Apple has big plans for its iPhone this 2008, and gamers who are also adopters of the gizmo are going to reap all the benefits. During its press conference earlier today, Apple brought the potential of iPhone gaming to light as Electronic Arts' Spore and Sega's Super Monkey Ball took the floor.

EA Mobile's vice president of worldwide studios, Travos Boatman, showcased the cartoony version of the wildly anticipated Spore. Using the iPhone's accelerometer, Boatman was able to move the spore around the screen to devour objects surrounding it.

Sega also managed to bring its Super Monkey Ball to the iPhone and turn it into a pure accelerometer-based game. Ethan Einhorn who represented Sega called this bite-sized iteration a console game, after stressing out that it's not a cellphone game. He confessed that they underestimated what the iPhone could do, then ended up having to get an artist to scale up the art to utilize the platform's power.

Apple also had something up its sleeves, which is the impressive Touch Fighter running on OpenGL. Apple's spokesperson explained that the space shooter was written in two weeks, and showed stats to prove the game is running in smooth 27-30 frames per second.

With its OpenGL and OpenAL support along with motion-based controls via accelerometer, the iPhone is expected to deliver more games. Developers have expressed interest, with one saying Apple's handheld is a gateway to the video game industry.