Apple's new iPod touch gets gaming power ... plus ninjas

57 min.

Winda Benedetti

Apple on Wednesday showed off its new iPod touch?and, in doing so, pitched the gadget as a powerful little gaming machine.

The new iPod touch will have a bigger screen -- 4 inches like the?new iPhone 5 -- and will run with on the A5 processor, which has been used in the iPhone 4S. That means the new generation of?iPod touches will?have some much-needed additional muscle and speed for gaming.

Apple senior VP Greg Joswiak called the iPod touch the?world's most popular music player, but added "a lot of people don't realize that it's also the world's most popular videogame player as well."

Apple announced that there are currently?more than 700,000 apps ? including more than?100,000 games -- in the App Store.?

Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion,?then showed off their?forthcoming "Clumsy Ninja" game app running on the iPod touch, which?finds players interacting with a black-clad ninja on screen.?

NaturalMotion has been?working with Oxford University on the artificial intelligence driving the character, which not only?reacts to how you behave, but?is "fully aware of his environment" and can learn.

Meanwhile, another boon to gamers?is the new iPod touch's?battery life -- that's 40 hours for music playback and 8 hours of video. That should mean more juice for gaming as well (though it'll depend on the game you're playing).

Meanwhile,?Apple announced that the new generation of?iPod touch's will, for the first time, have AirPlay mirroring, which means you can?display your?iPod screen up on your HDTV -- a popular feature with those who like to get the big picture when?gaming.

The new iPod touch will arrive in?October and will run $299 for the?32GB version and $399 for 64GB version.

Winda Benedetti?writes?about video?games for NBC?News. You can follow her tweets about games and?other things on Twitter here?@WindaBenedetti,?and you can?follow her?on?Google+.?Meanwhile, be sure to check?out the?IN-GAME?FACEBOOK PAGE?to discuss the day's?gaming news and reviews.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/ingame/apples-new-ipod-touch-gets-gaming-power-plus-ninjas-995145

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