Forget about next-gen video game consoles from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft – Apple is going to dominate them all

“What I'm about to say is undoubtedly going to piss some of you off,” MG Siegler writes for TechCrunch. “And that's fine. Because in a few years, I'll be right and you'll look silly.”

“While everyone is focused on the next generation video game consoles from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft - the latter two of which should be coming later this year - Apple is going to dominate them all,” Siegler writes. “And it won't even be that difficult.”

“Anyone who has been following the smartphone space for the past few years knows that Apple has sort of backed into video game dominance by way of their iOS devices. Apple has sold over 500 million of them. These devices have yielded over 40 billion downloads of the over 800,000 apps. And a large portion of those apps are games,” Siegler writes. “Even if you lump together the Xbox 360, the Playstation 3, the Wii, and the Nintendo DS, Apple has still sold about 100 million more iOS devices than all of those systems combined... [and] in a much shorter span.”

Siegler writes, “The rumor that Apple would unveil some sort of Apple TV SDK at an event next month turned out to be bogus (as most things analysts say about Apple prove to be). But that doesn't mean it's not coming. In fact, I'd bet on it sooner rather than later.”

Read more in the full article here.

Sony rolling out new bundle to revitalize Vita sales, includes a year of Plus

For most of us, it wouldn’t come as any surprise to hear that Sony might not be expecting incredible sales of the PlayStation Vita for the holiday season. The portable system has failed to find its place and has seen a slower adoption rate that Sony hoped for, but there is a new bundle that could help spur sales for holiday season.

The “PS Plus Instant Game Collection PS Vita Bundle” is not only a mouthful, it’s also a good deal. At $300, it includes a downloadable code for the game Unit 13, a 4GB memory card, and — the coup the grace — a one-year membership to PlayStation Plus. That subscription alone is valued at $50. Combine it with the game and the memory card, and the bundle represents a savings of about $100.

Of course, this is as much an advertisement of PlayStation Plus as it is a sale on Vita. Plus is Sony’s version of Xbox Live Gold, but unlike Microsoft, Sony already allows all of its gamers to play online, stream videos, and video chat with friends all for free. What Plus offers is a premium set of features, including placing your save files on the cloud and being able to remotely download updates. Members also receive steep discounts on downloadable games and add-ons, and also occasionally receive “free” access to games.

It has been heavily touted as a beneficial service for PS3 owners, but the fact that Vita users also receive free and discounted content is often overlooked. One membership entitles a user to the benefits on both platforms.

What this really looks like is Sony trying to prove to its existing loyal PS3 base that there is value in having both a PS3 and a PlayStation Vita. There is much speculation that dedicated handheld consoles are on their way out, thanks to tablets and smartphones. The Vita has been and will continue to be a case study on how a game system can compete in this environment.

via PlayStation Blog