Is Apple's March Special Event Held During GDC For A Reason?

Apple always seems to have a grand plan in place, and their decisions around product launches and special events are always aimed to generate the maximum amount of buzz. For example, Apple launched the Mac App Store during CES while the rumors of the Verizon iPhone surrounded the show. Recently, the iPad 2 special event announcement was made on the release date of the Motorola Xoom. So it is clear that Apple picks specific dates for a reason. Why should we think that the March 2nd iPad 2 event is any different? To me, it feels like more than just coincidence for Apple to have their iPad 2 event during the Game Developer's Conference. For one, all kinds of game developers will be at the Moscone Conventions Center in San Francisco, and Apple will be holding their event right across the street. Of course, there could be no connection whatsoever, but I don't think Apple operates that way. They never miss a good opportunity to generate buzz, and they don't like to be upstaged. The speculation over the iPad 2 is reaching fever pitch now, and there will be even more discussion after the big announcement. The timing here could be a great opportunity for Apple to position the next iPad as more of a gaming platform. After all, Apple has already heavily positioned the iPod Touch as a gaming platform, and this could be a great opportunity to do the same for the iPad. The iPad itself fills a unique niche in the gaming space because it is somewhere between the full console experience and the "traditional" mobile gaming experience. The iPad already offers different gameplay features than the iPod Touch, Nintendo DS, and PSP, and depending on the next set of features like accelerated hardware, could inch closer to the quality of the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii. Current rumors indicate that Apple is planning to include a faster processor and more memory, as well as a more powerful graphics chip, and for iOS gamers, that sounds very promising. Of course, we'll have to wait until the announcement to know for sure, but knowing Apple, it seems unlikely they chose a random day for their big iPad 2 event. No matter how you look at it, the iPad 2 will be a big deal for gamers and could be a real game changer.

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