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