Yes, I’m stilling writing about the Apple (iPad), and yes, I’m still disappointed, particularly because I can’t use it in my photography without a goofy adapter.
But let’s talk a new topic: Gaming.
Portable gaming is best done on a Nintendo DS or Sony PSP. Games for the iPhone and iPod Touch are more time-killers than anything else – though I will admit that I am super pumped for a portable version of Plants vs. Zombies
Now the iPad, with its beautiful 9.7″ screen could have been an amazing portable gaming devices – but let’s face facts: real gaming, rather than pure time-killing casual games, require a d-pad and buttons. Platforming games can be awesome on a DS or PSP, but they just don’t work on a touch screen.
I’m also concerned about the lack of proprietary, killer content. That’s what gets people pumped up for a gaming platform. People don’t buy an Xbox 360 because it’s cool. They buy it to play Halo and Gears of War. Bigger-screen versions of iPhone games just aren’t enough to position the iPad as a legit gaming device.
It also would have been nice if the iPad had snazzier games to show off. Electronic Arts’ (ERTS) Need for Speed: Shift isn’t bad, but it is old and on all-platforms.
The iPad, and iPhone/iPod Touch for that matter, needs something exclusive – it’s very own Mario or Link or Samus or Master Chief. That’s what will get people to think of it as a real gaming device, and what’s more is that it would enable higher pricing.
Cheap games that cost a dollar or two are fine for small, indie publishers with low overhead, but not for the likes of EA and Activision (ATVI). Selling 1 million units of a $1 game just doesn’t move the needle for a large, publicly-traded company.
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Good Stuff. Added to digg for you. I also subscirbed to your RSS feed! Kitchen Bar Stools