Apple and video gaming

I said when the Mac Mini’s were first introduced that Apple should convert the Mini to being a video gaming system. The power, portability and form factor were stunning and had wonderful potential for that. We never saw it come to fruition. However, I truly think a Mac Mini-ish gaming system would quickly replace at least the PS3 and later the Xbox 360 as the gaming system of choice… if Apple wanted to head that direction.

However, with the iPhone SDK out and developers typing away for new software, it appears that the iPhone may be positioned to take over the mobile gaming market?

I just don’t think so. I like buttons. Those are conspicuously absent on the iPhone. I’ve tried to play some NES roms on my jailbroken iPhone, and it’s just not very satisfying punching the screen where the virtual controller resides. No feedback. No “clicky” sound.

I do think it will be a big hit, and some games will obviously do well. I just don’t share the same thought as a recent writer over at 9to5mac.com had:

Apple’s iPhone will become one of the world’s leading mobile gaming platforms, as games developers worldwide make plans to deliver titles for the platform, now the iPhone 2.0 SDK (beta) has been made available. Like RIM with its Blackberry in the enterprise market, Sony, Nokia and other manufacturers creating mobile gaming devices (such as the PSP or Java-enabled mobile phones) face a tough battle as Apple makes its biggest move yet into the gaming market. Gamers can look forward to a wide selection of titles come June when the iPhone is finally enabled for third-party applications. Developers Feral Interactive, Artificial Life, Sega, iD Software, Gameloft, Aspyr, Freeverse, and Pangea Software have all confirmed hopes to deliver games for the platform.