of the retail price and for 30 % the publisher gets all expenses paid, from licensing to age rating to digital distribution (and backup) to credit card fees. Add to that the fact that digital distribution means no risk of producing too few or too many copies for your software which is always very costly. If you publish at the iTunes AppStore you will never have to worry about your game being out of stock or a mountain of unsold inventory being returned to you.

In effect a game that sells for $40 on the DS could sell for $25 on the iPhone/iPod Touch and make the same money per copy. Apple will keep this advantage as long as Nintendo and Sony stick with retail.

The Panasonic CDi had Zelda and it failed

There is still hope. Also, I am not a fan of MGS in general, I have it for the ps3 and have yet to get into it.

pretty limited for a xbox360 game...  oh wait!

okay, okay, that was, a bit, trolling but I had to, really, I had to.

Now really, is really someone going to buy this?

"The Panasonic CDi had Zelda and it failed" I just saw the "angry video game Nerd" video about the CDi and those Zelda games... how HORRIBLE! I hope I'll never see such a bad game on the MGS series... 

I love the MGS saga but I think this is a bit ridiculous  (probably a MGS game on rails, with probably no story at all...  what's the point?)

You just gotta love how everybody almost certainly know how the MGS Touch is going to be. A game that was just announced, and already those who wish to see Apple fail "know" that the game is going to be a piece of crap. It could be, but I don't know it and neither do you. However, in just about every other context, knowing that Kojima is producing a game for a platform would have people just as reassured that the game is going to be pure gold. FYI, here's a piece of an interview about the game:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3171942

It does sound pretty simple, but then again Kojima himself says it's their entrance, and there's going to be downloadable content later on. If it is successfull, there will be more.

No they didn't. the Panasonic CDi had the Zelda LICENSE only. Big difference. Also, the CDi didn't sell any units, the itouch line is already at around 20 and growing at a rate faster than any current game console.

Panasonic made the 3DO. Phillips made the CD-i.

New stuff:

US, December 17, 2008 - Following up on our earlier report of Metal Gear Solid's appearance on iPhone/iPod Touch in the form of Metal Gear Solid Touch, we've stumbled upon a few new details on the game through the latest issue of Japan's Weekly Famitsu game magazine.

The magazine offers details on the game's control scheme. As revealed early today, you slide your finger on the screen to move Snake's view around. You then tap to make Snake fire. Zooming in and out make use of pinch gestures, where you place two fingers on the screen and slide them together or apart.

As you might have figured out, you don't move Snake about the stages like you did in Metal Gear Solid 4. There is more to the game than just shooting, though. At the end of each stage, you'll be treated to still shots that push the story forward.

Famitsu also scored an interview with Metal Gear series mastermind Hideo Kojima and with MGS Touch creative producer Yasuyo Watanabe.

In response to the question of Metal Gear Solid 4 being the base for Metal Gear Solid Touch, Kojima told the magazine that the content of Touch is really the full content of MGS4. Kojima's meaning is a bit unclear, but this does imply that the connection with MGS4 will go deeper than just the setting and enemies.

Describing MGS Touch as a "Simple MGS," Kojima explained the decision to go with a shooting game. The game's development staff initially considered a stealth approach, but decided that this would result in a difficult game to play on trains and in other places where one might play games on their iPhone. They ended up deciding to go with a shooter that you play by touching the screen because it would be easy to pick up.

Watanabe had praise for the iPhone/iPod Touch platform, saying that there's quite a bit one can do with the touch controls, and also noting the ease of development.

If this was on any other mobile device in the touch generation (All hail the DS) then no one would of notice.

I wonder how this got so much attention.. hate and love.

Because it validates the iPhone/Touch as a mobile gaming platform. This is a development project which could be described as 'stolen' from PSP and/or DS. Before MGS, the biggest IPs I can think of on the iPhone/Touch platform would be Super Monkey Ball and a crummy Star Wars game.

I'm not really seeing a whole lot of love. Mostly just people who recognize it as a major development in handheld gaming and are fascinated vs. those who are terrified that it might be a major development in handheld gaming.