
Archive
Open Feint Review
Damien McFerran
We review Open Feint, the service which is billed as the iPhone's very own Xbox Live
Rating: 
Verdict: Open Feint allows gamers to connect and converse with the minimum of effort and looks set to become the dominant gaming portal on the platform
Platform: iPhone and iPod Touch
Pros: Clean interface, plenty of options, excellent forums and chat rooms
Cons: Aside from using to chat and keep tabs on your score, there's little else to do here
Version Reviewed: 1.0.1
Publisher: Aurora Feint
Price: Free
More Info: App Store or Open Feint website
Gaming on the iPhone is quickly becoming a very social pastime; many titles now feature the ability to post your best scores to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and there’s a definite sense of community starting to evolve around these small slices of interactive entertainment, aided in no small part by the iPhone’s “always on” connectivity.
It should come as no surprise then to learn that various gamer-centric services have also appeared, with Open Feint being one of the more popular. The premise is simple; developers can decide to include Open Feint support within their games and in doing so they allow users to seamlessly log-in to their dedicated profile and unlock special achievements, view the high-scores of their friends and generally make their gaming session a far more social and ultimately rewarding one.
If you’ve already experienced an Open Feint-enabled game then you might be questioning the need for a separate app; all Open Feint titles come with a dedicated sub-section where you can browse scores and keep tabs on your progress. However, this standalone interface offers additional features which make it a worthwhile download.
Firstly, the splash screen highlights the day’s free download. Developers are encouraged to periodically make their titles free for 24 hours in order to drum up interest, so this portion of the app is worthy of investigation in itself. While the big games are rarely on offer, it is possible to bag some unexpected gems from the time to time.
You can also look at the games your friends have played recently and if you’re particularly interested in challenging them you can click a direct link to the App Store and download that game. There’s also a list showing which of your pals are currently online, should you feel in an especially competitive mood.
The social element of Open Feint really comes alive in the forum and chat section, however. Here you can converse with like-minded gamers about your favourite Open Feint titles and there are even dedicated forums where you can share hints and tips on getting as high a score as possible. There’s even a real-time chat room if you’re in the mood for more instantaneous communication.
If you already own several Open Feint games then this is a truly essential download; not only does it allow you to keep a close eye on your performance, it also grants the opportunity to socialise with friends and even forge new relationships with iPhone owners who happen to share the same taste in games as you.
If you’ve yet to even register for an Open Feint profile then the allure of this app is naturally going to be somewhat weaker, but given its rapid rise in popularity over the past year, you can bet that at some point or another you’ve going to have to join the club. Until then, you might as well save yourself some time by getting hold of this now and getting your online profile ready.











