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The Nintendo DS and Sony’s PSP are household names for any teenager or hardcore gamer but are we going to see an Apple iGame?

On February 5th, Apple filed to expand its trademark into “Toys, games and playthings, namely, hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer games.” Click here to view the full application.

Apple has already made millions of dollars since it released it’s iPod in 2001 which revolutionised hand-held music players and maybe seeking to do the same with video games. Though I hope this is true, it would be as surprising as Apple’s launch into the phone market. Speculation all around the Internet has occurred since this discovery and there has been not even a peep from company about the application.

If Apple were to launch into the games market, I believe they would do it with a new model iPod. One that is beefed up a little processor-wise and then launch games through their iTunes store. The same way they are selling the casual games such as Tetris, Peggle and Pac-man on the iPod. It could feature a touch screen or a click-wheel and developers would be able to create new innovative games take advantage of such a technology.

Whatever comes of this application, be it an iGame or nothing at all, Apple wouldn’t do this without a reason. Only time will tell what the company is up to over in Silicon Valley, so we will just have to wait.

Image © Riley Boughton 2008

Sources: Trademork.com TechRadar.com

For two years now, I have long awaited the arrival of Will Wright’s next big game Spore. It is set to revolutionise the way we think about open-ended simulations. You can make a creature look any way you want, do anything you want and evolve in any way you please.

But as all great games have their flaws, it seems as though we will be waiting yet another year for Spore. I sit her and grumble that it isn’t in my hands now but as the better side of my conscious tells me that it will be that much better if I just be patient. But then again, my conscious sounds like Obi-Wan Kenobi in a twenty-four hour ghost house.

However, the company’s made a statement saying it will be released this year. “We’re not announcing dates for any of our titles. We will tell you it’s gonna be before the holidays,” said EA CEO John Riccitiello, “We’re very, very bullish.”

More information and images can be found at Spore’s official website.

Sources: Shack News Spore Offical Website