There has been a lot of buzz recently about the launch of the new Apple Watch. Most of this buzz has been centered around what some might call a ridiculous spread of price points, but what does the Apple Watch mean for gaming? There has been little talk of gaming during Apple’s press conferences and many bloggers and online sources say that it will be some time before developers catch up with wearable gaming (http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/10/8180801/apple-watch-games). I however believe that we’ve been here before. No one saw Facebook gaming as a viable option, but it took the industry by storm for a while and is still going relatively strong today.
As can be seen in the above picture, the watch will come with a dial (crown), a button, and a touch screen. It will also be equipped with an accelerometer like the iPhone and iPad. While this is definitely minimalistic in terms of controls, often the simplest games end up becoming the most popular. The accelerometer alone will allow for many balance themed games which lend themselves well to a device perched on your wrist. Imagine a game where the entire object was to keep the accelerometer under a certain threshold while the built in heartrate monitor ensured that the user was actually wearing the device. Even just one of the old get the ball in the hole maze puzzles could be entertaining on the bus.
The dial and button are reminiscent of the scroll wheel and center button of the iPod classic. This means that any game available on that platform will be portable to the watch. Classics like Tetris, and Solitaire will be playable, while possibly a little difficult to see. The iPod classic was also known for its quiz games which may make a comeback with the new watch. In the end there are a lot of possibilities for gaming on the new Apple Watch, and while we aren’t likely to find the next Fallout or Halo on these platforms, the next Doodle Jump or Flappy Bird may be right around the corner.
I believe if the technology becomes cheaper it can definitely take off as you are saying. I especially can imagine it’s success as an exercise tool similar to that of wii fit trainer. With how seemingly anything can become an absolute massive hit I can imagine that something simple and addictive on a watch, like a small game, could shoot it’s popularity through the roof. I do however, think it has to drop in price. I don’t see games taking popularity on it until it becomes more accessible for different ranges of incomes. I think that is inevitable since technology always tends to become cheaper and would not be the least bit surprised if your predictions came true. In truth I expect it as well.
I think you’re onto something here, and by that I mean that the watch has some serious potential. Developers will go wherever the trends go, and as the smart watches become more popular, consumers will expect more out the watches. There are countless articles saying smart watches are on the rise, including this one (http://www.technewsworld.com/story/81030.html?rss=1), which even goes as far as saying the watch could become the only device you’ll need. If that’s the case, developers would be wise to make due with what they have and start making some awesome games.
I agree with what you are saying to a degree. I think some games would be viable on the Apple watch such as simplistic 2d games or even static games such as card games and math games. however i think it would be hard for the industry to get the ball rolling on the apple watch simply with the size of the interface. Many people would look and think why would i want to play a game on the little watch when i have my phone in my pocket or my laptop in my bag. i agree some games would work but would developers be willing to dish out the time and money required to attempt to get people to play. i believe untill the watch is proven to be a good game element many developers are going to sit around and wait before taking the leap.