Apple has done it again. Claiming innovation and launched the next game-changer? Or maybe not.
Many view the iPad as an entirely new platform, while others view it as just another version of the iPhone or iPod Touch. There is an intrigue within the gadget and geek world around this new tool. As a game enthusiast and regular old geek, I look at this exciting piece of hardware as a new medium for the delivery of everything from innovative gaming experiences to interactive books to novel takes on productivity software, all on one incredibly well-designed device.
Apps that once didn’t really feel at home on the iPhone “Scrabble” for instance, work well on the iPad. All due to the glorious larger screen size, which has taken it from “just another iPhone” to a new platform and social device. Movies can be watched by multiple viewers, great times and memories of fun with the family.
The huge, high-res screen makes a suitable game board replacement, and there’s no need to pack up the pieces after you’re done. Two players can play Flight Control HD across from each other on the same device. It makes real, live social gaming fun again.
There are rumors that Apple may be working on larger iPads for the future. If the company makes them the size of a typical game board, Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley had better watch out. It is much easier to play Monopoly digitally — the banker doesn’t have to do any math.
While iPhone users witnessed the development of some truly revolutionary games, developers will need to be even more creative on the iPad to steal back the lion’s share of user time spent interacting with these other functions.
At the end of the day, the iPad will be all about the apps, and there will likely be some revolutionary games among them. Thinking back to the early days of iPhone app development, it was clear that developers didn’t hit their stride for several months, if not a year. It won’t take as long for iPad apps to take off. And when they do, sit back and enjoy the show — because that’s when the real potential of this device will become clear.
