It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it?  Steve Jobs knows the playing field better than anyone, and the writing has been on the wall for quite some time.  Early reports indicate that Apple will partner with Electronic Arts (EA) and Namco to create casual games exclusive to the iPhone and AppleTV.  No official announcement has been made.

It also appears Apple has taken note of Nintendo’s Wii success with the casual games market.  Updated versions of classics such as Tetris, PacMan, and Vortex are on the table, as well as puzzle games like Sudoku and card games like Texas Hold‘em.  Other unnamed titles will be released through iTunes for $4.99 each.

There’s also the recently announced AppleTV, which can’t help but join the games market with heavy competition from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.  As the capabilities of games consoles cross the line to the traditional PC realm of internet connectivity, AppleTV will need to compete on all levels.  No game titles have been announced, nor partners. 

The mobile gaming market is in the middle of a growth spurt.  Statistics released by researcher IDC indicate that the U.S. mobile gaming market enlarged 44% last year from 2005 to $722 million, and is expected to reach $952 million in 2007.  With the iPhone’s huge RAM and graphical capabilities, the device will be well positioned to take advantage.

 
Scott Goldberg

 
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