Comments on: The iPad as a gaming device — maybe not

By: Zach

Zach — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:04:41 +0000

I think the thing appeals to people in positions to show off their task computer. Welcome to my post-modern shop, let me record our transaction onto a thin screen held in a picture frame on my desk. Oh look, I’m maintaining a database while wearing a yellow hard hat and walking on gravel. Now I’m an executive, sitting comfortably in my office. I congratulate my success by rewarding myself with expensive things to do my “work” with. Now I’ve become a 14-year-old girl. I start bringing my iPad to school for the first few days of January, but then it embarrasses me because it is big, so I keep it in my room all the time and never use it instead of my laptop or desktop computer. Next Christmas apple can suck gooch!. I’ll be asking Mom for a pogo stick and cookies.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:12:19 +0000

Oh I agree that they’re saying ‘hey play games on it.’ But I don’t think anyone would buy one for the sole purpose of playing games (if they do, we agree they’re stupid). I think the iPhone’s greatest strength is how many different things you can do with it (as anyone will tell you, the service sucks). I didn’t buy mine as an mp3 player, or a web browser, or a phone, or something new to play Peggle on. I wanted it because it did all of those things, and I think that anyone but an Apple marketing executive would tell you that ignoring everything but games will make it a horrible waste of money.

Incidentally, you’ll be able to play iPhone games on it from the start, but at iPhone size (or twice as big with the drop in quality you’d expect). Knowing little about the iP* development process, it might be easy for developers to hit ‘recompile but bigger’ or it might be next to impossible in some cases.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:57:58 +0000

You may not consider the iPhone a gaming device, but Apple certainly began to market it that way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yozeskm_pbk

If I had an iPhone (which I’m considering, even right now) I would game on it a whole bunch. I would definitely check out what the system has to offer.

That said, my article isn’t saying you can’t use an iPhone for gaming, nor is it saying you couldn’t use an iPad. In fact, I agree with you that the games could be far grander in scale — the screen is massive. But I think the price is far too high for the mainstream to ever jump aboard for a device to simply screw around with.

The iPhone’s success has to do with A) a huge marketing strategy and B) oh, it’s a phone that does cool stuff. There was a hole in the smart phone/cell phone market that the iPhone filled with ruthless precision. The iPad does not have anything like part B) going for it. It does less than a laptop and costs about as much. I honestly don’t think there’s a market for it anywhere near the potential there was for the iPhone.

I could be very wrong, but we’ll see. If they can or find a way to upscale iPhone games they’ll have a huge starting library, but even then the price of entry is astronomical. Maybe when the device hits under $300 we’ll see success (remember: in the gaming space), but I remain unconvinced.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:34:47 +0000

I think you may be looking at it a little too black and white. I don't consider my iPhone to be a gaming device -- at all -- but I've certainly played my fair share of them. It's a good way to play a specific type of game -- not one I'd find on a console, besides Peggle, which I'd buy anytime and anywhere -- for a short period of time (I got through most of Clue while in a doctor's office). Just because it's not a gaming device doesn't mean I can't use the device for games. I think the iPad has a lot of potential to do some cool stuff, using similar mechanics but on a grander scale.Now, then, me thinking that the iPad is a giant disappointment is separate from all this; I just wanted to make sure I could disagree with both you AND Dave :D

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:58:53 +0000

I agree, hence the Trojan Horse theory cited above. If I recall correctly, Apple only began to market the iPhone/iTouch as a gaming device long AFTER the devices were already successful. I could definitely see the same thing happening with the iPad, but I still think excitement surrounding the device won’t reach the same fever pitch the smaller devices did.

By: eliterrell

eliterrell — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:36:15 +0000

I agree with you that it’s unlikely the iPad will (initially) sell in large numbers to people primarily interested in playing games. I think it will be successful, though, in the sense that it will sell a very large number of games to people who bought it for some other reason. Almost no one bought an iPhone for games, though the availability of a large number of games for it is perceived as a strength. It would be more reasonable to think of it using the PC model than the console model; the fact that the PC market even exists never really made sense to the hardcore console types.