Like everyone else in the tech and games world, we watched yesterday’s Apple event, speculating how the Apple Watch hardware might serve as a gaming device. Though the prospect of millions of people sporting the same watch saddens us somewhat, we’re still intrigued by the opportunities in this emerging market. Fitness apps obviously make sense. Sketches and animated emojis are great. But maps? Or sharing a heartbeat? We’re not convinced.
And what about games? Not a single game was mentioned in the presentation, but we’re already imagining the possibilities. There is some precedent for this – remember Tamagotchi (and the ripoffs)? These may not be games in the “traditional” sense, but considering the loose definition around video games nowadays, the Apple Watch is as good a platform as any. Almost any “single tap” game on the iPhone could work on the watch. It opens doors to new kinds of turn-based multiplayer action, perhaps driven by voice commands. We don’t yet know how the watch’s App Store will work, and it’s unclear how many developers were given a sneak peek at the hardware and OS. But we’re guessing the floodgates of game development for the Apple Watch will burst open any day now.