Apple iPad 3 renamed as 'New iPad'?

Here at Mini Gamers, we sometimes like to look at new handheld gadgets, as well as all the latest video game technology, so after our current PS Vita fest, we felt it was the ideal time to take a look at the new Apple iPad 3, which has now been  officially named 'New iPad'.

So, what has the iPad's newest member got to offer us (apart from a slightly mundane  product name)? We have done our best to find out. Firstly, the specifications for the New ipad are as follows:

The processor is an Apple A5X ARM-based unit, which has been designed with quad-core graphics but is still a dual-core based unit, which Apple claims is very fast. The New iPad also has a retina display, which allows you to view apps and photos with wonderful clarity.

As with previous models, there is the trusty  fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, to help safeguard against any mucky fingerprints when using the touchscreen,  as well as support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously, making it the perfect tool for business people.

You can now record full HD videos on the iPad 3 with an iSight camera . The rear camera is set at 5 megapixels and has a 5-element lens plus auto face-detection, an automatic focus lock and image stabilisation for video. Once again there's tap-to-focus included as well.

 A new Dictation app is now included within iOS 5.1 on the new iPad. Instead of typing, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, then give the iPad your instructions and then simply tap  the 'DONE' tab, and iPad converts your words into text. You can use dictation to write messages, take notes, search the web, which means a lot less use of the touchscreen.

Apple has also announced iPhoto for the iPad, which offers some pretty nifty professional photo editing tools. Furthermore, iMovie can now deal with full HD video. iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6 are available today as free software updates.  

There will be separate US models for both the AT&T and Verizon networks. Both CDMA and GSM iPads can now easily roam internationally.

The new iPad delivers the same battery life as the iPad - that's 10 hours - with around 9 hours if you're using LITE (North America only).  Furthermore, all models feature Bluetooth 4.0.

It certainly sounds impressive! There is no way of knowing exactly how successful New iPad will be in the tablet and smartphone market, however, especially as Apple has taken the unusual step of still manufactering  the Apple iPad 2, allbeit at a lower price than the third-generation model, which will put the iPads in competition with one another, but is guaranteed to earn Apple a tidy profit in the bargain.

The iPad 2 price reduction means that the older model is expected to retail at around around £329 in the UK, and the price changes are expected to take effect from the 16th of March 2012, when the New iPad is finally released to the general public.

So, have you pre-ordered your New iPad yet? Let us know what you think of it. Mini Gamers welcomes your comments.

Is British Gaming Losing Its Appeal?

According to the latest sales figures released by the UK's leading videogames trade body, UKIE, British sales of video games and gaming peripherals has fallen by at least 29% in the last two years.

The sales report shows that overall videogame sales for 2010 totalled just £2.875 billion. These figures mark a 29% drop from 2008's figure of £4.034 billion.

Worryingly, these figures also support claims from some entertainment retailers who say that the recent Christmas sales of entertainment goods including video games have been disappointing, prompting some stores to contemplate partial closure.

For example, retailing giant, HMV recently announced that they were planning to close around sixty of their highstreet stores due to poor sales, and they also admitted that they expected to miss their profit targets for the full year, which could have totalled as much as £60 million.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that whilst the latest UKIE report includes sales of videogame software, hardware and accessories across several different platforms, it does not include any information on the overall sales of social games (such as those found on social networking sites), mobile gaming Apps, Downloadable Content (DLC) and second-hand sales, which were all believed to be very popular in 2010.

UKIE's director general Mike Rawlinson stated that:  "The UK videogames market has something for everyone, with the market expanding into new areas, particularly online, on mobile phones and on other interactive devices... Thanks to continued innovation from games publishers and developers more and more people are playing games. With one in three people now considering themselves gamers, interactive entertainment is increasingly part of everyone's everyday lives." [cited: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-01-04-total-uk-videogame-product-sales-drop-29-percent-in-two-years]


UKIE claims that it is optimistic about the videogames industry to date and also highlighted the record-breaking performance of Call of Duty: Black Ops, which shifted two million units and brought in £82 million during its first five days on sale.

Sony's PSP go console has already recognised the shift towards Downloadable Content. The PSP go has a built in hard-drive so that gamers can download various media including videos, comics and games onto the device via the Playstation Network Store rather than purchasing expensive UMD discs used by the older-style PSPs.

Thus, it could be argued that videogame sales are not actually falling, but that the nature by which gamers are choosing to purchase their video games and peripherals is beginning to change, with many gamers now choosing to purchase their games as downloadable content via the Internet.

This change may not have been accurately reflected in UKIE's findings, but it could represent a wider shift in the video games industry as we know it. However, the true rammifications of this shift towards internet-based gaming on the videogames industry is as yet unknown.

HAVE YOUR SAY...



Is gaming becoming less appealing in your opinion? What might the shift towards Downloadable Content and Internet gaming mean for the rest of the gaming industry? As a gamer, do you prefer to buy or download games?