PopCap: The iPad "Will Change Gaming"

[Greg Tito]

PopCap: The iPad "Will Change Gaming"

The cofounder of casual games giant, PopCap, said that in three years, the iPad "will change gaming."

The iPad was introduced by Steve Jobs on January 27th, and most of the world responded with a collective exhalation, "Meh." Gamers seemed especially disappointed in the device, which won't support multitasking or even Flash games. Executives in the industry sounded off that they were either own mobile gaming products [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97872-Nintendos-Iwata-Unimpressed-With-iPad-3D-Gaming]. But not John Vechey. The cofounder of PopCap said that the iPad would have a huge impact on how we play games going forward.

"I think it will change gaming," Vechey said. He continued:

Here's this new device that gets to more people with a really great e-commerce model attached to it. It's really easy to buy on the iPhone - that's part of what makes it successful.

This is my opinion and I think it's going to be phenomenally successful. I really do. It's very simple; it's not like it has a magical set of features, just a great package. I know what I'm getting when I have to get my mum a computer now: an iPad. Because she can't screw it up, she can't download a bunch of stuff... That's the perfect mum computer, right? And it's the perfect computer for ten year-olds to play with.

Vechey didn't have any specifics on PopCap's plans to port games to the iPad other than, "I don't know if this is a PopCap position or my word, but we're certainly going to support it - I want to play Plants vs Zombies on that," he said. "It feels good to touch, right?"

Then interestingly, Vechey mentioned a genre which seems outside of PopCap's wheelhouse. "The iPad would be perfect for real-time strategy," he said. "You can't have this really immersive gaming experience but it may actually be more fun than a lot of different game experiences you can get with a PC or console."

While discussing how their iPod games would be different on the new device, Vechey let slip a very true statement. "You know, we're still trying to figure that out," said Vechey. "It is a different thing but it's not that different."

Yeah, that's what the rest of us are thinking.

In all honesty, the iPad probably isn't as bad as we make it out to be and it may even change the way part of the population plays games the way that Vechey is predicting. But we're just not as excited as he is.

"We're excited," he said. "The iPad's going to be awesome."

*sigh*

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/popcap-ipad-will-change-gaming]

Permalink

 

[Bretty]

Right.... for companies like pop games.

But that is all. Sorry but I just dont get why the Apple peeps think that this thing will be awesome?

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I'm an apple supporter (readies anti-hater armor and flame shield) but the iPad just seems retarded and stupid because in reality it's just a bigger version of the iphone.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

I'm an apple supporter (readies anti-hater armor and flame shield) but the iPad just seems retarded and stupid because in reality it's just a bigger version of the iphone.

Mate, anyone who blazes you for that doesn't deserve an opinion in the first place. There's absolutely nothing wrong with supporting Apple.

There is, however, something wrong in completely ignoring logic in order to blindly defend a company for the sake of it/small-mindedness/whatever.

 

[Simalacrum]

Actually... I think he makes a good point that I didn't realise there.

Yes, it would have been better for falks like us if it had more computer-like specs (for example, OS X Leopard would have been nice), but that would also make it complicated and confusing to use...

The iPad, though rather bland, should be easy to use for younger/elderly people as an entry-level computer. If used in that way... I think the iPad might actually have a market.

 

[Swaki]

is everyone forgetting about the new alienware laptop, small, cheap, powerful and with a mouse and keyboard interface, and i have a hard time imagining an RTS gamer play anything that dosent offer at least 20 shortcuts (those guys are kinda crazy).

 

[Swaki]

The iPad, though rather bland, should be easy to use for younger/elderly people as an entry-level computer. If used in that way... I think the iPad might actually have a market.

maybe its just the 10 year olds and retired old people i know, but generally i would say they cant afford an apple product, nor would their parents/children allow them to handle such expensive hardware.

 

[IamQ]

When was PopCap a part of "Gaming"?

 

[Julianking93]

You know what this smells like?

Spoiler

 

[Amnestic]

When was PopCap a part of "Gaming"?

If you don't recognise Plants Vs. Zombies as a proper game you're a twit.

Touch screens are fine, but they'll never get proper competitive gaming on there. RTS? Better controls than a gamepad, still not as good as a mouse+keyboard. I can't imagine anything else that would thrive on an iPad better than other platforms.

