Apparently, Set on Stun and every other blog on the planet has been writing (and writhing) furiously about the Apple iPad announcement.  In the past few days, my partner Shawn and I have produced a few of those articles as well.

While I’m hesitant to add yet another article in the current cacophony of critical and complimentary yet credible connoisseurs of computing culture, I feel that I have yet to put my finger on why I simultaneously love and hate the Apple iPad.  I hate it because of what it is, yet I love it for what it could potentially be.

Why I Love the Apple iPad:

As my friend, mentor and former boss Thom Kozik noted in a past article, about my skepticism towards the Apple iPad, the revolution of the iPhone was not in the technology, the same could be said (and is being said) about the iPad.  He makes the point that

There’s an old adage in product design & marketing that the mass market will never recognize they need and thus will not demand, truly innovative products. I would challenge anyone to argue that they would have specified in some 2006 survey or focus group that what they *really* wanted was the kind of capabilities/functionality an iPhone user takes for granted (nay, is *addicted to*) on a daily basis. Design by committee doesn’t work here.

He goes on to describe the nearly imperceptible learning curve and its ability to “just work”.  In a sense, he described the brilliance of the Apple strategy.  They make products that they control to give people technology that fits the way they consume media (games, blogs, the internet, music, movies and more).  With the nit-picking of the iPad due to its lack of GPS, media outlets, Adobe Flash capabilities and many more, I realized that in my mind, I am looking at this device with the perception of a media creator.  I create things all day long, analyses, spreadsheets, articles and more.  I sit at my PC and I think, I work and I create.  With those lenses, I have judged the iPad and found it wanting.

However, after a brief IM with Thom and reading his response, I took a look at how I use my badly damaged iPhone and realized that the things I create with my iPhone is minimal.  The emails, texts, tweets and updates are minimal.  However, the media that I consume compared to what I create is staggering.

I sent 12 emails via my phone yesterday, read 12 blog posts, viewed 20 pictures, played 6 games, listened to music for 7 hours and watched over 10 videos.  The iPad would allow me to do that, and more (multitasking aside).

The iPad as a Media Consumption Product is Amazing.

As a content consumption device, it has flaws, but what I think Apple has figured out is not just what people consume on a mobile device, but how they consume media on that device.  The iPad version 1 will always be a test, it will find out what works and what doesn’t.  Patches will be added to update and upgrade the firmware, apps will be created to supplement and work around some of the idiosyncrasies.  Don’t even start talking to me about hating the iPad because of the “walled garden”  each gaming console is itself a walled garden.  I agree in principle, but the reality is that every popular manufacturer of content consumption (games, ebooks, music and movies) have some level of that baked into their process.

Why I Hate the Apple iPad

Simply put, for me, it’s superfluous.  I have consoles, both mobile and static… I have an iPhone, I have a laptop and the iPad is just one more piece of beautiful technology that doesn’t replace any of these items, doesn’t really do anything that these things do significantly better and has some drawbacks that I just don’t have to live with in the context of my current digitally mobile life.  I hate it because I’m attracted to it.  I want it… I want to play games, experience what I’m sure will be a new way to perceive and experience games.

That’s the crux.  All I see now is potential, the iPad is a platform that has a beautiful, yet flawed architecture that holds an incredible potential.  I can see that potential and I can see how Apple has designed this product to be iterative, to blend in with digitally mobile lifestyle and I can see how good it can be.

From Gizmodo’s liveblog.  I’ll take a look at the gaming aspects of the new Apple iPad.

So, there it is. The Apple iPad. "meh" so far unimpressed.... c'mon Jobs, bring on the games!

At this point, I’m watching the liveblog event on Gizmodo and within minutes, tweets and status updates are furiously scrolling past, “OMGZZORS will TEH Twitt3r Breakz?”  There are comparisons to Roman emperors and all sorts of fascinating geekery happening.  So far, nothing about the iPad and gaming.

