Blackberry owners may be less than thrilled with the selection of games available for their phone. Aside from the popular Brickbreaker that comes preloaded with the phone, games on the Blackberry are practically non-existent. Compare this to iPhone owners who have had games available for years; the Blackberry has been missing since it was introduced to the public. Apple recently released the iPad, a small touchscreen computer that has a larger screen, perfect for gaming on the go. RIM, the makers of Blackberry, have countered Apple by announcing their new product, the Playbook.
RIM has a head start on Apple by releasing the Playbook nearly a year after the iPad, and they made sure to take advantage of the situation. The Playbook features a 1GHz dual-core processor, an Open GL-enabled graphics card capable of 2D and 3D gaming, 1GB of RAM, as well as the new Blackberry Tablet OS that will be able to take full advantage of the hardware. Many companies are excited about the prospects of developing games for the Playbook, which will have a high-resolution 7-inch screen. The system will also be capable of recording and playing high-definition video. Developers will not only have the hardware to develop games stunning, the system has the hardware and display to show off the beautiful details.
By offering Open GL support, the Playbook will be more powerful than any portable device on the market. This will give developers the opportunity to create more visually intense games for the platform as they will be able to take advantage of the Open GL library. Open GL has been used by various game developers, both big and small, to create beautiful games. Although Apple’s iPad is capable of supporting Open GL games, it doesn’t come close to having the power of the Playbook. The games will be downloaded through the Blackberry app store, and there are expected to be a number of free Playbook games once the device launches.
This means that games on the Playbook, whether 2D or 3D, will not only have better graphics, but will also be more immersive. Developers will be able to create more realistic environments, racing games will be able to better simulate an environment, and even 2D gamers will notice a positive difference in the way they play their games. As RIM said when talking about games on Playbook, “This is an amazing gaming platform for publishers and gamers.”
Although the Playbook is not yet available in stores, there are still a number of websites that offer people a free Blackberry Playbook as soon as they can ship it. Often times, these websites require the user to sign up for a service and in return they will be rewarded for their time with a free Blackberry Playbook. This is a great way for people to win a new device for free.
The Playbook is expected to be published in 2011 and is expected to cost between $300 and $500. The Playbook will be a serious competitor to the iPad, as it has the necessary hardware and software for developers to create new, interactive software.