With the reveal of the iPad Mini there has been much conversation on the internet about how this will affect gaming. In particular people have pointed out the upcoming release of Microsoft SmartGlass and the Wii U. Nintendo and Microsoft seem to think that tablets are at least part of the future for gaming. I'm still unsure, as I think that the reason tablets are successful gaming platforms are because people carry them around anyway, not because it presents the best gaming experience available.

I'm sure there will be interesting ways that this technology will be used, I just don't think it will be done for iOS games. iOS developers are usually smaller teams making games on a small budget and with limited technology. Until platforms like Unity, game development software used by the industry, integrate that technology then most iOS developers will not be able to make those games easily.

Some Interesting ideas may come of this.

By the time those sort of games can be made at a price realistic to iOS developers, the tech will have either been proved or disproved based Nintendo or Microsoft’s success. My money would be on Microsoft being more successful with it than Nintendo. The reason for this is twofold: On the consumer side you don't need to buy a specific tablet, it will work with your iOS, Android or Microsoft tablet, and on the developer side, I bet that Microsoft will be quick to integrate this technology into their own development software, Microsoft XNA, so indie developers who develop on that program will have access to that tech.

Apple may still come out ahead, but in order to do this they will need to back iOS gaming more than they actually do. Their "Game Center" is an abject failure, at least to the enthusiast crowd who would need to center around such an effort, and Apple always seem to have the attitude that they will win at gaming without trying. The iTunes Store is a mess with terrible, cheap games that bury the sort of high quality experiences that iOS can offer. Because of that many developers have an antagonistic relationship with Apple, especially when they are expected to pour their own money into developing games from which Apple will profit.

The fact that they also target non-gamers helps to expand the audience who use SmartGlass

All of this reminds me of when Apple made a big push for gaming on the Mac at Macworld Conference & Expo in 1999. They had one Mac exclusive game that really impressed people who attended the conference where they showed it off. Bungie, a developer who had made successful first person shooters on the mac, were showing off a game they had made called "Halo." Which, of course, ended up never seeing the Mac platform and instead made the Xbox a must-have console.

Coincidentally one of the games that will have Microsoft SmartGlass support is none other than Halo 4. Truth be told, Halo is not what it once was, but since this a Halo made by a new company (though by many of the same people, as well as some younger people with new ideas). I'll be curious to see how successful this endeavor is. It's great to talk about what Apple MAY do if they become interested, but other companies are already doing it. When I played Mass Effect 3, I got the free side-app that allowed me to work towards saving the galaxy even when I was away from my Xbox. It was a terrible app, of course, but at least the idea had been implemented and was somewhat interesting.

To me this integrated touch-screen-to-console idea has yet to really prove itself. Right now, it exists in the same place that 3D did 3 years ago. I'm interested to see how it's used, but no truly compelling idea has been implemented. I do want to check it out in the coming weeks with SmartGlass, and I find it a lot more compelling than I did 3D. I simply want to see the idea done well first. I've gotten excited about a console in its pre-release that I thought would completely change gaming (The Wii) only to find that it was completely vapid in its implementation (with, of course, some exceptions). So I want to see this prove itself before I commit to the idea that it is a "game-changer."

So we'll see. Apple is the leader of the tech world, but I do not think they are the leader of the gaming world. Only time will tell.

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