Instant critique: It’s not widescreen formatted (lame)

Instant like: It supports HD even in YouTube.  (neat)

It looks good.. but no widescreen? WTF?

Some technical stats are in:

The iPad is 0.5 inches thin, weighs just 1.5 lbs, 9.7 inch IPS display.  It’s thinner and lighter than any netbook.  H.264 up to 720p @ 30 frames per second.  This part, I like.  However, it STILL seems like an amped up iPod touch.  Sound is done in glorious mono.. wait, what?  MONO?  I’m sure that stereo headphones fix that problem.

This is no surprise... but still good. Can it handle 2 handed multi-touch? How will that change gaming?

First look at the app store.  Calendars, Contacts and Maps.  No Games yet….

Urge to kill.... Rising... no games!

Alright, here are the games.  You can play in tiny mode or full screen with low rez.

I'm still in the "meh" territory.

Not bad. but not impressed.

GameLoft is on the stage and they’re showing the game Nova, which is already on the iPhone.  In this game, on the iPad, you can slide your fingers across to throw a grenade, you can slide the D-pad up and down the screen and potentially customize UI elements.

You can “interact with the game world in ways that weren’t possible before”.  Not sure what this means, but i’m sure its a more sensitive multi-touch.

Alright, I'm almost hooked. For this iPad specific game, it looks really nice and there are some interesting UI/ Touch capabilities.

EA is taking the stage:

EA is showing Need for Speed and it looks damn good (not as good as the Xbox or PC versions though)  but it’s better than the iPhone.  Basically, if you play an iPhone game really close to your face, then you get the idea.

Mingames and other aspects to MLB on the iPad.

Jobs said that the guys from EA only had a few weeks to put these together, “Imagine what they’re going to do in the next few months.”

I’m intrigued.  The iPhone did a lot to put gaming into a new, more casual and widely distributed audience, which significantly changed the game space forever.  With the larger capacity, more sensitive multitouch, the HD capabilities, the iPad should present an interesting challenge to game designers, developers and game enthusiasts.

@ferricide (from Gamasutra) tweeted:

“so hacky iPhone ports will be all over the app store at launch. devs: let’s think ahead instead.”

While it’s really cool, and there are some aspects of the iPad that I’m liking… it’s not a game changer.  It looks gimmicky (from a gaming perspective) the good thing: it’s bigger than a PSP or DS, it supports HD and will have massive gaming support.

The bad news is that it’s probably going to be prohibitively expensive and you’ll still have to deal with the draconians at the Apple App Store.  (just don’t say “fuck” in your app… as Trent Reznor learned).  Another thing is the excellent critique that the iPad is not a Mac, it’s a giant iPod touch and that it’s proprietary innovations stifle competition and boost up a business that’s become more closed than Microsoft.

Well, I think that the gaming section of the iPad is pretty much done.

Overall impressions: it’s an interesting and fairly useful piece of tech.  However, it seems to me to be the “segue” of computers.  It’s not a smart phone, it’s not a laptop, it’s in between.  It’s got some decent functionality, but I’m not sold.  I can easily predict that the games will be significantly more expensive and, at first, shittier due to the flood of ports.   I’m just not convinced that there’s a need or a vulnerability in the gaming world to accept this.

Lastly, it’s priced at $499.  Which is more expensive than any console… but considering, this isn’t just a console.  Overall, not a bad deal, most pundits were expecting closer to the $1,000 mark.

Doesn’t suck.  I kinda want one, but I don’t think this is going to revolutionize gaming or the industry in the same way that the iPhone did.  Not even close.  However, I still feel like a jerk-wad for saying “iPad” out loud.  I now remember how I felt saying “Wii” for the first few days.

Image Credits: Gizmodo

Update: They’re using AT&T.  Dammit.

Update 2: More detailed pricing structure from IndustryGamers.com

“The $499 model gives consumers 16 GB of storage, with WiFi built-in. Then for $599, the storage steps up to 32 GB, and $699 brings it up to 64 GB. A 3G model will cost an extra $130. So that means for $829 you can get a 64 GB model with 3G. “

Update 3: Gamasutra has a very good article on the gaming aspects of the iPad.

