Apple Setting Sights On Mobile Gaming

Now that the iPhone has bested the cellphone industry in the US, they've set their sights on a new target: handheld gaming devices. Apple CEO Steve Jobs commented in an interview with the Wall Street Journal recently that the popularity of games on the device could make it a more convincing gift option.

"I think the iPhone and iPod touch may emerge as really viable devices in the mobile games market this holiday season," said Steve Jobs.

The popularity of games combined with the profitability of the App Store are pushing iPhone game development and making it popular with game makers.

"Games sold via the App Store are the most profitable in terms of any of the formats we work on," said Simon Jeffery, the U.S. president of Sega.

"It feels to me like there's a real threat to their [Sony's and Nintendo's] business from the iPhone," said former EA executive and Ngmoco Inc. Neil Young.

The App Store also brings with it a great deal of diversity and options with reasonable prices, making it a contender to go up against current gaming handsets. One iPhone owner in Denver, Colorado talked about how he uses his iPhone for gaming more than his PSP or his DS.

"I can listen to my iPod and play games at the same time, and when I'm done I can just put it in my pocket," said the 20-year-old John Sims, who replaced his PSP with an iPhone. "The short amount of time I've had the iPhone, I've played more games on that than on my PSP and DS combined."

Apple’s Vice President of Hardware Product Marketing Greg Joswiak spoke of the potential of the App Store just four months after it's launch in an interview with Stuff.tv.

"Squint your eyes and imagine where we will be in six months time, or a year. The graphics capablity is greater than the DS, we have multitouch, the screen is larger and there’s an accelerometer. And we have the App Store. I think it’s the future of gaming."

[via WSJ]