The leaked shots can be taken with a grain of salt, but given the anticipation it’s not unlikely that shots could be leaked before the rumoured June launch date. Keep in mind last time we saw such leaked shots, they accurately depicted the iPad!

Check engadget for the full scoop and pics!

Note: 3D glasses do not enhance your smug iPad-ownership levels

Firemint’s popular air traffic controller game, Flight Control, has not only been bumped up to HD resolution, but for a mere $5 you can also own a 3D version of the game. This doesn’t come with glasses, but you can pick them up handily enough these days. Note that you won’t be using the new style Avatar 3D glasses. Oh no, this is much more retro, using the blue/red style glasses of old. The effect is that the aircraft are far higher then the map, according to the developers.

The game also includes a new split-screen versus mode, coop multiplayer on a single device, bigger airports and larger maps, three new “HD” airfields, improved collision warnings and the theme has been extended for your listening pleasure.

The iCade in action

Anyone who visits YouTube regularly is likely to be bombarded with “unboxing” videos of Apple’s latest entrant into the techno-chic line, called the iPad. The device is set up to attack the netbook market, but using only the iPhone-esque screen as an input device, much to the chegrin of keyboard enthusiasts. The software interface on the device will be familiar to anyone iPhone or iPod Touch users. It is, in essence, a somewhat modified version of the iPhone Operating System.

Which means something very simple: Apps. Lots and lots of apps. And thus, lots and lots of games! Well, now enter iCade, an app on the iPad app store featuring classic game titles. But not only that, it’s a peripheral to sit your iPad into to play these games on, turning your expensive computer into a desktop arcade cabinet.

Just sliiiiide it in, right to the top. (white snake reference)

Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, QBert, Super Steve Bros and more feature on the app, which is entirely played using the cabinet peripheral. The features, as laid out by the developers are as follows:

Beautifully retro styled, handcrafted wooden tabletop arcade cabinet and MAME emulator for your otherwise useless iPad
Play your favorite arcade games anywhere there’s a table
Hundreds of games available from various online sources – not included in product!
Professional grade arcade stick and microswitch buttons rated for 10,000,000 uses
Authentic arcade controls connect to your iPad via a standard 30 pin dock connector
One and two player select buttons add authenticity and really work!
Integrated 2.1 dolby speakers and subwoofer in cabinet
Includes 10w USB power adapter
Separate iCade app required to use the cabinet controllers available soon from the App Store
Dimensions: 9″ wide x 10″ deep x 16″ high

The app will go free and will be available on the iPad’s retail launch. However, the free app is entirely useless without the cabinet. The cabinet is available online and will set you back $180.

Insert womens' toiletries joke here

However, just days before the retail launch in the US and UK (and maybe even Ireland!), PadGadget has gone iTunes hunting and found what games we’re likely to be playing at launch. How? Simple. The iPad will use a HD resolution, so games and apps being ported “up” to the venerable device are being given the tag “HD” in their names. Simple marketing ploy to get you to spend extra dough on your extra gaming nibbles.

After the article was posted, the search function stopped working and Apple took down any mention of apps with “HD” in the title. Lucky us, we have the list…

Ammoin HD
Azkend HD
Flight Control HD
Grind HD
HD Recovery
Labyrinth 2 HD
NBA Hotshot HD
Numba HD
Plants vs. Zombie HD
Sparkle HD
Worms HD

Flight Control, Plants vs. Zombies and Worms sound promising. I either haven’t heard of the others or don’t care enough to want to buy them again. I do, however, want to know the cost of these games. That’s where the iPad will rise or fall.

“It’s clear that Apple is taking share from Sony’s PlayStation Portable, and to a smaller level, the Nintendo DS,” says Flurry Analytics’ report. Sony’s market share fell from 20% in 2008 to 11% in 2009, and Nintendo fell from 75% in 2008 to 70% in 2009.

“It’s getting to the point where Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft need to be looking seriously at the iPhone and iPod Touch; Apple’s devices single-handedly gobbled up 5% of all video game revenue in 2009. That’s up from just 1% in 2008.” The report went on to say “Apple has already established broad third-party game publisher support. With the iPad featuring a larger screen and more processing power, games on the tablet take a step closer to PC and console gaming. Unless the other major video game platform providers (ie, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft) respond accordingly, Apple could continue to roll up video game market share. With these figures, our main finding is that iPhone (and iPod touch) is a gaming platform to be reckoned with,” Farago wrote. “Controlling 5% t revenue of a $10 billion industry in just a year and a half is significant.”

