Game Center is an online multiplayer "social gaming network"[24] released by Apple.[25] It allows users to "invite friends to play a game, start a multiplayer game through matchmaking, track their achievements, and compare their high scores on a leader board."[24]
Game Center was announced during an iOS 4 preview event hosted by Apple on April 8, 2010. A preview was released to registered Apple developers in August.[24] It was released on September 8, 2010 with iOS 4.1 on iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 2nd generation through 4th generation. Game Center made it's public debut on the iPad with iOS 4.2.1.[26] There will be no support for the iPhone 3G and original iPhone. However, Game Center is unofficially available on the iPhone 3G via a hack.[27]
Development
The applications must be written and compiled specifically for iOS and the ARM architecture. The Safari web browser supports web applications as with other web browsers. Authorized third-party native applications are available for devices running iOS 2.0 and later through Apple's App Store.
On October 17, 2007, in an open letter posted to Apple's "Hot News" weblog, Steve Jobs announced that a software development kit (SDK) would be made available to third-party developers in February 2008.[28] The SDK was released on March 6, 2008, and allows developers to make applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as test them in an "iPhone simulator". However, loading an application onto the devices is only possible after paying an iPhone Developer Program fee. Since the release of Xcode 3.1, Xcode is the development environment for the iOS SDK. iPhone applications, like iOS and Mac OS X, are written in Objective-C.[29]
Developers are able to set any price above a set minimum for their applications to be distributed through the App Store, of which they will receive a 70% share. Alternately, they may opt to release the application for free and need not pay any costs to release or distribute the application except for the membership fee.[30]
Jailbreaking
iOS has been subject to a variety of different hacks centered on adding functionality not supported by Apple. Before the 2008 debut of the App Store, the primary reason for jailbreaking was to install third-party native applications.[31] Apple said it would not design software updates specifically to break these native apps (other than applications that perform SIM unlocking), however with each iOS update the jailbreak appears to no longer work.[32]
Since the arrival of the App Store and third-party applications, the focus of the jailbreaking community has shifted.[33] A major focus of jailbreaking is allowing theming, using emulators and community-made tweaks like multitasking, Adobe Flash player, accessing the iPhone file system, downloading cracked apps from the appstore using Install0us and customizing the SpringBoard further. Multitasking is only supported on 3rd-generation and newer iOS devices, and applications on the App Store are not allowed to modify the look of the OS.
Some jailbreakers also attempt to illegally share paid App Store applications. This focus has caused some strife within the jailbreaking community, as it was not the original focus of jailbreaking and is illegal.[34]
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