Apple Confirm Premium Games Set for App Store [Apple Targets Larger Publishers]

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Apple have acted to confirm that it is, as rumoured, set to offer a new, premium range of iPhone and iPod Touch games via its App Store in a bid, it would appear, to offer an incentive to larger games publishers to begin developing games for its devices in earnest – rather than just offering sporadic releases invariably serving as tie-ins to accompany prime releases on dedicated gaming platforms.

According to reports, Apple is particularly keen to push its iPhone and iPod touch as alternative handheld gaming platforms – setting them against the likes of Nintendo’s DS and Sony’s PSP – and its planned premium range is undoubtedly a bid by Apple to get premium games publishers to take the iPhone and Touch somewhat more seriously in this respect. The sweetener? The premium range of games are envisaged as retailing for just shy of $20 a pop though Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iPod product marketing, is on record as stating that he believes the $7 – $14 price range is the ‘sweet spot’ in terms of premium games pricing for its platforms.

Quite whether premium games titles will serve to cement the iPhone and iPod Touch as true competitors to dedicated gaming consoles such as the DS and PSP is, however, wholly open to speculation. Personally our take on it is that neither will offer a serious threat to the DS and (especially) the PSP regardless of premium titles but will, rather, just be seen as additional platforms offering further choice. Still, it’s interesting to note that Apple are believed to be developing a new Touch with a larger screen and we cannot help but wonder whether this could mark the beginning of Apple pushing towards offering a device that can truly take on the likes of the PSP in terms of gaming capabilities (particularly graphics) – perhaps something along the same lines as this (as featured above)?

Time will tell, but we wouldn’t bet against it (the gaming market is simply far too lucrative to continue to treat in a somewhat ancillary fashion) and, besides, if there’s ever a company that has its head well and truly screwed on, especially in terms of produce development, it’s Apple.

[Via | PocketGamer]