@stof

Actually I'm trying to be very open-minded ^_^ I do my best. I agree with you at the point that... IF gaming machine has a strong launch then it got a momentum that literally could crash all it's competitors (what actually happened this gen when Nintendo promote DS to people outside of gaming). And there're no big deal exactly how device being sold as gaming machine or something else.

But still success of Apple in gaming depends on publishers which are going (or not going) to bring big budget franchises on platform. As already said current revenue from games on iPhones\iTouches isn't looking big at all, and for overall sales of iPhones\iTouches they're on the same level as handhelds in their first year. Sure, publishers would support this somehow, but as long they don't expect strong sales - support will be on the same level as for any other mobile cell phone at max. Without any steps from Apple towards gaming I doubt anytime soon it's gaming division is going to grow, and for now games on iPhones\iTouches practically used by Apple like additional function to promote it's devices. There's a potential, but that's it.

Sales of iphones/touches are fantastic so far, as they sold more than the DS and PSP combined this year. And that's in it's current state, remember, ipods are always changing and seeing new versions, we'll start to see more and cheaper touches.

As for the big games, turns out Metal Gear Solid wasn't the only big announcement. Silent Hill just joined the ranks. But again, unlike gaming only consoles which have to attain a userbase (or the promise of attaining said userbase), the itouch already has it and it will only get larger regardless of whether games come or not, so who wouldn't jump all over that opportunity?

I doubt apple themselves will get in to the game developing market. They don't need to make games to push the unit.

It's a very different business model from what the game industry has seen so far, but I'm pretty sure it's going to work quite well.

Do we all agree that umd was the biggest catastrophe of this gen?

According sales AFAIK iPhones 11mln to date, don't know about iPod Touches, my very optimistic prediction would be ~9mln, so that's 20 mln combined. That's good but not fantastic, DS+PSP after year and a half ~30mln.

Yes, definitely very different business model, but we're talking about success in _gaming_, right? Well, I'll admit that Apple iPhones\iPod Touches are successful as gaming devices if and when they will sell games at least comparable to handhelds. Supposed game sales net income of App Store to date ~$150mln, handhelds for the same period at launch - billions. For now, just potential.

//There're always a problem with Apple... no data WTF! Very hard to predict smth.

I don't enjoy seeing companies make mistakes. There is nothing more frustrating than watching something that has the potential for greatness utterly squander that potential through bonehead blunders and arrogance. The PSP could have been truly great. As it stands most people just use it as a portable emulator.

That's why I'm so upbeat about the iphone. The iphone is like a child staring bleary-eyed out into the world. It's potential is untapped, it's future unpredictable. no one knows where it's going, but there are a bunch of crazy developers who see this young kid as the next heavy-weight. And I salute them.

People called me crazy 7 years ago for saying that the palm pilot had great potential as a gaming device. I maintain to this day that had palm fostered any enthusiam or ecosystem Palm could have been a real player. Nintendo validated me a bit with the DS, showing everyone that original stylus-based games could be great. It wasn't the controls that held Palm pilot back, or the graphics. It was lack of vision and courage on the part of palm and its developers, and to a lesser extent its customers. The iphone will face plenty of problems, but lack of developer enthusiasm won't be one of them.

If any company can compete with Nintendo, its Apple. Actually, I predict if Apple enters the gaming market the way they want to, Sony is done with and Nintendo will have a huge problem to deal with.

surely any sort of games console that has no buttons is an instant fail? i mean, there's only so much you can do with an accelerometer and a stylus.

@ DOATS1, the touch doesn't use a stylus, it's a multi touch recognition system. You can slide your finger around, press more than one place at a time. A lot of games will probably just place buttons on the screen. ipod games will probably have lots of unique control methods.

Ok, I'm gonna comment here also. As has been said, Konami is bringing MGS and Silent Hill to the platform. S-E has announced Crystal Defenders, Force Unleashed is already out, Brothers in Arms too. Namco Bandai has released I Love Katamari, SEGA was among the first with SUper Monkey Ball, and then there is of course ngmoco, formed by two ex-EA execs. Sure, it's not yet that much, but given that the App Store has been around for less than half a year, and that it's Apples first real entry (forget Pippin) into games, I think that's pretty spectacular.

Also, I've read multiple statements from developers saying that the iPhone/iTouch + AppStore is the easies and most profitable platform they've ever worked on. By all accounts, releasing a game in the App Store is way easier than releasing for any of the "real" gaming platforms, not to mention you get a bigger slice of the pie. It's a win-win situation for Apple AND for the devs, and it's going to be absolute nightmare for Nintendo or Sony to compete with App Store. Their heritage as console manufacturers and the current business model of the game industry makes it pretty much impossible for them to offer anything on the level of App Store.

Yep. No stylus means instant pick-up-and-play. I have to say, though, that buttons on the screen don't work for the majority of games, or at least for any games that have fast paced gameplay. I'm banking on new control methods that are unique for the platform to emerge and take the gaming to the next level. Actually, I'm going to go get Rolando now and see what it has to offer, it's been on my radar for a few months and now it's out, gotta support a fellow dev for their great effort :)