Can you think of any other instance of any device in the world created specifically to shut out things that are inherantly available or free, just to increase the profit line on accessories?
Any industry at all, cars, washing machines, anything?
Ford cars that run only on a special Ford Gasoline, all other gasoline doesn't work?
Whirlpool washing machines that don't use tap water, you have to buy special Whirlpool water or it doesn't work?
Or course, Apple doesn't have to capitulate and you were an investor then bottom line you want to see more money come in from the App store so why not? But PCs are exactly the same, they have unfettered access to the internet with all of it's Flash content videos and games sites, such as Candystand. So has the ability of PC's to access free content at Candystand made PC games a pointless exercise?
Short answer. No.
People say PC gaming is dead or dying. The same people who say this point to statistics of games stores with either declining sales or an increase, but less of an increase than the previous year. These statistics have already been proved bogus by just about everyone who cares to look closely at the fact that sales from games stores are the only source and no sales are taken into account from online vendors such as Amazon, digital distribution such as Direct2Drive or Steam and even more bogus, ignoring subscription online games such as World Of Warcraft or Eve.
So if anything, in the face of online Flash games there has been a new way of selling PC games and they are as strong as ever if not stronger. The way to convince people to not use Flash games and pay good money for a PC game it to make it worth buying and with games like Mass Effect 2 or Bio-Shock 2 people are already rabid to part with cash for a pre-order and a delivery from Amazon.
Apple, sad to say, has missed this point. The hardware may look nice but at the end of the day it is only a delivery method for the content. If they want people to go to the App store instead playing free Flash games they should produce App store games that have people salivating to buy them. Simply denying access to Flash games with a wave of the hand and some cheap excuse of "buggyness" is wrong, despite there being hundreds of other things on the web hat are buggy or dangerous but are happy to let you play with, as long as they dont interfere with potential sales it's OK.
Apple has been around for many years now, it has the resources and the fan base to afford to play the "long game". To resort to such a cheap tactic of money grabbing was very low. The iPhone we can forgive for no Flash support but a larger screen (not widescreen by the way) screams out for the real internet. The hype may well have been overdone, because once people start to see this for what it is they will rethink how they see other Apple products. Apple needs to get this sorted quickly because every day they don't the more the public will not stand for it and Apple advertising budget may as well just be given to HP, MSI, Google or anyone else with an upcoming tablet.
Like Axle Rose once said, "Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole damn bunch"
ad Apple, this one may just spoil the whole damn bunch.
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