Native iPhone Bluetooth Multiplayer?

Just for the record -- in iOS/Mac development the whole WiFi/Bluetooth thing is pretty annoying. (Or depending on how you look at it, is really great!) A lot of the apple systems are done so that there is "no difference" between Bluetooth and WiFI. Thus if you're just starting with networking on the Mac/iOS and you use their "game kit" system (a beginner's networking library) you actually - and this is pretty frustrating - CANNOT TELL, OR DECIDE whether the user is using Bluetooth or WiFi. As a practical matter (i.e. by looking at logs), I think incredibly few games are ever played using bluetooth - everyone just has a WiFi hub somewhere these days. The bottom line is it's quite possible that you should just "forget about the issue" and when you have a sled working, you'll see it works either with WiFi or (if no WiFi available) with bluetooth. If you are already a Mac developer you will know all this but it might help someone else reading in the future.

Well that would be fine - It doesn't really matter whether it's over WiFi or Bluetooth, all that matters is that there is a device-to-device connection and there is no connection with GameCenter, OpenFeint, Plus+, or another of the other game networks out there for iOS.

Hi Menoites -- then you have no probelm. Just go ahead and start learning about Unity's networking system.

Are you new to network programming? if so, be prepared for plenty of learning. Networking is just plain hard. But Unity's system is about as easy as it gets. To be clear, you will never have to touch Mac Networking, it is totally "automatic" and involves no programming.

Enjoy.

So I can use the Unity Network system (http://unity3d.com/support/documentation/ScriptReference/Network.html) and it will work for iPhone/iPad as well, or is it simply Mac/PC networking only, and I have to use a plugin (Like Prime31's Plugin below) for iPhone/iPad networking?

Ah -- yes, ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. It is 1000000% iPhone / iPad.

In fact, I would say 999 out of 1000 times it is used by developers, it is used for iPhone/iPad networking.

(I wouldn't be surprised if it has NEVER been used for Mac/PC ! :) )

So you're completely golden. By the way, regarding the "kit" mentioned below and similar. It is completely confusing to me what they are offering: no networking could be simpler than the Unity Networking system, so I'm not really sure what they are selling.

One guy on the asset store sells a system that is essentially "a really good and complex example of how to use the Unity Networking System." I don't really recommend it - just jump in and start learning about, as you say, the Unity networking System. Enjoy.

if you are BRAND NEW to networking programming, expect a learning curve. (I have no clue if you are a newbie or an oldie.)

All network programming is inherently difficult.

Just for the record: you may be wondering "How good is the Unity Networking System" -- that is to say compared to the difficult chore of writing absolutely native iOS networking code (presumably using - let's say - CocoaAsyncSocket and the like). In our opinion - it's very good indeed. You won't be disappointed. If you spend 12 months hand-crafting iOS networking code, and you're an El33t iOS developer, and you're a personal friend of Quinn, you can maybe get faster connections (I mean faster join-together time) but the actual efficiency of the networking is fantastical, it's great. Enjoy!!!!

Your problem is solved.