My recent article on iPhone gaming went down with surprisingly few “OMG your an apple FANBOY NOOB you sux0rs!!1!”, so I decided it was safe to consider delving further into Steve-O’s rapidly expanding gaming empire.
Then, mere hours after I had removed my unscathed flamesuit, the generous gods of gaming just happened to grace me with a shiny new iPad to toy with.
Coincidence? Perhaps.
Awesome? Most definitely.
After it was eventually pried from my warm, alive fingers, I realized just how much potential this innocuous little gadget may actually have. So, here’s some info on the iPad along with a few predictions I have as to why it may be of importance to us gamers and our community at large.
1. It’s backed by the big guys
We all know that a solid backing from industry giants is the way forward for any platform (Blu-ray, anyone?), and the iPad has seen an alarming amount of enthusiasm from some of gaming’s biggest players. Within days of the device’s release, games from such luminaries as EA, Konami, Popcap, Gameloft and Sega either popped up on the App Store or were announced as forthcoming titles, and numbers have increased dramatically since then. Square Enix has even gone so far as to develop an iDevice-exclusive RPG called Chaos Rings, making it clear that the iPad is going to build quite the posse.
And yes, while this first point might be more relevant to those of us that actually plan on owning Apple’s darling doohicky, it leads into more widespread gamer benefits like…
2. It’s loved by the little guys
Perhaps the biggest strength of the iPad is its target market, which, considering the host of applications the device has, is practically everyone. Given this huge demographic it’s no surprise how popular it’s becoming with indie developers, many of whom are converting iPhone titles into iPad versions or developing iPad specific versions to most effectively cash enjoy, and more creative/less restricted ones at that.
This also does gaming in general a huge favour, namely…
3. It’s spreading the good word
Since every man and his cat are buying iPads, it seems like gaming may have stumbled upon a rather useful Trojan Horse. I believe that, being the accessible device that it is, the iPad will inadvertently bring video games to those who may never have considered buying a console or a PC, sneakily introducing them to the ‘joys of the joystick’ without that actually being the intention. Think about it: Would you be more likely to fork out a few bucks to try out a game on a device you already own, or would you fork out a few thousand for a gaming-specific setup?
Ah, I dream of the day when someone finds a game hidden away on Jack Thompson’s iPad.
Speaking of Lucifer though, I’m reminded of how this could impact one of gaming’s biggest aspects…
4. It’ll change multiplayer
… or at least bring it to the masses. Being somewhat of a gaming veteran, and thus the first to complain about the lack of innovation in the industry today, I’m generally unimpressed by attempts to fix formulas that ain’t broke. The iPad, however, shows so much promise in terms of what it could do for multiplayer that it has even this old codger standing up from his rocking chair to take notice.
It’s still early days for the platform, but even now there’s potential being realized. Take Mirror’s Edge, for example: Two people can play together against each other on the same device. Not entirely a new innovation, I hear you cry? How about Super Monkey Ball 2 then, which allows four players to play simultaneously? On one handheld device?
Still not convinced? Then what about Scrabble, where multiple iPhone owners can gather around one iPad, and, with the iPad as the digital game board, use their iPhones as wireless tile racks and flick letters off their screens and into play.
Yeah, not completely practical unless you and your wealthy friends are all rocking top tier mobile hardware, but ideas like this show huge potential for where multiplayer can go.
Combine this type of thinking with Apple’s forthcoming worldwide leaderboard for iDevice games, and you have some pretty drastic game-changing strides being made. And since we’re talking of strides…
5. It’s a step in the right direction
With piracy rates skyrocketing and broadband speeds following suite, the future of content distribution is undoubtedly digital. And, with its App Store already well established and wireless/3G access practically everywhere, Apple can slap the latest game onto your iPad within minutes; sort of like a portable Steam, if you will. (Considering the amount of cash I’ve already spent buying games this way for my iPhone, I can only imagine how successful this system will be for the more game-centric iPad.)
My hope is that this whole focus on digital distribution will steer more game developers in this direction, effectively making the lives of gamers a lot easier as well as doing something about piracy and its knock-on effects. Let’s hold thumbs.
So, in conclusion, it’s no secret that the iPad has me all hot and bothered about what it could do for my gaming habits, and even the industry in general. Whether or not drastic changes are seen in the very near future or later down the device’s lifespan, Lord Jobs’ precious plaything might just be poised to find itself lending another dimension to the age old ‘PC vs. console’ debate.
Flamesuit, engage.
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