The new iPad: A video-game changer?

Since the iPad first appeared in 2010, video gaming has been one of the key features Apple has touted for the device, alongside video viewing, electronic reading and Web browsing.

But on Wednesday, as it unveiled the latest version of its iconictablet computer, Apple clearly set out to be a game changer in more ways than one.

"This new device actually has more memory and higher screen resolution than an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3," said Mike Capps, CEO of Epic Games. "So, these guys [Apple] are redefining mobile gaming again."

Dubbed a "graphics powerhouse" by Apple CEO Tim Cook, the new iPad's chief selling point is its high-resolution screen -- leaping from the iPad 2's 1024 by 768 pixels to a hefty 2047 by 1536 pixels

That was a feature Capps noted at Apple's media event as he displayed "Infinity Blade: Dungeons," the new version of his company's fantasy-adventure game that runs on Apple's mobile operating system.

"[Infinity Blade: Dungeons] looks so amazing on the Retina Display on new iPad," Capps would say later on Twitter. "I'm stupid psyched about future of mobile gaming."

 He's not the only one.The burgeoning popularity of mobile devices like tablets andsmartphones has given birth to so-called casual gaming. But while titles like "Angry Birds" and "Fruit Ninja" have been downloaded millions of times, self-styled "hardcore" PC and console gamers remained largely unimpressed.Mark Walton, host of the "Appetite for Distraction" podcast on Gamespot.com, said the new iPad, with its graphic capabilities and speedy A5X quad-core processor, could begin changing that."I think the line between the two is increasingly becoming blurred," he said.

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