App Store Updates

With a catalog of almost 2,000 games in nine years, built for PlayStation 2, of Sony, the biggest selling console in history, or about 1,000 available to the Nintendo DS,the Japanese company, Apple boasts over 20,000 developments available for iPhone and iPod Touch through the Apple Store. Most are not developed games, ar mini-games, but  that is probably the largest catalog, of the industry.

Probably no one at the apple company headquarters in Cupertino hoped the phone and the player’s house turned into a perfect medium for casual gamers. Much less that the games are sophisticated to the point where it is possible to play FIFA, Sims, the RockBand or Civilization Revolution in this small touch devices. Where others crashed, Apple has succeeded, but has no command and control accessories.

Topple, one of the most popular games from the App Store.

Games are cheap, well suited to play with fingers and perfect for a party of ten minutes. In addition. Something that gives wings as developers, can complicate the lives of users. A 3G iPhone, launched just over a year, costs to run titles that run well in the latest iPod Touch, a device designed, also to play music or video.

Much of the 2,000 million downloads that accumulates the Apple applications store are games that, with few exceptions do not cost more than ten euros : Monopoly, Scrabble, Worms or SimCity are some classics that have adapted. Others like Topple-that is to raise a tower-Tetris pieces are classics themselves with several variants.

The App Store gives large freedom for game developers, who have not hesitated to exploit hunt with free versions for their customers, promotions and sales or small games to try to sell other more elaborate. The revenue-sharing model of  Apple assures profitability.

Cupertino has jumped into the dashboard of a highly competitive industry with strengths sufficient for winning, even though it is only in one part of the game.