The iPhone can now be called a proper gaming platform, like the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. And why do we make this assertion? Perhaps you’ve heard of a little game called The Sims? It’s only the best selling PC game ever, you know. And it’s headed to the iPhone.

Yes, Electronic Arts let it slip today that it’s developing iPhone (and iPod touch) versions of The Sims 3 and Need for Speed Underground, among others. (We’re gonna guess that Mahjong doesn’t appeal to too man of you.) While encouraging, EA didn’t announce any release dates or anything—it looks like these games will be rolled out in different regions at different times.

The iPhone (and iPod touch) will also see a version of Spore released on September 7, the same day that the game comes out for the PC and Mac. Granted, this is the more immediate news, being that the game actually comes out in four days, it’s still not known if Spore will be the runaway hit that The Sims has been. It has every reason to, sure, with the game getting glowing reviews all over the place, while maintaing a decent level of hype for, what, three or four years by now.

But this announcement does answer an important question: what handheld gaming platform should an iPhone owner buy? It turns out that that platform is the iPhone itself. Money saves, games played. Has a nice ring to it.

Electronic Arts