[babybearbear]

Published: Friday, 6 Nov 2009 | 12:14 PM ET
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By: Chris Morris,
Special to CNBC.com

While there are now over 100,000 apps in the Apple App store, the vast majority of them were created on a shoestring budget.

With customers flocking toward lower-priced program, it just doesn’t make business sense to spend big development dollars—especially on games, the App store’s most crowded category.

John Carmack, co-creator of the “Doom” and “Quake” franchises, though, believes the time is coming when someone will spend $1 million or more to build an iPhone game.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if someone has one in development right now, though they probably don’t realize it will run that high yet,” he says. “If a title could do well at $9.99, you could put [Nintendo] DS level development expenses into it.”

While he’s best known for his work on PC games – and, more recently, traditional console systems—Carmack says the iPhone is where he’s having the most fun. He also sees Apple’s [AAPL 194.34 0.3099 (+0.16%) ] popular smartphone as the gaming system with the biggest potential for future growth....

iPhone Has Become Threat To Nintendo: 'Doom' Creator - Video Games * Technology * News * Story - CNBC.com

[rongjie]

well... their too late to realised they are in deep trouble... the only reason why i buy gameboy is because of its pokemon game

[jason1980]

if iphone can take the abuse on a nintendo DS i might agree

[shard]

It is a threat, not because it is better but because it is more convenient.

When I travel I used to carry a DS or PSP with me, a bunch of cartridges or UMDs and a charger etc. With the iPhone, I have cut down on my travel weight by at least a pound.

The fact that it is a phone means that I will have it with me most of the time. The whole idea of portable gaming is to keep one entertained anywhere, anytime and the iPhone does that because you don't need to have another gadget.

Cheap games really don't hurt as well.