It’s hardly a shock to anyone that the 79c pricetag on small, puzzle type games are popular on a platform that’s in the hands of nearly every single student and yuppie the world over. What’s more interesting is the fact that Apple are sitting up and paying attention to gaming for the first time in their illustrious career making hardware and software. OS X will be the next battleground in an attempt to take market share from Windows by bringing Valve’s acclaimed Steam platform to OS X, also bringing Source-engine based games with it. Those with licenses for games on Windows can re-download their titles in Steam for Mac entirely free, too.

As a long-time Mac user this news blows my mind in ways I couldn’t even fathom, but Valve have finally seen the white, brushed-steel light and decided that in April, us glorious users of OS X will legitimately get to play Source-enabled games, including the full roster of first-party Valve titles (half life, counter-strike, team fortress et al) and a number of the 1,000 plus third-party titles on the Steam platform.

This opens steam up to a new roster of fans, as well as allowing current fans to carry over their Windows-purchased titles to Mac at no extra cost and continue to interact with their friends via Steam’s excellent social networking features.

In a press release Valve said, “Our Steam partners, who are delivering over a thousand games to 25 million Steam clients, are very excited about adding support for the Mac,” said Jason Holtman, Director of Business Development at Valve. “Steamworks for the Mac supports all of the Steamworks APIs, and we have added a new feature, called Steam Play, which allows customers who purchase the product for the Mac or Windows to play on the other platform free of charge. For example, Steam Play, in combination with the Steam Cloud, allows a gamer playing on their work PC to go home and pick up playing the same game at the same point on their home Mac. We expect most developers and publishers to take advantage of Steam Play.”

Portal 2 will be the first title to get a simultaneous release on both platforms. Fitting, given Portal is set in a serenely efficient white world environment.

If your still not convinced about the OS X support you should probably take a look at the teaser images below. If you still have doubts, then there’s nothing more I can do for you.

In a surprising twist, the latest update and UI tweaks to Valve’s digital distribution platform, Steam, have unlocked a few interesting changes, as pointed out by steampowered.net forum users.

Bringing your explorer to C:\Program Files\Steam\resource\menus\osx.menu will unlock some interesting code samples and files. As shown below:

Associated Mac OSX files for minimising/maximising/hiding windows

Dock icons

Of course, the addition of steam to Mac allows companies like EA who use the system to sell Mac-centric titles to users. It does not, however, indicate a shift in thinking within Valve with regard to developing titles for the platform. Some time ago Gabe Newell, CEO at Valve, commented that they would like to develop for Apple, but wanted Apple to pay around $1million for the privilege. This despite the fact that Microsoft didn’t pay Gabe & co. at any point. Of course Gabe has a history of nasty remarks about the industry. Last year he told Sony to pack up and give up on the PS3, and that he would never develop any titles for the system. Only this week we find Valve are now open to the idea of bringing games to the PS3. I usually take such comments with a grain of salt as the top dogs at Valve are mostly ex-Microsoft employees… and are likely candidates for the title “Loud-mouthed Fanboy”.

Still, some Valve games on my Mac would be very welcome!

Yes it looks like Capcom’s super hit SFIV is on its way to everyone’s favorite triquarter wannabe the iPhone.

IGN has the scoop on the game that will land on the app store sometime in March; from what they are reporting, this isn’t a rushed out port. Several variations on the control system will be included in the app, a full roster of fighters and  the ability to battle over blu tooth!

Nice but we haven’t gotten a price point yet so don’t get too excited.

Still looks great on the iPhone!

Finally, one of the best games to come from PopCap has arrived on the iPhone/iPod Touch via the App Store.

Plants vs. Zombies is strangely self-explanatory. A tower-defense type game featuring a zombie horde attacking your house… with which you protect with the power of pea-shooting plants. The game is packed with 50 levels in Adventure mode and includes 26 different kinds of zombies.

It’s available right now in the app store. Go get it, before they do!