Update: Due to heavy traffic from GamePolitics & Kotaku… my site got broken.  I apologize for the loss of images and normal theme.  It will resume when the traffic subsides,  I never expected this much attention.

2009 was a pretty good year for video games.  It gave us Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Modern Warfare 2, Dragon Age, Assassin’s Creed 2, Scribblenauts and so many other good games.

On the flip side, we were assaulted with horrible games like NBA Unrivaled, Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust and Dragonball: Evolution.

Some of the video game marketing campaigns left us thinking “what fresh hell is this?”  2009 saw some incredibly stupid, offensive, ineffective and dumb marketing campaigns for video games too.  Here are the ones that angried up our blood and became stains on the internet.

Enjoy.

#5:  Dead Space Extraction

For a decent game that followed up a fairly successful attempt at an original IP from EA, Dead Space Extraction really pushed what the graphics could do on the simpering Wii.  The story didn’t suck, the characters were interesting and there was a surprising reaction to Lexine Murdoch (which is a pretty dumb name) as a compelling character in which people actually cared about her final fate.

Where they went wrong with this was the marketing of the game.  It was really nowhere to be found.  For a decent prequel to a decent game, the marketing was haphazard.  It really felt like EA didn’t know how to market this game.  It’s a survival horror – rail shooter game for the Wii.  Prominently featured is Lexine, but her game time wasn’t really representative of the top billing on the cover art.

Overall, Dead Space: Extraction’s marketing felt shoddy, incoherent and plug and play.  Sad, because it’s a decent game.  I felt like EA’s marketing for this game basically said, “Hey gamers, here’s Dead Space, remember you kinda liked the other game?  Well, this one’s a prequel, and it’s for the Wii.  We think you’ll really enjoy it, or not.  Either way, it’s here and you can buy it if you want…”

#4: Modern Warfare 2: Infinity Ward

There’s no doubt that Infinity Ward spent a shitload of money on this marketing campaign.  They integrated an excellent social marketing campaign through Twitter, their display at E3 was phenomenal and everything gelled at the right time, had the right message and at all times, reinforced gamers’ resolve to buy this game, twice.

Until F.A.G.S.

Or, “Fight Against Grenade Spam”.  Where you see the “Blunt Trauma” perk (get it?  get it?  It’s a pot joke! OMGLOL) Where Cole Hamels gives this incredibly stupid PSA message about grenade spam.

Man I'm in a videogame movie?

It’s official, the new Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time movie has a release date of May 28, 2010 and wouldn’t you know, it’s under the helm of captain action, Jerry Bruckheimer. Clearly looking to fill the void left behind and soured by the debacle that was the last Pirates movie, based on the trailer (see below) this looks to be an action sandwich made with action bread and washed down with a large class of … action.

Here’s what we know — the Prince now has a name (Daston),  the girl is not  from any of the games but at least she has a real English accent. By the way, if you can’t place the face on the poster, the prince is played by Jake Gyllenhaal, sporting a fake accent.  Also lined up for this action epic are big shot thespians Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina and it’s directed by Harry Potter:Goblet of Fire and Young Indiana Jones director Mike Newell

Now before you look at the trailer let’s keep a few things in mind.

The game the movie is pulling it’s source material from a game that  was a critical success and a fave of gamers. Released on the original Xbox, the storyline did include a dagger and a gameplay element that tied into the plot. The “sands of time” would allow you to manipulate time by slowing it down or rewinding slightly. In the game you had to go around collecting all the sand that had been released from this giant hourglass.  The game, developed by Ubisoft Montreal was released … in 2003. It was a gorgeous display of the machine’s graphic capabilities and gave this prince some mad acrobatic skills that have been the staple of the series since then.  And for you ultra trivia folks that Ubisoft game was a re-imagining of the PC classic franchise developed by Jordan Mechner.

