Apple has always made a point to try and change things. It started in 1984 with the first Apple computer and again in 2007 with the first iPhone. In 2009, Apple released the iPad, a “magical and revolutionary device” that hopes to change the way we view the web, pictures and other media.
Always from the get go, Apple has made their intentions clear. They always aim to create user incredible and friendly devices. Because of that, Apple products are getting into more and more hands every day. More people are enjoying the ease of desktop computers. More college students are making their first laptop a Mac and a new generation of smartphone users has emerged because of the iPhone. Including the iPad, has Apple also unintentionally changed the way we game. Let’s look at three ways Apple has done just that.
1. The iPhone / iPod Touch
The App Store, the hub in which iPhone users get their applications for their phone, boasts over 20,000 apps for games, utilities and more. While this can seem like an overwhelming library for someone to browse through, both the iTunes team and the reviews of other users make looking for great games very easy. The App Store also has been amazing for indie game developers to get their games out there while getting their fair share on sales. But the biggest impact the iPhone has had on gaming is it’s social integration with things like sharing scores on Twitter and Facebook.
For those of us old enough to remember, bragging rights in gaming was a local thing. Your claim to fame was whoever had the high score on a machine at the pizzeria or who was the best Street Fighter player in your high school. Now, with the iPhone, you can instantly throw your score up against the entire world with games like Doodle Jump. With one click at the Game Over screen, you can tell your Facebook and Twitter friends how good you are at jumping. Even while you’re playing the game, you’re constantly jumping past high score markers from players from all over the world.
You’re literally competing against over 5 million players every time you load Doodle Jump.
However, digital bragging rights are nothing new. Xbox 360 owners have been enjoying their Achievements for years. But, considering how, by nature, consoles are not social devices, the idea of sharing your Gamerscore with people outside of your friends list is not a common thought. But, because a device like the iPhone is a social device (a iPhone is a phone after all!), it almost seemed like a no-brainer to add social media integration to games.
If you think about the average use for an iPhone, it’s usually split between gaming, checking Facebook and Twitter and e-mailing friends. It only seems natural to add social sharing functionality to every game so everyone can instantly boast their latest scores and challenge their friends on social networks. And since using social media and playing casual games is becoming more and more of the norm, the iPhone seems like the perfect device to cater to these new needs.
2. The Macbook
It happens every Summer. More and more high school students graduate and go to college. Many leave home for the first time and need something to not only do their work on but to communicate with friends and family. And every year more and more college class rooms are filled with MacBooks. And every year college professors see more and more faces tucked behind glowing Apple logos. But does more MacBooks mean more gamers? No. At least, not until recently.
Anyone who has been to college in the last few years has seen this: a fellow student sitting at a table during a break, cranking away at a game of World of Warcraft. Grinding away to get a few more XP before class starts again. Until recently, those sort of students were not as common. But now, since the all new MacBooks are very capable for online gaming and more and more college students are getting Macs, could we see more laptop gamers?
In the Spring of 2010, the long held treasure of the PC world, Steam, came to Mac. Steam is a gaming hub where gamers can not only purchase and download games, but it also acts as a community tool where gamers can interact, discuss topics and more importantly, game with one another. Macs were never really gaming machines, but with their new hardware and plenty of great Steam titles at the ready, we could see a new league of people start their first Team Fortress 2 game and type “how the hell do I rocket jump!?”
3. The iPad
Much like the iPhone, Apple’s newest product, the iPad, is a new breeding ground for developers. With its larger screen and better processing power, developers can achieve things on the iPad that they could not on smaller devices. While the device has only been out for a few months, we’re already seeing interesting applications for the device.
From adaptions of great iPhone games like Angry Birds, Plants Vs. Zombies and Flight Control to even some music apps like Smule’s Magic Piano. It’ll be interesting to see what sort of games developers come up with in the next few years as more and more iPads get into people’s hands.
So what do you think? Do you think as Apple products become more and more popular, will what comes out on those products truly affect what happens to mobile gaming? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a video reply on Youtube:
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