iPad most likely to be game platform first

Apple may be counting on games and not e-books to carry the iPad in the early stages, analysts at Flurry found today. Of early developers known to be developing with actual iPads, almost half at 44 percent are making games. E-book apps are in a relative minority but are still second place at 14 percent.

Every other category is relegated to single digits, including tablet-friendly categories like news.

The bias is partly unexpected but is potentially explained by Apple's own control over pre-release development. As it has only handed out iPads to a small number of developers, the company has more conscious control over which types of apps will get an early launch. Game developers are more likely to need deep understanding of the hardware to get smooth frame rates and appropriate levels of detail where most other apps can be sufficiently tested in the iPad simulator accompanying the iPhone 3.2 SDK.

E-book producers are also more likely to consider selling directly through the iBookstore rather than write custom apps, although the significant segment shows that many are likely to still have customized apps in addition to or in place of regular ePub files.

A lean towards games could not only make Apple a more significant contender in portable gaming but establish a relatively new device class. Handheld gaming so far has been reserved for pocketable or otherwise very small devices like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, many of which often cost $300 or less. Successfully casting the iPad as a gaming device may move the acceptable prices and sizes upwards, a move which may already be starting with the launch of the DSi XL.

Most pure tablets expected to ship this year are either based on Android or else lower-power Windows-capable hardware and thus will either have a limited game selection or less powerful graphics than Apple's design.

By Electronista Staff