Sep 15, 2008 0
5 Reasons why Apple will become a Gaming Giant
The video game industry is an $18 billion dollar juggernaut and Apple can’t resist a piece of that pie. Apple is taking serious strategic steps to dramatically increase market share in the coming years.
5) App Store. Real games on a real gaming device.
As of this writing, there are nearly 900 games currently available for the iPhone and iPod touch. These devices deliver a solid interface for an enjoyable casual gaming experience.
The Apple marketing machine is also touting the iPod Touch as “The Funnest iPod Ever.” While I think that’s the dumbest slogan ever, it’s a clear move on Apple’s part. Apple doesn’t take a step without thinking five years in the future.
iPod. Apple. Fun Games. That’s the connection they want you to make.
4) Converting the Masses
Beyond training the consumer to think of iPod Touches as fun gaming devices, Apple needs another group of individuals to be successful. Programmers.
It has been a historic lack of market share and minimal gaming interest on the OS X platform that has scared game developers away.
However, game developers are flocking to iPhone and iPod Touch (almost 900 games, remember?) because of the large market and System Developers Kit.
3) The SDK
The iPhone uses a stripped down version of OS X. Programers use a language called Cocoa Touch, a tweaked version of the language used to program on OS X (Cocoa).
iPhone game developers are one step away from being Mac OS X game developers.
2) The Merging of the CPU and GPU
Higher end Macs contain a dedicated GPU. OS X is a highly graphical interface, yet, games have always suffered. That’s because Mac hasn’t “pandered” to the gaming market. Further, lower end models use integrated graphics. This combination makes OS X a poor gaming platform.
Apple doesn’t need to solve either of these problems. The way games are being programed will be fundementally changing in the very near future.
Game developers will no longer have to relay on Direct X or other graphical frameworks. The processor is going to do everything. Graphics will be processed just like software.
1) Snow Leopard and Grand Central
In the very near future, the number of cores a processors have is going to skyrocket. Apple’s next iteration for OS X contains the ability to manage an unlimited number of cores effectively.
When CPUs and GPUs combine, Apple is going to be ready, one of the first adopters, and will leverage their large base of developers to catapult Mac OS X into the forefront of gaming technology.
Hey, maybe this first CPU/GPU computer will be a tablet too. Probably not.
