Examining the iPad 2: A Gamer’s Perspective

I started to call this post an in-depth iNalysis, but didn’t know how well that joke would go over, so I didn’t. I knew Steve Jobs either had something really good or really bad when he came out with the iPad. While I thought the device looked intriguing, hey, a table that finally works, right? I wasn’t a big fan of the name. I figured if you are successful enough, you can get the nerd herd to say whatever you want us to say. Nintendo did this already with the Wii, so the ground was fertile. I got the other i-Names right away, and, let’s face it, I’m getting off base. The iPad pushed the market ahead more rapidly than I anticipated. Sean Patrick Fannon and I had had some discussions about this right after the iPad came out and he thought it’d hit about when it did. I thought it was going to take another year or two longer. I never predicted such a rapid avalanche of tablets. The price wars between Amazon and Barnes & Noble remind me of the Cola Wars of my youth. In the end, pick your poison. We all drink from the same well eventually.

So, I got the iPad2. It’s been on the horizon for awhile and I’ve geared up this bad boy to be a wandering ronin, a weekend warrior, and a wonderful workstation. Part of the blame belongs to the nerd herd, while another part belongs to the geek twitterati. There is only so many mentions of so many great games before an avid gamer must take notice. Now, before we get too far along, you’ll recall how I love my NOOKColor (after I rooted it, even more) and I still do. Some folks thought I’d never touch it again. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I still cannot find an e-reader app that rivals my beloved MoonReader+, although Kobo’s e-reader software is pretty tasty for the iPad. The feel is different. The NC gives me the feeling of reading a nice paperback, while the iPad makes me feel regal as though I’m devouring a hardback. In my heart of heart, aside from some RPG books, I’m definitely in the paperback camp.  The role of the NC has just shifted a bit. If you recall, I got it initially just to read anyway, and that’s mainly what I’ve been using it for. The iPad2 on the other hand is a completely different beast.

Let’s run through things. Yes. There is a camera. Don’t really have a need for it, but if I want to record something, I can. It has a mike (nice) and if I get around to doing a podcast (something I’d call The Razorwise Report), I’m sure I’ll use it. Again. Not top needs or even a real factor in my decision. For me, I wanted to be able to publish for this platform which requires I have said platform in-house. I understand a few folks have had some issues with how some of our PDFs are rendering, so now I can begin to troubleshoot them and get things squared away. However, a close examination of games is necessary to what I do and, in the long run, the iPad2 is going to be mighty valuable in helping me be familiar with far more games in shorter periods of time.

The graphics are sweet. The processors are plenty powerful. This isn’t about the technical nuts and bolts. This about the feeling when I open the cover and this amazing box of technical toys overflows.

I’ll admit, I was amazed at the number of top-notch games on the iPad2.  Already, thanks to folks like Hal Mangold, Rob Donoghue, and others making frequent mention of them on Twitter, I knew what to look for. I got Small World, Ascension, Civilization Revolutions, Sid Meier’s Pirates, Ticket to Ride, Carcassone, and a few others to get me started. I like being able to play co-op and local and online. These features will get a workout. Oh, I also got Ghost Stories. Oh my goodness, this is an incredibly hard game. If you’ve played it on the iPad, provide tips. It may play differently as a board game, but it is unforgiving in this version.

Still processing things. There is definitely a lot to recommend the device and I feel it’s a huge value add to any gamer out there. I’ll write more on the morrow. I’m a bit drained from excess iPadding over the weekend! :)

Until next time, I bid you, dear reader, adieu!