Trism dev cancels plans for iPhone multiplayer platform

As mentioned earlier this month, Steve Demeter -- head of Trism developer Demiforce -- announced plans last November for a new initiative called Onyx Online. The service was meant to be a new multiplayer platform for iPhone developers, hoping to bring as much Xbox Live-type functionality as possible to the App Store, and is still something that the iPhone unfortunately lacks.

But, Demeter says, the service has hit a brick wall in Apple approval:

Apple recently told us they couldn't guarantee Onyx-enabled games would be approvable in the AppStore. They pointed us to certain areas of the terms agreement contract, but declined to elaborate further as to whether or not Onyx would comply with those guidelines. Ultimately, this presented a business risk that neither I nor my potential investors wanted to challenge. Although much of my own time, energy, and money has been poured into getting Onyx off the ground, eventually I backed away from our would-be investors, and threw in the towel.

Demeter says he's heard of "at least six" other companies working on similar initiatives, including the previously mentioned Aurora Feint, so hope still springs eternal for anyone up to turning the iPhone into the more social platform it so richly deserves to be.

Onyx RIP [Steve's Blog @ Demiforce]

Previously:
Aurora Feint makers unveil social platform for iPhone indie devs ...