Apple’s gaming platform plans?
The Inquirer recently reported that Bob Dredbin has joined Apple. Bob is the former CTO at AMD and has extensive experience at Silicon Graphics, ATI, Artix and LucasFilms.
I think that this move shows that Apple is starting to take mobile gaming even more seriously. Of course, with the major success of the application store and the push for micro transactions in the iPhone/iTouch 3.0 software update coming this summer, they have reason to be serious.
I often ask the trivia question to friends and colleagues: what is the top selling gaming platform? Many guess the Wii, others think it must be the PS3 because of BluRay and others think that the XBox 360 is probably tops (at least in the United States). Usually, they fail to think about the Nintendo DS – which outsells the other 3 significantly.
I bring this up because my 10 year old son, who owns a DS himself, has now saved enough money (from birthdays, etc.) to buy an Apple iTouch. He doesn’t care about music or videos – he wants to play games! I wonder if Apple could eventually outsell the major consoles. Certainly the consumer form factor is there, the portability is there, the low cost purchase point is there, there is lots of gaming content available and it provides connected entertainment to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, IM and email.
My big bold prediction. Sales of the iPhone/iTouch will outpace at least 1 of the major console players this Holiday sales year. And, DS/DSi/Gameboy and iPhone/iTouch will collectively outsell all consoles combined.
