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(Posted by: Eric Rees)  Even though it may be hard for us console and PC gamers to believe, there is a huge following out there that thrive on mobile gaming. With the rise of Angry Birds and DoodleJump, people around the world have been introduced into mild gaming through the iPod/iPhone/iPad. Apple looks to up the ante with it's newest member of the family. Hit the break for all the goodies.
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(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld)  Mac gaming may be the butt of a lot of jokes in the video game world, but with the Apple release of Steam, it seems to be picking up at a slow pace. Apple announced today that they would open the Mac App Store on January 6, 2011. This new application is similar to what is offered on the App Store for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Aside from the usual games and personal applications, the service will offer apps based on education, entertainment, and productivity.
Now, Mac users might ask why this is even a big concern, given the fact that Apple.com offers a section dedicated to various apps. Well, the idea behind the new Mac App Store is to open up development for small studios to work on Mac games. To break it down, cheap games will be able to be downloaded easily, and Mac developers (who will also get 70 percent of the profit) will be able to set their own prices. The enrollment fee for developers will start at $99 and hosting, marketing, or various credit card fees are not charged against them. That alone gives Mac developers a little bit of freedom to distribute games without a sudden bit of fear or uncertainty. As of now, there has been no word on whether or not how many games will be available at launch. For more information on the Mac App Store and if you want to develop titles for the program, click here. We'll have more about about Apple's new venture on the podcast next week and when the release date approaches. (Posted By: Eric Rees)  In an attempt to reach stay-at-home soccer moms around the world, Apple is releasing their shiny new "must have" item of the year, the iPad, on Target's shelves as soon as October 3rd.
Both the WiFi/3G and WiFi only options will be available in the nation-wide retailer on launch day and around October 17th customers who have a Target credit card will even get a percentage off their brand new oversized iPod if they so choose. Anyone cleared the date of October 3rd for a trip to Target yet?  As I'm sure you have discerned from my previous posts, I'm buzzing about the new Apple Tablet. Whether it is called an iSlate, iBook, or some other i name, it's going to be the only thing you hear me talk about next week (you may want to block my twitter if you don't want to be beat in the face with everything coming out of Cupertino from me).
Along these lines, I've decided to do a "crossover post" for today. In what is sure to be an historic event, one of us tech gentlemen is posting about *gasp* gaming! However, this is more along the lines of gaming hardware, so it's really a hybrid of sorts when I can talk about gaming on a new platform. Kotaku posted an interesting story earlier about gaming on the Apple Tablet. As is the current thinking, the Tablet will be essentially an oversized iPhone with new features and an OS that will either stun, or be a rehash of the iPhone OS. All will be revealed (hopefully) next Wednesday. the subject of serious gaming has risen more than once with Apple, and most times they have shut down any rumors that they would be entering the fray with a purpose-built gaming device. In any case, they have somewhat lived up to that statement, but one fact still remains; the iPhone and iPod Touch have some pretty solid games! That's right, Apple's current "touch" devices have steadily become great, innovative gaming platforms. With highlights like "Crush the Castle", "Field Runners" and "Cro-Mag Rally", the handhelds have become more than just music and media devices, but full featured game systems. With the announcement that Final Fantasy I and II would be making their way to the App Store later this year, I can only see gaming becoming more prevalent on Apple's touch platforms. So, where does this leave the tablet? Already, a handful of developers have been asked to create higher resolution versions of their apps and games, so they can take full advantage of the Tablet's larger display. However, don't think it will stop there. I can foresee some games being made strictly for the Tablet simply because, call it a hunch, it will have more capabilities than the iPhone. Not just in software but in hardware as well. I can recall my friend receiving a laptop/tablet combo for his birthday one year. He immediately picked up Sim city 4, as his old PC simply couldn't handle a game like that but the shiny new Gateway could take it in stride. After installing the game and playing for a bit in normal, keyboard mode, he had the novel idea to pivot the screen. WOW! What a game it turned into then. Commands were instantly easier and the whole experience was made deeper throuh being able to have that tactile feedback that we crave. So I wonder what games we will see once the Tablet is opened to developers of more than just the typical iPhone/iPod Touch apps. Remember that the Sim City 4 example was on one of the lack-luster Windows tablets of a few years ago, so if Apple revolutionizes the tablet, we could see big things for gaming. Once the Apple Tablet launches, and if it is the game changer (no pun intended) that everyone hopes for, I'll be very excited to see where it goes as a gaming platform. Stay tuned and stay stuck to your computer next Wednesday, it's gonna be a brave, new, touchy-feely world |
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