Will indie game developers be squashed out of the Apple Watch?
With Apple Watch pre-orders going live at 5pm on April 10, it’s only a matter of time until the games come flooding in. The question remains, however, as to whether or not indie games will grace the market as well as they do in the current App Store. Only time will tell just how game developers adopt to the new, wrist-mounted platform, however we do know of a few key rays of light for gamers looking to adopt the Apple Watch:
1. Interest in games on the device is overwhelming
Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that over 1,000 apps were uploaded for consideration within the first hour of the Software Development Kit being released. This paired with the current complete games list for the Apple Watch provides a promising outlook for the indie games scene. Venturebeat’s interview with Everywear Games compares this to the move from consoles to mobile games, which were once claimed to lack true, meaningful experiences. Rest assured, gamers, that there’s more than enough wind in the indie sails for the time being.
2. Brace yourselves, more apps are coming
Apparently, developers are kinda pissed at the device, citing its limited functionalities and even rudimentary gesture cognition as severe limitations to the initial releases. While this will iron out as devs get more hands-on play with their new time-piece, it serves as an immediate reminder to those early-adopters that this device serves more as a beta to future releases than a polished platform. Think of the whole device as an indie platform until it’s full release date on April 24.
3. We have a fair idea of how we’ll be gaming on it
It may be common knowledge for some, but the gesture and input limitations of the device also signpost how we’ll be using it to fuel our fantasy past-times, but the intriguing question is whether the device will be more of a primary or secondary screen. We can guess that gaming on the Apple Watch could be feasible for the likes of FlappyBird (revival, anyone?) or similar, simplistic plays. What will be arguably more interesting is how iPhone-reliant games will use the second screen in order to maximise user-interaction. We’re hoping it’s above and beyond a mere notification that your Candy Crush lives are refilled, but only time will tell.
Article by Fred Schebesta
Fred on Linkedin | Fred on G+ | @schebesta
Fred Schebesta is the Co-founder and Director of finder.com.au, a website that helps Australians compare credit cards, savings accounts, home loans, personal loans, travel insurance, life insurance, shopping deals and more.
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