Well the Android party is about to get a little bit more crowded, folks. Last week we reported that Gamestop was rumored to be getting into the iOS hardware business as a means to stay relevant in a gaming market that has largely shifted towards mobile gaming and digital downloads.
Now comes word that Gamestop may be getting into the Android tablet business as well. Rumor has it that Gamestop is already testing an Gamestop-branded Android tablet that will come pre-loaded with a number of games and will include a “dedicated controller peripheral” as well. Further, Gamestop is reportedly working with developers to create titles specifically for their own tablet.
Interesting stuff, and while certainly intriguing, a Gamestop tablet brings with it more questions than answers. For example will these titles be available exclusively on a Gamestop tablet? Will they be available via the Android marketplace? Will this tablet even support the Android marketplace?
Color us skeptical, but if multipurpose tablets from the likes of Samsung and Motorola can’t even slow down the freight train that is the iPad, why would a tablet geared towards gaming have any more luck?
Sure, Gamestop could compete on price, but with an iPad 3 launch just a few months away, it won’t be hard to find used versions of the original iPad on the cheap. And besides, serious gamers are still all about the console. For the most part, the more popular gaming apps on mobile platforms are casual gaming titles. That being the case, a Gamestop tablet geared towards gamers misses the point completely and wholly ignores the fact that catching up to the selection of the iTunes App Store is all but impossible at this point with respect to dedicated tablet apps.
via Joystiq
Mon, Sep 12, 2011
News, Rumors