Now back to the movie — from the looks of the trailer it looks …. fantastic. But we all know too well how this works.  No matter how amazing  the trailers for these videogame movies are when we finally get to the actual movie  it falls apart like a bunch of Jenga blocks.  For now, let’s enjoy the possibility that underneath this Prince of Persia trailer is a great videogame movie worthy of it’s console counterpart.

Yeah, I'm a badass

he slices, he dices

Over the years we’ve seen a tremendous array of superhero games. Some were good (Marvel Ultimate Alliance), some were decent (Spiderman) and some were just horrendous (Superman, Iron-Man, every Batman game ever made and of course Aquaman). This year though we got a chance to see what a good superhero game should be and in the case of Rocksteady’s Arkham Asylum, you have the making of an excellent superhero game.

The Not So Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The big issue with a lot of the bad superhero games is that so many of them were either terrible attempts at siphoning off the momentum of a movie (good or bad) or for the original titles, sorry excuses for a video game. They either tried to make the game too broad and cover too much of the character’s mythology or in the case of the movie-tie in they often times tried the make a playable version of the movie to often ridiculous results. Take for example the Iron-Man or the Fantastic Four games that were released to tie into the films. Both films did reasonably well (Iron-Man even more than reasonable) but the videogame counterparts were terrible. In an attempt to expand the movie experience the developers of these games ended up making a playable but not enjoyable version of the film that did nothing to enhance your experience of the movie or the characters themselves. Instead you ended up with some wrote reproduction of key points in the movie, clunky game mechanics, substandard graphics and all around unsatisfying gaming experience you wish you could get back (as well as a refund).

yes this was a game

the epitome of suck

superstink

While technically not a superhrero, the recent G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra videogame tie-in to to the movie is a shining example of this. Calling it a craptacular game would be giving it too much praise.

For the titles that were not connected to films, you get the same situation except in those instances, developers didn’t spend enough coming up with a game worthy of the character’s depth or source material. Granted it’s fun to run around as the Hulk smashing buildings but then to sneak around doing missions as Bruce Banner – not so much.

The Hero Rises

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2-- Ready to Rock

This year though we have had two titles already and one upcoming title that stand to break stigma attached with most superhero games and finally give some of these popular and iconic characters a chance to shine in the videogame world. Earlier this year Activision delivered up the movie tie-in to Wolverine: X-men Origins and not only was this game outstanding in it’s game play and action, it gave gamers a chance to really get into the claws of this character. Mixing back-story with present day action and throwing in nods to the origins of one of Marvel’s icons, this game did exactly what it should have done –  be a quality game that wasn’t hinging it’s success on the marketing efforts of the film.

Jump ahead to late summer and we get what without a doubt will file into the ranks of one of this year’s best games, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Anybody who has played a Batman game prior to Arkham Asylum knows the agony and frustration that went with having expectations of playing a great game but instead playing what amounted to a set of pixels pretending to be a videogame. Arkham, has broken the curse on the Batman videogame franchise by providing a moody, visceral, exciting experience that really gives you a sense of what this character is like, how he operates and just how much of a badass the Dark Knight can really be. With a combination of stealth/RPG and some intense action/fighting this game delivers on several levels. The setting and mood  is as creepy and intense as 2k’s Bioshock and while we essentially are confined to the asylum and it’s surrounding areas, it’s more than enough for a deep journey through the mind of a mad Joker and a flawed hero who does his best to thwart him. Here is an example of where they tapped into an arch nemesis, picked a set piece that people really know nothing amount and then build a solid story around that. Putting aside one major flaw of disappointing boss battles, Arkham Asylum is a shining example of how to make a superhero game the right way.

Soon we’ll have a chance to see what Activision’s Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 brings to the table but from all early reports things are looking great. So it’s with a welcome sigh of relief that we are hopefully ushering in a new era of the superhero video game and hopefully get more outstanding titles and less of the craptaculars.