INTERVIEW: Cartoon Network

CasualGaming.biz: Has the arrival of the iPhone made the entertainment community sit up and take mobile games development more seriously?

Ross Cox: I believe as a whole, yes… however, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network have always been on the forefront of mobile interactive and video entertainment. We’ve actually been waiting for this device for some time and even began developing for it before the SDK was released.

CG.biz: What is the iPhone like as a platform to develop for?

RC: It’s an incredibly exciting platform that brings more traditional game development to a portable device – the likes of which we have not nearly seen before. The dev life cycle for iPhone/iPod touch is a fraction of the time than traditional mobile game and app development encompasses. The platform is robust and we’ve pretty much been able to build everything we have wanted to accomplish.

CG.biz: How important are design features such as the iPhone’s touch screen and accelerometer for a developer? Has it bought about a welcome or unwanted change to dev practices?

RC: The touch screen and accelerometer have completely changed the way the market perceives mobile gaming. It’s an extremely welcome change if there is a desire to build a game the proper way and not simply do a direct port of an existing mobile game. Keypad play and directional arrows can now be replaced with a tilt, touch, or swipe. The bar has been raised for everybody.

CG.biz: What impact do you think the App Store has had on the overall market?

RC: The App Store has redefined what the consumer should expect from mobile applications and gaming, and offered the development community an incredible springboard to show everybody what they can do.

CG.biz: What advantages does a major player like Turner have when competing in a market such as the iPhone and Apple App Store?

RC: Our first advantage is our incredible lineup of talent on the digital side across all networks at Turner – we are extremely well positioned across all disciplines to embrace new technologies, and build compelling interactive experiences to complement the goals of our respective networks. In Adult Swim’s case, the result will be a roster of high quality games for the iPhone and iPod touch – the likes of which our audience has grown to expect from us. We also bring our expertise in cross-platform promotion to the table – targeting our online, mobile, and on-air audiences.

CG.biz: Do you think the iPhone has the potential to rival the likes of the PSP and DS as a major platform in the games space?

RC: I would say that’s already happening as we speak…