 

[zoozilla]

I beg to differ.

I don't even really think the iPhone "changed gaming". What's done on the iPad will be very similar to what's done on the iPhone, which is just an evolution of DS-type games.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

The cofounder of casual games giant, PopCap, said that in three years, the iPad "will change gaming."

And in 3 years I'll totally get a BMW, a huge house with a big Plasma TV and all the girls in the world.

People trying to create hype should really keep their mouthes shut.

 

[robrob]

Actually... I think he makes a good point that I didn't realise there.

Yes, it would have been better for faulks like us if it had more computer-like specs (for example, OS X Leopard would have been nice), but that would also make it complicated and confusing to use...

The iPad, though rather bland, should be easy to use for younger/elderly people as an entry-level computer. If used in that way... I think the iPad might actually have a market.

I think that's selling point Apple are aiming at, trying to market it as not a computer. To anyone with any technical competence, that automatically means "so it's a giant iPod touch like we've being saying all along", but Apple will try sell it as something that you leave on your kitchen table or next to your bed. Check email! Ebook reader! Play music! Play basic games! Write a letter! They're really going to hit hard at it being able to do everyday things without it being either an iPod Touch or a notebook.

Personally I'll hold out for something Android and Tegra 2 based. No, it won't be as shiny, but it'll be cheaper, faster and can multitask. So long as it has a screen to the same quality, I won't care. But trying to explain to a grandparent why a dual core ARM A9 tied to nVidia's graphics is faster than the Apple A4, or why you actually are better buying a $300 ebook reader for reading a book rather than an LCD based product that's $500 but can do so much more would be horrendously painful, especially since at the end of the day Apple's product will be easier to use to anyone who spends 15 minutes with it.

I think it'll sell ok regardless, whether or not it'll have explosive growth is impossible to tell at this point. Some great products in history flopped, only to sell amazingly when someone else reintroduced basically the same thing. All about getting market traction more than making the perfect product. Someone could release an amazing bit of software for it at the right time making it a must have tool and it could make the iPad. Some horrible reviews and really bad user experiences for a while could just as easily break it.

 

[Christemo]

in 3 years im out of school. i´ll bookmark that in my calendar to see if the iPads worth half the arsy hype.

 

[Sonicron]

And I should listen to PopCap because...?

As long as these guys don't produce anything I could in good conscience call a game, they can spout this bullshit all day and I won't even notice.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I'm an apple supporter (readies anti-hater armor and flame shield) but the iPad just seems retarded and stupid because in reality it's just a bigger version of the iphone.

Amen, brother. It might have been worth a damn if it was capable of operating entirely on its own, but given it has no disc drive, USB, firewire or any useful multimedia ports and requires you have an existing computer to set it up and synchronise content, it really is just a clunky, unwieldy iPhone minus the whole "phone" aspect.

Maybe John Vechy got his degree in hyperbole from the same college as Peter Molyneux.

 

[Amnestic]

Spoiler: Game according to some Escapist users

Spoiler: Not a game according to same Escapist users

Hypocrisy? Amongst the gaming community? Perish the thought.

 

[Cousin_IT]

And it's the perfect computer for ten year-olds to play with

Yeah, at $500+ the iPad is the perfect gift for kids :/

I remember seeing an analyst on the BBC making a similarly silly comment, "I imagine lots of school kids are going to be getting one of these so they don't have to buy schoolbooks." Even the news presenter pointed out the major flaw in that idea, it's $500+!!!

 

[Plurralbles]

Spoiler: Game according to some Escapist users

Spoiler: Not a game according to same Escapist users

Hypocrisy? Amongst the gaming community? Perish the thought.

hehe, nicely done sir.

It can game... sure. But hyping it up is stupid.

 

[GodKlown]

I don't quite get what the idea is behind the Ipad. I agree, it does look like a huge Iphone, and not many people say anything good about those things. I got nothing personal against Apple or digital pads, but it is cheaper just to buy a laptop. Even a relatively cheap one has to have some better specs than an Ipad. With the newer generation of televisions coming out with internet access, I think maybe they timed the Ipad a little too late.