Why Apple's Tablet Will Include Gaming

[DealBot]

No one knows for certain what exactly will be announced at Apple's semi-exclusive, invitation-only event in San Francisco next week. But a lot of us are thinking it will be the unveiling of an Apple tablet. Here's why you should care.

Apple has finally woken up to the potential and fiscal importance of gaming on the iPhone. Nowadays their popular smartphone, and the iPod Touch, are both marketed as gaming devices. The tablet would be a great way for Apple to extend their reach into gaming.

This morning the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is actively working with Electronic Arts to show off the device's gaming capabilities. And let's not forget that several gaming sites, including Kotaku, have been invited to the big show on Jan. 27.

Tablet as Gaming Platform?

I think we can all agree that gaming is most certainly going to be a part of the tablet's future. But how big a part?

That depends on a lot of variables. The biggest, unfortunately, is the guts of the device itself. Will the tablet be a glorified iPhone or a stripped down laptop?

Even if the tablet doesn't have much more processing power than the iPhone 3GS, that doesn't mean there can't be interesting games for the device. The iPhone 3GS brought with it beefier graphics processing which allows for faster framerates, and better shading. It also includes a faster CPU and more memory. Most importantly, there aren't a lot of games pushing the 3GS to its limits yet.

I'd be surprised if the tablet didn't have some sort of step up, perhaps a major one, from the iPhone 3GS' muscle power, and there are a couple of other interesting things that the tablet could be bringing to portable gaming too.

There are the rumors of a built-in camera, built-in WiFi and 3G and new tech that would allow Apple to create a more accurate and thinner touch screen. Of course all of this would be running on a much larger screen, thoughtto be 7 to 11 inches, compared to the iPhone's measly 3.7-inch screen.

All of that will come with a price, ballparked between $700 and $1,000. Sure, that's pricey, but considering people were paying $400 for the original iPhones, I don't think it will be a deal breaker for a massive group of early adopters.

The Games

The tablet will most certainly not be just a gaming device, with publications reporting that it will be an e-reader for magazines, books and text books. And I'm sure it will include broader apps and iTunes music and videos at the bare minimum.

But what sort of games could we see on the device? And with a strong possibility of no physical controller, no mouse or keyboard, what sort would we want to see on the device?

Bigger iPhone Games

The most obvious types of games we'll see on the tablet will likely be ports or remakes of games that worked well on the iPhone. Sure, the device is bigger, perhaps so big that you couldn't hold it and play as you stand around, but I think there are plenty of games that could make the leap. Besides Apple needs to show off some games during their unveiling.

Plants Vs. Zombies, which keeps getting pushed back and is now due to hit the iPhone within a week of the Apple press conference, seems like a fantastic fit. The larger screen and table-top play are great additions to the game and could resolve the only concerns I have about an iPhone port of this tower defense title.

Ubisoft seems to be getting more and more interested in growing their mobile gaming market, in particular the iPhone market. So I wouldn't be too surprised to see some of them up on stage with EA at some point showing off games. They've already shown a willingness to experiment with controls for the iPhone, that's the sort of development that will be necessary to help the tablet succeed in the realm of gaming.

And why stop with ports of handheld games? We've seen R.U.S.E played on a a surface computer. I'm not sure if the tablet would have the processing power to run this Ubisoft strategy title, but if it did I couldn't think of a better fit.

Another big player will be Electronic Arts, but what can we expect from them? Both the upcoming Tiger Woods game and a Madden port seem like the sort of big-name, mainstream titles that Apple would love to see on a new gaming platform. And both the Sims and Spore would be solid fits.

Besides the obvious, there will have to be at least one surprising title, something created from the ground up for the tablet. A game that uses whatever new tech is packed into the device to prove that it can hold its own in gaming.

While the iPhone's poster boy for gaming seemed to be Trism early on, I don't see Apple giving that away to a third-party developer this time. This is going to be a game developed internally, I think.

Looking over the roster of people Apple has hired over the past year, folks like former Ensemble Studios developer Graeme Devine, I personally think it's going to be big.

Devine's most current expertise is real-time strategy, the last two games he worked on were Halo Wars and Age of Empires 3. Though he started out working on groundbreaking adventure games like The 7th Guest.

If Devine, whose current job title at Apple is listed as iPhone Game Technologies, is working on an internal game for the tablet, I'd like to think that it's a real-time strategy title. Something that would allow you to control battles and build civilizations from a top-down perspective with zoom-in and touch control capabilities.

Whatever happens next week, its most likely going to involve gaming and Apple's increased interest in the industry can only lead to more expansion and, I'd hope, more innovation all around.

Make sure to join us Jan. 27 for our live coverage from the event.

[Awesome photoshop of Gizmodo image by McWhertor]

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[Data]

The first thing I thought when I looked at this was, how much and can I read books on it?

[KiwiArcader]

If it has a widescreen monitor and is less than a 12" I'm not buying. Anything smaller is fine for reading a paperback but just sucks for magazines.

[SuperFrog]

If it has a widescreen monitor and is less than a 12" I'm not buying. Anything smaller is fine for reading a paperback but just sucks for magazines.

Isn't wide screen in portrait orientation closer to mags format then regular display??

