The argument involving mobile gaming versus dedicated consoles is heating up, with no sign of dying down. First CEO John Riccitiello praised iPad as Electronic Arts’ fastest-growing platform, then founder Trip Hawkins bashed Apple, saying the company is up for a decline on the grounds of irreplaceability of Steve Jobs, and yesterday Epic Games president Mike Capps challenged the purpose of next-generation console hardware with all the momentum and credibility Apple’s iOS gadgets have been accumulating in the gaming space. He told IndustryGamers (via CNET)
And then this about iPhone 8 (not a typo):
That major game developers and publishers are even getting drawn into the Apple versus console makers argument in the first place is a telling sign of the Cupertino, California gadget maker’s growing influence in the gaming industry. Many people think Apple should launch a dedicated gaming console. Frankly, Apple may not even need a dedicated gaming hardware. iPad 2 and iPhone 4 already have capable GPUs that will only get better when the A6 chip comes out (some say it’s in test production now). The AirPlay technology can already wirelessly beam some games from your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to the big screen TV. And if Apple ever makes that rumored television set, they will have in place an end-to-end entertainment system, most likely cloud-based, that will be second to none. How do you rival that with a dedicated gaming hardware and decades-old business model that boils down to overpriced games distributed (mostly) exclusively on physical media? Of course Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony will introduce new consoles or refresh existing ones, but it’s hard to resist the feeling that the current model is past its peak, giving Apple a shot at becoming the accidental gaming giant.
