Excited about the new iPad? With an A5X processor and amazing new Retina Display, you’d think developers would have their hands full upconverting for the higher resolution -- and there are definitely some awesome apps coming down the pike.
Apple introduced a new iPad with Retina Display this morning, landing in stores on March 16 in the U.S. and several other countries. Because of the new 2048x1536 display, Apple has updated and optimized all of the stock iPad apps to take advantage of the higher quality -- but notes that it’s not yet a requirement for third-party apps.
"Everything has been updated, but as you remember when the iPhone 4 went to the retina display, developers didn't have to do anything and their apps looked better,” Phil Schiller noted during his keynote address. “But, if the developer takes a little bit of time... they can do little things with their apps that are mind-blowing."
With that in mind, Schiller relinquished the stage to James Shelton of Namco, who demonstrated the company’s new flight simulator game, Sky Gamblers. "The extra graphics performance lets us increase the level of detail of everything in the game,” Shelton noted, calling the game’s graphics “console quality.”
"The only place to truly experience the intensity of action, the richness of detail is on the iPad,” Shelton concluded.
Schiller then introduced Autodesk’s Chris Cheung, the Product Line Manager for the company’s Sketchbook. Cheung introduced Sketchbook Ink, “a new drawing app that focuses on line art.” The app is resolution independent, allowing users to zoom in as much as they’d like while retaining full image quality.
"Retina display is luscious,” Cheung said. “It takes it to the next level and creates an immersive environment. Professionals and everyday artists are going to love this device." Autodesk will arrive on the App Store in April as an iOS exclusive.
Epic Games president Mike Capps then took the stage to introduce what Schiller called an “amazing new project” called Infinity Blade: Dungeons. "The Unreal engine is unleashing the power of the new iPad,” Capps explained, touting the tablet game has more screen resolution and memory than either the PS3 or Xbox 360.
No word on when you’ll be able to get your hands on Infinity Blade: Dungeons other than “coming soon,” but all three demo’ed apps should hit the App Store in the weeks to come.
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(Image courtesy of The Verge)
