As part of their latest software package update, Apple has just released the Game Center, which is essentially a gaming network for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. This new service will include community-based features, such as leaderboards, friendlists, and achievements.
Apple has indeed taken notice of the increased role of gaming in online activities and communities and is setting out to be a more established player in this area of the market. Many of Apple’s customers are casual gamers (i.e. more used to a social networking setting) and some have been highly involved in online gaming in browser-based communities for years.
Gaming on the iPad — once more developers create games for it, that is — in particular will no doubt be a new and innovating way for players to be immersed in browser-based games. Only time will tell what Apple has in store. We’ll make sure to keep you updated on any new developments.
With the recent release of the Apple iPad, game developers have been in a rush to create gambling apps for the device. March 27th was the deadline for any game developer that wanted their game to be ready in time for the iPad’s big debut.
21 Online Casinos claims that a device like the tablet PC would provide a great opportunity for online gaming sites, particularly because they provide a more comfortable and realistic experience for the player. They’re much easier to read and navigate than a mobile phone, yet not as bulky as traditional laptop technology.
According to 21 Online Casinos, “The truly exciting thing about the iPad is the potential for more interactive online casino games. For instance, players can actually push the buttons on the slot machines themselves or rub the screen to play scratchcards. The format would allow players to interact with games in the same way they would at an actual casino and would also allow for a more user friendly gaming experience.”
One potential downside is that because the iPad would still run on Apple’s operating system, download-based casino apps can’t be accessed on the device, only browser-based applications. But who knows… maybe a successful online gambling experience will influence Apple to think about modifications in the future.
The ABC and CBS television stations will allow iPad owners to stream free online content on their devices. The catch is that there will be commercials interspersed within the programming, so for those of you out there that can’t stand commercials, be forewarned. ABC will allow free streaming through an app from Apple’s App Store while CBS will offer “free” programming through a browser-based method, i.e. their website.
Hulu hasn’t yet confirmed their stance on streaming free content on Apple’s iPad. According to Jason Kilar, their Chief Executive, the company is “certainly open to subscriptions as a complement to an ad-supported model.” Hulu has been rumored to be considering a subscription model quite a bit.
As consumers of online content yourselves, what do you have to say about this? Any comments?
As usual, Apple’s newest piece of hardware, the iPad, is quite impressive. With a sleek 10″ touchscreen, this netbook-rival device will quite possibly be (or maybe is even already) an eyesore and a hot commodity for gamers.
According to Trip Hawkins, the president of Digital Chocolate (a video game developer based in San Mateo, California), the iPad will change the portable gaming market. The market for games and gaming will expand as individuals who were not big gamers in the past start playing browser-based games through social networking sites (like Facebook) and/or downloading games from the App store.
The base price for a 16 GB Apple iPad with wi-fi capabilities is currently $499, but maybe in the future when demand is high enough, the price of a unit will decrease. For an Apple iPad with the same amount of storage in addition to 3G capabilities, the base price is $629. If you’re interested in checking out some of the features of the device, visit Apple’s website.
Apple and Adobe don’t seem to be getting along so well, as the former is blocking flash browser-based games from access through the Safari web browser on the iPhone.
Google has thus jumped on this great opportunity. It’s been working with Adobe to get the Flash player 10.1 up to full speed on its smartphone platform. Google’s Nexus One is a potential cell phone that will allow users to access flash browser-based games through its Internet connection.
According to Adobe’s Matt Rozen, “The Nexus One features Google’s Android software, HTC’s hardware design, and QUALCOMM’s Snapdragon chipset. All of these companies participate in the Open Screen Project and we’ve been working with our partners to bring a high performing Flash Player 10.1 to Android and other devices.”
Check out the video below if you’re interested in learning more about how all this will work.
Maybe we’ll even be able to save some money by not buying games through Apple’s App Store now and just playing them online. I wonder what Apple has to say about that… !
Apple, Browser-Based Games News, iPad, iPhone, iPod | JJ | 
April 9, 2010 2:27 pm | 
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