The iPad is in the mail, the iTunes 9.1 upgrade is available, and now all that remains is to fill that iPad with lots and lots of apps. News of new and impending iPad applications has been trickling out over the last couple of weeks through official and unofficial channels. Now, with April 3rd ever so close, the floodgates have really started to open. This is shaping up to be a really exciting week for everyone with the lethal combination of a paid up credit card, an itchy trigger finger and a shiny new iPad.
One popular past time this week in the Apple blogging world has been trying to parse App Store data to get information on new iPad games. Mobile Entertainment successfully parsed out some very exciting titles available on Saturday. They include previously announced Flight Control HD and Real Racing HD along with Touch Hockey Extreme: FS5, Fieldrunners for iPad, Flick Fishing HD and Disney Fairies Fly on iPad. While I might take a pass on the Disney title, the prospect of two of my all time favorite apps is Fieldrunners and Flick Fishing appearing in a larger resolution on that crisp, clear IPS screen is a tempting prospect. Apple and the established App development houses have really put an emphasis on building on franchises users are familiar with from their iPhone instead of building new ones. That makes sense for establishing new hardware on the iPad. If someone is familar with a quality product from another platform, it breaks down a barrier to adopting a new one. Your questions about software are answered by the quality of the existing product. You’re much more likely to buy improved hardware to play it on. Nintendo is the king of this type of upselling. How many times have you bought essentially the same Super Mario franchise game on new hardware? You know Mario, you enjoy Mario, and you imagine Mario will be even more fun on new hardware.
TUAW also brings news of two new titles for the iPad; Game Table and Sudoku. Game Table gives you the playing surface and pieces to classic board games chess, checkers and poker. Game Table doesn’t offer any CPU play, just the pieces and table. You need to supply the players. As well, Sudoku for iPad will be available at launch. By now, everyone should be familiar with this popular numbers puzzle game. It appears to be beautifully rendered and carried out here. If you enjoy Sudoku in real life, you’ll undoubtably love it on the iPad as well.
All in all, this is shaping up to be an interesting run up to the iPad launch on April 3rd. It’s only Wednesday and already we’ve seen the makings of an impressive App line up. I’m hoping the rest of the week brings as much excitement and anticipation as the iPad starts to make itself a regular part of our everyday lives.
Do you have any favorite iPhone apps you’d like to see brought to the iPad? Are you more interested in the iPad for work or play? Leave us a comment and let us know.
2 Comments on “A Flood of Apple iPad App Announcements”
I saw PAC-MAN in the App store and am excited for it to go live. I definitely see iPad as more of a platform for play but will know for sure once I get mine on Saturday.
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