“With PopCap offering Bejeweled free to iPhone users, the question now is whether Apple will monetize video games for the iPhone. The iPhone is sophisticated enough that, in theory, it could become a mobile gaming platform, but currently there is no way for iPhone users to purchase and download video game titles and play them when offline,” Jennifer LeClaire reports for NewsFactor.
LeClaire reports, “Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg called the introduction of the PopCap classic on the iPhone a significant milestone. ‘We’ve seen a couple of different homegrown games that people have developed for the iPhone,’ he explained, ‘but now we are seeing a very powerful implementation of Bejeweled made available for free.'”
LeClaire reports, “Currently, there is no way for iPhone users to purchase and download video game titles and play them when offline. Gartenberg said he wonders whether Apple plans to address the monetization issue in the future in a way that follows the iPod model in which users can purchase and download titles directly from iTunes. Apple has not yet revealed its plans in the gaming arena for the iPhone.”
Full article here.