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Posts with tag HandheldGaming

Is Apple Developing a Mobile Gaming Platform?



Could the iPhone and the iPod Touch be part of the next great mobile gaming platform?

Game developers and Apple fans are licking their chops, awaiting the opportunities to create and play games on the go with these devices. And as Apple has already changed the way people everywhere listen to and collect music, we're sure they're equally excited about making an impact on the mobile gaming marketplace.

According to the Industry Standard "A trademark extension filed last February with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office extends Apple's trademark in regards to:

'Toys, games and playthings, namely, hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer games.'"

That's a mouthful, for sure, but it also points to Apple's renewed interest in the gaming arena, which is certainly hot, although competitive as all get out. This isn't Apple's first effort in gaming, but the last time the company tried to find its way with a gaming device was in 1996, during the non-Steve Jobs era. The device console, called the Pippin, was a failure.

Now the iPhone and the iPod Touch are flying high. Could this be the time for Apple to make its mark with yet another way to keep you focused on a tiny LCD screen? [Source: The Industry Standard].

New Sony PSP Plays Games and Movies On Your TV



Apple may have its iPhone, but Sony is doing its best to make the PlayStation Portable (PSP) a more compelling buy for lovers of all things portable entertainment. Yesterday, the company unveiled an updated version of its handheld gaming device, which is about 19 percent slimmer and a third lighter than the current model (about 3/4-inch thick and almost 1/2 pounds heavy).

Besides size and weight, the main improvements are longer battery life, more onboard memory, and the ability to play games, pictures, and movies on your TV (thanks to a video out slot).

Sure, pretty much every portable media player from the versatile Archos 704 to the user-friendly iPod already offer video out capabilities, but we still applaud Sony for adding these improvements to the new PSP. It's another bone thrown to the numerous folks who bought into the Sony eco-system (and its proprietary UMD discs for movies) when they bought the PSP years ago (and let's not forget that the PlayStation 2 is still the world's best-selling game console.)

The new device's lesser size and weight also help make it seem more like a fun portable, rather than a delicate, expensive toy. Add to that a raft of cool new games announced yesterday, including 'Wipeout Pulse' (the popular futuristic hovercraft racer returns!), 'echochrome' (an intriguing 3-D scroller featuring stick figures and minimal graphics), and 'SOCOM: Tactical Strike,' and the PSP might just have a chance at keeping up with Nintendo's more successful DS handheld.

For the hardcore fans, Sony will also release the Star Wars Battlefront PSP, a limited edition ceramic white PSP emblazoned with a Darth Vader silk screen, as well as a silver-colored Daxter PSP.


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