[Apple iPod]
The unthinkable has happened and I’m kind of excited about it. After years of ever changing time frames and broken promises, Apple have finally kicked Renaissance (the NZ distributor of Apple hardware) in the butt by taking control of the Apple online store and launching the iTunes music store here in NZ. Apparently, Renaissance are still the distributor of Apple products in NZ, but this is a sure sign their days are numbered. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.
So, what the hell does this have to do with gaming? Well, despite the fact that you can now purchase over 2 million songs via the iTunes store for background music while gaming (even if you do have to rip it to CD first to get around the DRM) there’s also a growing number of game titles to download and play on iPods. You may recognise titles such as Zuma and Bejeweled from the XBLA but don’t be fooled. Sadly, Apple is not part of Microsoft’s “Live Anywhere” program so you’ll be getting no cross-platform play, gaming score, or any other form of integration with your Xbox 360.
Funnily enough, I just sold my iPod (having given up on an iTunes store) but if you happen to have one I suggest you dust it off and check out the iTunes music store. At last, an iPod makes sense as a product in New Zealand… unless you’re a 360 gamer of course, in which case, welcome to the long wait for Zune.