Will Apple's iPad steal gamers away from the DS and PSP?

Considering the gadget's price ($499 for 16GB, 32GB for $599 and $699 for 64GB--plus $130 if you want 3G) and size (9.56 by 7.47 by 0.5 inches, with a 9.7-inch screen), I kind of doubt it.

(Curious to see how the iPad stacks up to the DS and PSP? Check out this GamesRadar.com article. For those of you who don't feel like clicking on the link: It's a beast compared to the DSi, DS Lite, PSP and PSP Go, but it's only slightly larger than the upcoming DSI XL.)

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter seems to think otherwise, telling IndustryGamers.com: "The one device I think will suffer from the introduction on the games side is the DS. I think ultimately a tablet at the right price is the kind of thing you buy your kid for school, since they could take it to school, bring it home and do their homework. But I think the bigger issue is the proliferation of games on Apple devices, and you're going to see a lot of cross-fertilization of games between the iPod Touch, iPhone and the tablet, so I actually see the iPod Touch benefiting from that."

EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich is a bit more cautious. "The success of any gaming hardware device comes down to its installed base and quality third-party support. If the iPad wants to succeed as a serious gaming platform they will need support from the major players in our industry (i.e. Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, etc), but to receive quality support these publishers need to be reassured that the gamer installed base can surpass 20 million (worldwide). There is no point in making great games if no one is there to purchase them."

If this Bloomberg.com article is any indication, Apple's already on the right track when it comes to attracting the attention of third-party developers and publishers. Case in point: Jon Kromrey, general manager of the Apple games group at Namco Networks America Inc., shares that he is “having fun thinking about all the wonderful things we can do with the device.”

For more on the iPad's potential as a games machine, check out this PCWorld.com article.

See also: 'Not sure if want, part deux: Game 'apps' on the Amazon Kindle'