Welcome to February, hard to believe one month of the term is already over. For this article I’m branching out a bit, with the release of Apple’s iPad yesterday (as of writing this) I can’t help it. But there will be more gaming talk – don’t worry about that.
So the iPad, for all intents and purposes, is a jumbo sized iPod Touch, albeit a more powerful and better looking one. The device will continue the App Store business model which has recently taken off, though whether it will also use existing apps for the iPod Touch is unclear – because the screen is larger the existing apps may end up looking extremely pixelated when blown up. The system looks very similar to an iPod Touch, with dimensions of 9.56” tall, 7.47” wide, and 0.5” thick, weighing in at 1.5 to 1.6lbs, depending on the wireless model. The system uses a multi-touch 9.7” LED backlight screen, as well as a built in accelerometer and ambient light sensor.
That brings us to the point everyone cares about, price, which of course is dependent on the model and capacity you want. The iPad will be available in two wireless versions – one using free Wi-Fi (1.5lbs) and one using Wi-Fi and 3G wireless (1.6lbs). The other distinction will be in capacity – the main factor in pricing. The system will be available in 16GB ($500), 32GB ($600) and 64GB ($700), adding 3G capability will cost you an additional $130, plus $15 or $30 per month depending on your contract. Of course all those prices were listed as $499.99 instead of $500 for example, but I don’t acknowledge the penny savings – just state the actual price, none of this $14.99 to make it seem cheaper. The iPad will be shipping in March for the Wi-Fi models and April for the 3G models. For more info check out the official site at www.apple.com/ipad.
Well, now that we all know about Apple’s latest bid to take over the world, here’s my prediction for the future. The budding e-book market is now going to be forced to make a drastic change in direction. With systems like the Kindle reader costing $300, while only offering grey toned imaging, they are quickly going to find that consumers are paying the extra money to get higher resolution colour imaging, with 3D graphics, the promise of better games and the ability to watch movies and listen to all their music.
Of course the other trend will be for all of the other electronics companies to release their own tablet systems. That is the point I am waiting for, to see if the current trend in Mp3 players continues. I won’t hide the fact that I don’t like Apple’s business model, they sell products with the same or lesser specs for more money than competitors just for the name stamped across the back. The iPod Nano for instance has been rereleased about every year, with minor specification changes and a new form factor. Minimal change, yet everyone has to run out and buy the new version.
So let’s get back to gaming. Not much news has come out recently, mainly as a result of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) having finished and the Game Developers Conference (GDC) coming up. Keep an eye out for game announcements as well as previews of some of the most awaited games – GDC isn’t about companies showing off their products and advertising for upcoming sales, it is about showing off what your company and the games they make can do.
I know I have discussed gaming politics before, as well as the unfair blame which gaming receives whenever a nut case goes on a rampage. But I can’t help bringing it up when some prime examples come to my attention. After a student at a public school was arrested for making pipe bombs to blow up his school (how do you even come to the conclusion that blowing up your school is a good idea?) a search was conducted of his home – and guess what they found – yep, video games. Alright, case solved, it must have been the video games fault. It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the kid, the family, or his emotional state, anything else was just additional pressure on a foundation of video games.
Then you get people in government making accusations and passing new laws, controlling a hobby that they don’t understand and therefore fear. In Venezuela for instance a law was passed last October outlawing video games, the president Hugo Chavez recently attacked Sony’s system saying “Those games they call ‘PlayStation’ are poison. Some games teach you to kill.” He has also insulted Nintendo for promoting capitalism – which is the root of all evil of course.
Anyway, the world of gaming has a long way to go before these baseless accusations become a thing of the past. In the mean time the best we can all do is promote the hobby, raise awareness of the non murderous rampage demographic and show people that not every gamer is insane. Check out a local club – UW Gamers for instance – shameless advertising I know, but they do a great job planning events and showing off the world of gaming. Also, go and see this year’s FASS (Faculty Alumni Staff & Students) show “Final FASSity MMX”– the theme is video games – on February 4, 5, 6.
Until next time, Keep On Gaming.
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