Gameloft optimizing titles for Sony tablets

Competition is healthy for a free-market economy, especially in the consumer electronics industry, and when a product quits being "the" product and becomes "a" product among many, it is ultimately the buyer who wins. At the moment, no consumer product is more the product than Apple's iPad, so much so that "iPad" is slowly becoming synonymous with "tablet," much in the way "iPod" became a synonym for "MP3 player."

Countless Android tablets have failed to change the iPad's status from "the" thing to "a" thing, and while the majority of them suffer from a deadly combination of cheap construction and high prices, even incredibly well designed examples have failed to compete the wealth of tablet-optimized games available on the App Store.

In an effort to circumvent this ecosystem-wide content drought, Sony has struck a deal with one of iOS' most prominent developers: Gameloft. The French development studio plans to release 5 titles for Sony's Tablet P and Tablet S devices: Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD, NOVA 2: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance HD, Spider-Man: Total Mayhem HD, Real Soccer 2011 HD and Green Farm HD.

No word on pricing or availability, however Gameloft says that each game has been "optimized for, and will be directly accessible on Sony's upcoming tablets." The press release makes no mention of the Android Marketplace, however it also doesn't explicitly name the titles as Sony exclusives. Even so, people love them some Gameloft games, and tablet-optimized versions will only help intensify the competitive climate, regardless of whose tablets actually receive the titles.

Reader Comments (17)

I don't know if that's entirely true--while sometimes being "the" product can imply a monopoly, which means little incentive for the company to improve things or price things cheaply, it can also mean that it's good enough to have risen above the rest.

I've barely ever used iOS devices, but I've totally sworn off Android devices mostly because the flood of hardware competition has meant lack of structure and quality on the platform.

But anyway. Yay competition.

@Gooblechev "while sometimes being "the" product can imply a monopoly, which means little incentive for the company to improve things or price things cheaply, it can also mean that it's good enough to have risen above the rest."

Thats what happened with Nintendo DS/Wii.

@Extinction Quite.

First and this is good for the system since it "will" bring competition and lower prices of the iPad

This may sound pretentious but it's true. People who aren't gamers buy Gameloft games because they don't know better. That's not their fault...their expectations are just lower than gamers'.

Lack of competition is never healthy, all you get is one company leading the pack and making decisions by themselves as to where we SHOULD go rather then where we WANT to go and what we WANT to buy. Innovation isn't needed because there is no one to better, and quality is relative to how popular that company's item is.

Regardless, lack of competition sucks, the only way to move forward is to have it.

@Spunky Monkey 190906 "all you get is one company leading the pack and making decisions by themselves as to where we SHOULD go rather then where we WANT to go and what we WANT to buy. "

Yup, Nintendo did that with the DS/Wii

One of the sony tablets looks a bit like a ds.

I wonder what's going to happen when Gameloft inevitable starts to make knock-offs of Sony's first party games.

@MystcLazrDragon

They already have one of Uncharted.

As far as I know, Gameloft is one of the few game publishers supporting Android tablets. What is on the Android marketplace for tablets? Angry Birds, Shrek Kart.... erm.

@mguniverse Riptide GP, Bang Bang Racing, Asphalt 6, Drag Racing, Reckless Getaway, Galaxy on Fire 2, Stardash, Meganoid, Muffin Knight, Bloody Bunnies, Cordy, Roboto, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, Star Blitz, Gun Bros, Samurai II, Nova, Dungeon Hunter 2, Spiderman, Pinball HD, Captain America, Brain Cube HD, EVAC HD, Robotek HD, Radiant HD, Backbreaker, Glow Hockey 2, Super Stickman Golf, Sprinkle, Apparatus, Battleheart, Fieldrunners, Hexdefense, Spirit, Words with Friends, Uno HD, Vendetta Online, Hardwood Backgammon, Hardwood Solitair IV, Hardwood Spades, Guerrilla Bob, Monster Madness, History Great Battles Medieval, My First Trainz Set, Trainz Simulator and Dungeon Defenders just to name a few.

@04k3R Most of those are Gameloft games, and Radiant HD is my favorite iPad game. Hrrm..

How about bring some of those to Windows phone

@GlockXIII
Oh, trust me. You don't want them.

With this kind of partnership and with the (apparent) strength of the mobile/tablet game market why Sony is even bothering with the Vita. I mean, I know it's going to be a decent handheld, but I don't think most people are going to buy a $350 handheld and a $500(ish) tablet as well since the Vita and tablet demographic seem to overlap.

And I know that tablets and handhelds are two different beasts, but I have an iPad and very rarely use it for anything productive.

Nah, if you already have those gameloft games and played it on android or ios, then I have no freakin' idea for the life of me why would you buy it again. haha.

The only good thing I'm seeing with this tablet is that it looks cool. This is android right? Then we have no problem on the apps since it's already populated. Another thing is if it has some exclusive connectivity content or features with their game systems ps3, psvita, etc. then that would be awesome too.

As usual expect these devices to be expensive, it's Sony were talking about. The brand that puts prices exactly the same with Apple - expensive, overprice, pos. Then again, I'll wait for the reviews then judge it. :)

Gameloft optimizing titles for Sony tablets

Reader Comments (17)

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 2:41PM Gooblechev said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 7:48PM Extinction said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 7:50PM Gooblechev said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 2:41PM Sponge Bob Square Pants said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 2:53PM squallgengar said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 3:43PM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 7:48PM Extinction said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 3:53PM byaboy said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 4:17PM MystcLazrDragon said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 4:37PM Jason B said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 4:20PM mguniverse said

Posted: Sep 26th 2011 4:06AM 04k3R said

Posted: Sep 26th 2011 9:41AM mguniverse said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 5:44PM GlockXIII said

Posted: Sep 25th 2011 6:07PM pluupy said

Posted: Sep 26th 2011 10:17AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 26th 2011 11:11AM isotrex said

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