'The new iPad' a game console?

Not so much.

Apple recently launched their latest drool-worthy piece of tech, the (new) iPad, and despite its beautiful new screen and bumped up graphics - a game console this is not.

And I'll tell you the main reason why.

Games, or lack there of.

But wait Colin, aren't there hundreds of bajillions of games on the App store?

Yes there are, but are any of them the AAA high quality games we've come to love and expect from our consoles like Mass Effect? Not even close.

Don't get me wrong, some iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch games are fun, mostly unique puzzle games or quirky strategy games. The most popular still being Angry Birds. But It will be a long time before we see a GOOD first person shooter or a compelling RPG that stands the test of time on this format.

One of the main things holding these games back from coming to the iPad is the lack of a dedicated controller, or tactile control buttons.

A touch screen is great for swiping motions, and touch controls, but it gets cramped and awkward the second you use this thing to try to steer a car or move a character + camera around in a 3D space, it just feels cramped and counter-intuitive.

Certainly some games excel in this format, Fruit Ninja for instance has taken off on this platform for its addictive swiping gameplay. Great for a quick break in between commercials of your favourite show, but this is not an all-nighter, 100 hour game.

The iPad is an all-in-one device, so it's great for email, social media, web browsing, casual games, reading etc. But it isn't necessarily perfect at any of these. Choosing not to specialize in a single category, Apple wants the iPad to dominate the music, book, game, movie and every other business with one fell swoop.

Before they can conquer the video game market they'll need to figure out how to make full-fledged gaming experiences not feel cramped and limited to the touch screen, and they'll also need to bring some of the core, AAA experiences that are found on home and portable consoles now, to the App store.

Until then, the iPad isn't a game console, it just plays games too.