Even though it's only a first generation piece of hardware, the iPad is already holding significant sway the technology landscape, from roots to horizon. Whether it's nom-noming at the netbook market or cannibalizing the sales of its diminutive iPhone or iPod touch brethren, the tablet's influence is being felt. What's next? We'll tell you: gaming.

According to a recent online survey conducted by Resolve Market Research, while the iPad may have been positioned as a device made for chewing up web content, videos and ebooks, it is its capacity for gaming that may end up being device's greatest asset further down the road. Resolve Market Research asked poll participants whether or not they would have considered the iPad as a gaming device before owning one. 28% of those asked the question told the pollsters that one of their primary uses for the tablet would be playing games, and only 23% percent felt that the iPad would be the most enjoyable device they owned for playing games.

My, what a difference a few taps and swipes can make.

When the same question was posed to people who had owned an iPad for a while, 38% of the tablet owners polled said that they had no plans to buy other portable gaming devices now that they had an iPad. According to a feature story ran by Mashable, the only feature on the device that ranked higher was the tablet's e-reader capability.

Maybe Nintendo wasn't that far off when they announced that Apple was the new enemy.