I personally think that it will due to the fact that already so many people have purchased the iPad and a lot of them might be hardcore gamers. The other side of me is saying that it won't because the iPad is not meant as a gaming device, at least in my mind. Only time will tell.
Will the iPad hurt iPhone gaming? Not right away, but I think eventually it will. The iPhone will always be great for quick pick-up-and-play, riding-on-the-bus types of games. The iPad, with it's big, beautiful screen will be great for more complex games with detailed graphics. I am really looking forward to seeing the new games--every day more and more developers are posting screenshots of their upcoming games in the iPad forum. Very exciting!
I don't see the ipad as a gaming device, and probably won't hurt the gaming for iphone too much because it would only work well with a couple games
No, as a matter of fact I think it will help iphone gaming. First of all, no one is going to replace their iphone with an ipad, they are two different devices. The number of iphone gamers will not drastically decrease because of the ipad - but people interested in tablets will probably buy ipads, therefore pushing the boundaries of devs' hunting grounds, giving them more resources to develop, and make idevices a bigger beast overall. Secondly, big developers aren't going to market a large amount of games ONLY to ipads, for the same reason we see so few games ONLY for the 3GS. Although the 3GS has greater capabilities than the other generations, there are people who don't own them who have money, so big guys like Gameloft and EA as well as most financially-aware developers will realize it's not a good strategy to market games only to 3GS, because they simply won't get the same kind of cash. They might make 3GS-specific enhancements, just like devs will no doubt make a huge amount of ipad-specific enhancements. They won't cut off the poor and needy with older generations as long as they're in the market. The ipad isn't a superior device; it's more powerful graphically, but it's much, much less portable. What I love about iphone gaming is that you can pull it out of your pocket and play whenever. With an ipad, you'd have to carry around some kind of "purse." What the hell, buy a laptop.
And you will never need more than 16 MB of RAM on your computer........LOL Have you seen all the games that are being built already for IPAD????? They are going to blow away the IPOD versions. IPHONE will NOT be affected to the negative. IPOD TOUCH will fade away. Reasoning: IPHONE is, well...a phone. It has the small portability that a phone has to offer..and it has the cool apps available on it so you can play your favorite games on the go. Apple is going to market the IPhone to everyone as they open up and allow Verizon and maybe Sprint to carry the new models coming out (CDMA). The IPOD Touch is a music player/gaming device that will be replaced by the IPhone and IPad for those that can afford them. I for one have an IPAD heading my way and although I already own an IPOD touch...I will give it away as I will not need it any more. As soon as the IPHONE comes to SPRINT... I will buying one of those and that as they say will be that. IPHONE + IPAD = NO IPOD TOUCH Love my IPOD ToUCH but when big brother shows up...it's getting kicked to the curb.
This depends on a lot of factors really and eventually, the market for the iPad will get bigger. But I doubt it will be as big as the iPhone numbers now unless the smartphone competition (Android, upcoming WinMo 7 et. al.) can come up with miracles and overtake the iPhone figures growth. As of now, the iPad is fairly new and majority of the early adapters are not really buying these devices primarily for gaming. The gaming devs now are also testing the waters on how mobile gaming on the iPad will take off as fast as the iPhone gaming market when the App Store was fresh. Eventually, the iPad target audience will get broader depending on the success of specific demographics, and there are numerous: ebook readers, education, photography, workplace devices, multimedia, comics, personal productivity, gaming, etc. But like I said I doubt it will be as big as the iPhone user figures. We will definitely see some big names and premium games surfacing later this year that will be exclusive for the iPad as this will be a way for the big devs to test the waters. If the market won't be as good as the iPhone/iPod touch gaming market, then iPad premium games development won't take off at the same speed as the iPhone gaming development. It takes time and money to develop graphics-intensive games. At the end of the day, these big devs are only after one thing: profit. If there's no bite, then why offer the fruit.
