TouchArcade reported yesterday on an interesting patent filed by Apple in 2008. The patent fin question is US20100081505 and is titled ACCESSORY FOR PLAYING GAMES WITH A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE. The patent is described as follows:

Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide user interfaces for playing games on portable electronic devices. One example provides a game accessory having input controls for playing video, audio, and other types of games. The game accessory can have input controls, such as buttons, joysticks, and D-pads. Another example provides a game accessory having a thumb pad or keyboard. Other possible features include microphones, cameras and camera lenses, speakers, a second screen, rumble, and motion detection. The game accessory may have a recess sized to fit the portable electronic device. Inserts or removable adapters can be used to fit portable electronic devices having different sizes. The portable electronic device can be held in the accessory using sliding covers, clips, or other engaging members. In other examples, the accessory can communicate with another accessory for head-to-head game play. The accessory may include circuitry for power, identification, and authorization.

This is all very interesting and exciting for the future of Apple’s devices, especially when it comes to gaming. Since the SDK 3.0 there have been a few devices in the work from third parties, I’ve mentioned 22moo‘s GameBone before, but there hasn’t been any noise from Apple itself. With Apple supporting the development of a physical controller I think it’ll have a stronger chance of being supported by software developers, than 22Moo will have. It’ll be exciting to see what the future holds for iPhone gaming.

See Touch Arcade’s full article here.

The iCade, an arcade cabinet for your iPad. It’s not real, but man do I ever wish it was. I love anything that’ll get us past replicated d-pads. Until this is actually made we’ll just have to hold out for an iPad version of the Gamebone. Thanks for the chuckle ThinkGeek.

Yeah, that’s as awful as I expected it too be.

Behold the PlayStation Motion Controller.

This device, will be making it’s debut at GDC 2010, neat, but lets be honest here, look at it. It screams “personal massager.” The glowing red ball doesn’t help either. I can’t be the only one thinking it. Who was the product designer on this thing? More info on this gem over at Kotaku.

Fail.

IGN has an article and some more atrocious screens HERE. If you really feel like you need to see more.