Just like iPhone, I will never get it...

For a person who like to read on 42" TV with old softmoded xBox, those new things are way to small for my taste.

[Thor]

Isn't wide screen in portrait orientation closer to mags format then regular display??

Just like iPhone, I will never get it...

For a person who like to read on 42" TV with old softmoded xBox, those new things are way to small for my taste.

My software modded Xbox doesn't even get any love. I've not had any use for it anymore. There are some games that I will play from time to time but anything that I want to do mostly done on my laptop and sometimes I'll hook my Lappy up to my 42" Plasma via HDMI to maybe play some MAME or what ever I feel.

I've got an iPod Touch but I've been meaning to put it up on ebay since I bought a Zune HD and I love it. But depending on how expensive that tablet is I may end up getting that. I do like Apple products and am used to them because of my schooling in graphic design.

[SuperFrog]

I've got an iPod Touch but I've been meaning to put it up on ebay since I bought a Zune HD and I love it.

I'm looking for a portable media player, and can't decide between iPod (any version) and Zune (also any version). Can you please explain why do you like Zune better then iPod. I need from time to time to have radio receiver (while in Gym, TV has radio frequencies for sound) and I would like to be able to watch some video file (mainly avi and mp4) and listen to my mp3 files.

As for xBox, I love emulators and that's major reason I softmoded it, but from time to time I play some xBox games. (I purchase ~70 games as they go for anything between 1 and 10 bucks) It's nice that XBMC supports cbr and cbz files, so I use it to view mags or comics, while listening to some online radio station (on xBox as well) or something from my mp3 collection )

[Thor]

I'm looking for a portable media player, and can't decide between iPod (any version) and Zune (also any version). Can you please explain why do you like Zune better then iPod. I need from time to time to have radio receiver (while in Gym, TV has radio frequencies for sound) and I would like to be able to watch some video file (mainly avi and mp4) and listen to my mp3 files.

As for xBox, I love emulators and that's major reason I softmoded it, but from time to time I play some xBox games. (I purchase ~70 games as they go for anything between 1 and 10 bucks) It's nice that XBMC supports cbr and cbz files, so I use it to view mags or comics, while listening to some online radio station (on xBox as well) or something from my mp3 collection )

Well several reasons. (No particular order)

1. HD Raido

2. True 9:16 ratio screen

3. Better quality screen (richer colors)

4. Sweet user interface (took a bit of getting used to though)

5. Play movies right off of the zune in 720p on a tv (with adapter or x360)

6. Works with my 360 to play music (older iPods can do this too but not the touch)

7. Can play homebrew applications without jail-breaking

8. Social Networking built in

9. Don't have to pay for upgrades in the software

Downfalls

1. No AM radio :( I like talk radio

2. Slower internet browser (who wants to surf the net on these unless you have to anyway)

3. Can only play MP4 video would like to see xvid.

4. Not compatible with Mac (not a problem for me though or you from what I've seen in your posts)

5. Accessories hard to find unless you go online for them.

6. Not very many apps but again can use homebrew anyway.

[Data]

I heard the Zune had a small userbase. Like 10% of the hard drive music players, Ipod taking the rest. Does the Zune have celular phone capabilities?

I'am not looking for any fancy music players right now but if I was, I would be choosing the underdog.

[Thor]

I would be choosing the underdog.

That is another reason I like it

But no, no cell phone capabilities. Though it would be cool.

[Thor]

NICE!

I just read that Micorsoft is including xvid compatability on the next update. I guess it's true they do listen. So now I can make a commercial that says I created the Zune HD.

[unknown3125]

I was stoked when i herd about it, but disappointed that its just a big ipod touch. Once it runs a more full featured version of OS X, i can buy the magazines i'm currently subscribed to on it, the price lowers a bit, and its gone through a revision or two then i will probably buy. Another tablet pc that looks interesting is the joojoo pad (www.thejoojoo.com), but for what you get the price, it isn't worth it.

[KiwiArcader]

Well ... if it had a 12" 4:3 screen I'd buy it in an instant ..... all I want is something to replace my borked IBM X41 tablet that blew up on me. But widescreens are crap for reading mags. And 10" screens are too small ... period

[Gnash]

It should have a usb port so you can add a joypad if you wish. Now that would rock.

[KiwiArcader]

So I visited my Apple reseller yesterday to see if they had any idea when these are coming to New Zealand given Australia is getting them in late April. He got an email from Apple stating they will not be selling them in New Zealand. Didn't say delayed .... said never!!

So it looks like once again Apple has decided to shaft us down under. No iTunes for frakkin years ... now this. Why on Earth people love this crowd given their arrogance is beyond me.

[unknown3125]

It should have a usb port so you can add a joypad if you wish. Now that would rock.

Just found this on thinkgeek.com a joystiq acrade cabnet dock for the ipad (the icade). They say you can use it with a mame emulator for the ipad.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/iCade.shtml?cpg=128H

[Mister Zero]

hahaha that's a pretty good one

[Gnash]

Just found this on thinkgeek.com a joystiq acrade cabnet dock for the ipad (the icade). They say you can use it with a mame emulator for the ipad.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/iCade.shtml?cpg=128H

That just rules if it was real.