目前，手机社交游戏平台还是只个相对较新的概念，因此OpenFeint和Game Center这两者的问世实属史无前例的突破。OpenFeint为许多手机平台带来许多独一无二的创意功能，而Game Center却呈现了与苹果手机平台高度融合和统一的面孔。虽然两者差别巨大，但殊途同归，都有意在手机游戏领域称雄。这两者PK的结局究竟是双赢，还是其中一方以压倒性优势获胜？

下面我们就从界面设计、成就管理、社交网站、聊天功能等一系列特点出发，比较OpenFeint和Game Center究竟孰优孰胜。

OpenFeint

界面设计

谈到界面设计，就不能不触及界面风格这一话题。与OpenFeint难以计数的多重菜单和丰富的界面功能相比较，Game Center的界面设计很显然更加简洁，但这两者的共性在于都拥有直奔主题的菜单标签，便于提供导航功能。

但如果从界面风格来看，Game Center则彻底败北，它飞镖圆靶一样的背景和古怪的字体实在难以取悦用户。当然，这也有可能是因为苹果将数码游戏与飞镖、国际象棋之类的键盘游戏完全混淆了，为达到艺术美感上的统一，所以才在风格上极力向这类游戏靠拢。或者说，这种风格可能是苹果专为照顾菜鸟级玩家的情绪而设计，因为那些看起来高深莫测的服务选项很可能让资历尚浅的玩家望而却步。

Game Center的另一败笔在于，它只能运行肖像模式的游戏，而OpenFeint则同时支持肖像模式和风景模式游戏。

一句话，Game Center的视觉风格根本难与OpenFeint匹敌，虽然这并不意味着OpenFeint就是完美典型，但只要苹果一天不给Game Center变脸，OpenFeint在界面设计的比拼中仍将稳居宝座。

因此，在这一回合的较量中，我们可以给OpenFeint加上25分。

成就管理

虽然OpenFeint和Game Center都有各自的成就管理模式，但只有后者最为规范。Game Center中的游戏积分都在500点至1000点之间，虽然这些分数间的差幅多少让人有点沮丧，但OpenFeint奉行的“自由主义”游戏积分模式则更让人纠结不已。OpenFeint没有制定统一的游戏成就标准，一些游戏提供的积分少得可怜，甚至低于100点，而有些游戏的积分又高达1000点；更糟的是，还有些游戏根本没有提供积分，比如说《geoDefense Swarm》这款游戏，它在OpenFeint的成就排行榜上大行其道，但在积分管理上却没有任何表示，这种现象将OpenFeint的成就管理模式搅成了一摊乱局。

这一回合的角力中，Game Center扳回一局，可以给它加上25分。

iOS4-Game-Center

社交网站

虽然OpenFeint和Game Center都提供好友列表，但Game Center极其有限的功能使它再次失势。尽管苹果一度吹嘘Game Center具有Twitter和Facebook等一系列的社交网站功能，而且具有邀请和搜索朋友等延伸服务，其实不然，Game Center所谓的综合社交功能仅限于一张好友列表。如果你想加一名好友，没有对方的用户名或电子邮箱，根本不能实现这一操作，因为Game Center不支持用户之间共享好友信息列表，这也在无形中掐断了人们互通有无，与朋友的朋友结识的可能。

Game Center社交网站的另一宗罪在于，它不支持国际用户之间的社交联系。如果你想加一个国外的朋友，系统回复的总是错误信息。

反观OpenFeint，它不但支持国际用户的社交活动，而且允许用户将Twitter或Facebook上的帐号同时增加到这一平台的个人信息中；它的另一强悍功能在于，支持在iPad平板电脑上运行，而Game Center却不行。

从这一点上看，OpenFeint再胜一局，给它加上25分。

聊天功能

说到这一点，这两者毫无竞争可言，因为OpenFeint在这一功能上的优势实在是过于明显，它具备在线聊天室、信息发送等完善功能。但如果你要通过Game Center与朋友交流，那就请先退出游戏，拔打电话、发送邮件、编写短信，或者干脆用FaceTime工具，总之休想直接在游戏中与他们天南地北地乱侃一番。

这一回合只能说是Game Center主动弃权，OpenFeint再获25分。

综上所述，OpenFeint与Game Center之间的比分为75：25，可见Game Center赶超OpenFeint尚需时日，苹果若真有心成就一个手机社交游戏平台之王，看来还得再费一番功夫。

Clash of the iPhone social gaming Titans: Game Center versus OpenFeint
The sanctioned favourite against the experienced contender

The rise social gaming platforms is a relatively new development in portable gaming, which makes both OpenFeint and Game Center fairly groundbreaking.

iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad have been incubators of social gaming network innovations, surpassing Nintendo DS and PSP. OpenFeint has introduced a wealth of ideas to the devices, whereas Game

Center presents a unified push from platform-holder Apple.