Sure, and if you are going to buy a laptop, you might as well bring a suitcase with a desktop and a large monitor. And if you are going to go that far, you might as well bring a forklift with a arcade machine on it. And as long as you have gone that far..... Face it, just as there is a massive difference in portability between a tiny iPhone and an iPad, there is a massive difference in portability between a 1.5 pound iPad and a laptop. To put it a different way. If you were sitting in coach on a flight to Europe, would you rather have an iPhone, an iPad, or a laptop? I (and I think most people) would take the iPad. Having said that, I don't think the iPad will hurt iPhone gaming because the iPad+Iphone market will atrract more developers to the platform. And for every iPad exclusive game (and there will be some) that these new developers might write, there will be a bunch more cross-device games. Michael
No. Not in the least. Fact is the iPad consumer base is what will "hurt" iPad gaming. We will see exclusives soon. If and when the consumer base shakes up how I expect it to, however, the number of exclusives will dwindle. Why? iPod touch is a primary driver of iPhone/touch game sales. Anytime there is a spike in iPod touch sales, there is a spike in iPhone/touch game sales numbers. Why? Because iPod touch falls smack dab into the price willing to be paid by younger consumers, those in their teens to early twenties, and this is what is known in the game industry as the "core" gamer group. "Core" here doesn't refer to gamer-speak "hardcore" which is about what type of games are bought/played, but rather "core" is marketing speak for gamers that buy the most games of all consumer groups. iPad, due mainly to price at this point, will not likely skew to that "core" group. It will skew to older consumers. And because of the decrease in portability, it most likely will not skew even to the average iPhone age group as those folks favor more mobile tech. iPad is mobile, but it isn't as mobile as iPhone/touch. Hence older groups will favor iPad, for whom larger screen size trumps greater portability. This group does not buy as many games as younger groups, and as research currently indicates, it'll be e-books/magazines, movies/tv shows, and productivity/creative software that will be more heavily favored for app purchases and usage on iPad, NOT games and entertainment apps. Anyone thinking that iPad will "replace" iPhone/touch, or "just" iPod touch, is out of their ever lovin' minds and are placing waaaaay too much importance on a device that will be much more niche than the iPhone/touch platform. Successful for that niche, sure. Large niche, yes. But still quite niche compared to the large iPhone/touch market. And for those reasons, iPad game development will teeter off as the initial hype dies down and the consumer market shakes out. The device itself looks like it could be home to some great games, but if the consumer market isn't biting as much as desired then the "exclusives" will decrease in number. Expect iPad gaming to be dominated not by "exclusives" as time goes on but rather by size doubled iPhone/touch games.
Entry point model iPad = over $400 Entry point model iPod touch = less than $200 Again, anyone who thinks the iPad will supplant iPod touch in terms of overall sales isn't looking at the true picture. And anyone who thinks the "core" gamer group, which drives iPhone/touch game sales, for whom iPod touch fits more neatly into the perceived value of such a product, and for whom having a very mobile device is favorable to a less mobile device with a larger screen is also blinded by current hype levels. iPad will shake out to have an older skewing consumer base less likely to buy games than those owning iPod touch and iPhone devices. As such, game support of the "exclusive" nature will dwindle over time.
Hey Swish...Glad to have your comments on my point of view. If you take a step back and re-read through what I said, you may understand better what it is I am saying. No one is going to take the IPod out of the hands of the kiddies. As long as there is an IPhone taking advantage of apps, there will be an IPod Touch that will do the same but aimed at non phone users. I myself own an IPod Touch after seeing what it could do. I like my IPod Touch. But I can tell you right now...anyone in their right mind will be able to see the huge advantage of having an IPad over an IPod touch in a short while. The only problem they will have is how their going to afford the upgrade. If they are 16 or older...they can get a j o b and buy their own. If they are younger...mow some grass...lots of grass. The target here is not junior. Apple assumes you have a j o b when you look at IPad as an option. I will be proven out correct as the coming months show how much better all around IPad is over the little brother. This forum is full of folks who cry when an app costs more than 99 Cents. They obviously will not be buying an IPad. The rest of us with a J o B will enjoy the IPad and quickly forget about the IPod touch. Guarantee it.
How is the iPad going to replace the iPod Touch? They aren't even the same type of product. Forget all the extra junk that the iPod touch does (apps, etc..) because at the core, it is an mp3 player that was upgraded with iPhone features minus the phone. Many people get a touch because they want a portable music player and figure for a rather good price, they can get the apps and other extra features of the Touch vs. a non Touch iPod. An iPad isn't going to let you listen to music while you run, are walking through the store, goign to class or the office and other places on the go unless you feeling like lugging around like a book. Portability, to the point where it fits in your pocket, is key for a device like the iPod Touch, and the iPad does not offer that type of portability. I don't think it's unreasonable to think the iPad will be successful, but to think that the iPad renders the iPod Touch doesn't make much sense. People are getting an iPad to use it as a tablet, or the ultra portable computer/laptop type product. For those times where a device that fits in your pocket it needed, the iPad will not be able to replace either the iPhone or iPod touch.
I think you are misunderstanding the question. I don't think the OP was asking if the iPad is going to kill the Touch/iPhone. I think he was asking if the existence of the iPad will ultimately hurt the Touch/iPhone game market (because some developers who would have developed games for the Touch/iPhone would be developing for the iPad instead) or help it (because overall more developers would come to the party and develop for both). I don't think anyone really thinks that the iPad is going to kill the Touch/iPhone. Michael
Heh, I am the original poster. None the less, I was referring to the person above who has pretty much said that iPad will render the iPod touch worthless now. If that isn't what he/she means, then they are doing a bad job of making their point.
Worthless to ME......Not to everyone. To the point that people have an IPod touch for music on the go....I can buy a much less expensive mp3 player for that. I hope to buy an IPHONE as soon as Sprint offers one. I own an IPod touch and will give it to my kid. I Pre ordered an IPad and will use it every day. It won't replace my Mac Pro, but it will get used...a lot. To the original question...NO the Ipad will not hurt the Iphone. But those who can afford the IPad, the IPod touch loses it value. JMHO.
Nope - I could afford an iPad if I wanted, but the size is unreasonable. I don't want to be charged for 3G, so I don't want an iPhone. So naturally, the iPod Touch is for me, regardless of its cash value.