They’re two vastly different services aiming for the same goal: to dominate portable gaming. As Apple makes its case for uniformity with Game Center, OpenFeint survives on its impressive list of

features.

At the end of the day, can both networks succeed? More importantly, is one better prepared to succeed?

Interface design, management of achievements, social networking elements, and communication features – these are the critical components that will determine success and we’ve compared Game Center

against OpenFeint to determine which offers the best experience and has the greatest chance to push portable gaming forward.

Interface

Style counts for a lot when discussing interfaces, and that’s ever more relevant when weighing the merits of Game Center against OpenFeint.

The cleaner, simpler look of Game Center comes as a result of its lack of features. Conversely. OpenFeint has an overwhelming number of layered menus that reflect a wealth of features.

Both services are easy to navigate, though, thanks to straightforward menu labels. The key difference, however, is in style.

Game Center is downright unattractive, with its dartboard-like background and odd fonts. It’s as though Apple thinks digital games are synonymous with pub and boardgames like darts and chess,

opting for that aesthetic instead of a look allied more closely with video games.

To be fair, perhaps this style is an intentional move to attract non-traditional gamers who might be put off by a service that looks too hardcore.

It’s also worth mentioning that Game Center only runs in portrait mode, whereas OpenFeint supports both portrait and landscape mode games.

OpenFeint unlocks the achievement for +25 points:
Game Center just isn’t as attractive as OpenFeint in terms of visual style. That isn’t to say that OpenFeint is perfect, but until Apple changes the look of Game Center, OpenFeint sits on top.

Achievements

While both networks offer achievements, only Apple’s network is official.

There aren’t set achievement totals that must be met when supporting Game Center, ensuring that games offer 500 or 1,000 points in total, for example. That inconsistency is a little annoying,

although nowhere near as confusing as the laissez faire approach of OpenFeint.

The lack of requirements regarding achievements has made OpenFeint a veritable mess. Some games provide paltry achievements totalling less than 100 points, whereas others run over 1,000.

Even worse, several OpenFeint-enabled games don’t have achievements at all. geoDefense Swarm, for example, uses OpenFeint leaderboards, but curiously opts out of achievements.

Game Center unlocks the achievement for +25 points:
OpenFeint has the advantage of more games and therefore more achievements, but Game Center ensures an official playing field and a better system of achievements overall.

Social networking

Both Game Center and OpenFeint offer friends lists, but the similarities end there.

A stunning lack of features puts Apple’s service well behind the competition, which boasts an impressive array of social networking features ranging from Twitter and Facebook integration, as well

as extended options for inviting and finding friends.

All that’s available for social networking in Game Center is the ability to maintain a friends list. Sending invites using a person’s user name or email address is the only way in which you can

add someone to your list, as Game Center doesn’t allow you to view another user’s friends list to find potential new buddies.

Game Center suffers, in fact, with regards to social networking because it appears that international friends aren’t supported. Our efforts to add friends from other countries is met with error

messages.

OpenFeint unlocks the achievement for +25 points:
OpenFeint does, though. And you can link to your Twitter and/or Facebook account to push notices when you earn achievements across both services.

Furthermore, OpenFeint supports games running on iPad, which extends the network’s reach. Game Center will support iPad in the near future, but for now OpenFeint beats it on the device.

Communication features

There’s absolutely no contest between Game Center and OpenFeint here – the latter is a cutting edge network that supports live chat rooms and messaging between friends. What does Game Center offer

for communication with your friends and fellow gamers? nothing.

OpenFeint unlocks the achievement for +25 points:
Much has to be done to make Game Center competitive with OpenFeint because it currently pales in comparison.

If you want to communicate with anyone via Game Center, exit your game and ring them up, send an e-mail or text message, or use FaceTime. Anticipate OpenFeint maintaining its superiority in this

area for some time.

Overall

OpenFeint beats Game Center 75pts to 25pts:
Apple has much work to do before Game Center can eclipse OpenFeint as the premier social gaming network on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

It’s an unusual position for Apple to find itself in given that the company created the devices on which these networks run, yet the decision to launch Game Center with limited functionality puts

it at a serious disadvantage to a feature-rich OpenFeint.（source:pocketgamer）

声明：本文中文为游戏邦翻译，英文原文采用pocketgamer，转载请保留版权信息，谢谢！