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In its article, “Can the iPhone Rule Gaming?,” Time makes some compelling points. One quarter of all currently available iPhone app store titles are games, and, further to that, seven out of the top 10 paid app downloads are games. Also, as the article points out, a third of the iPhone userbase is in the game industry’s hottest demographic, aged 26 and under. The article spotlights the ease of downloading games to the device directly as a key advantage over DS and PSP. These factors, combined with titles such as Spore: Origins, could, in Time’s words, “Bring the iPhone into the same league as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.”

Still, there are questions raised, particularly regarding software quality. The piece’s author, Anita Hamilton, states, “Key to the iPhone’s success as a gaming platform is a deep portfolio of titles that take advantage of the device’s coolest attributes, such as its tilt sensor,” adding that, “It remains to be seen … whether iPhone games actually evolve beyond the amusing, lightweight titles available now.”

Apple has revealed its plans for games on iPhone, which a Forbes report says has the potential to “kill the Nintendo DS”.

The Apple App Store will launch in July as part of the 2.0 iPhone firmware, Free to iPhone owners but $10 for folks with a iPod Touch.

Games can be downloaded by mobile connection if they’re less than 10MB and via WiFi if they’re larger.

Launch titles include puzzler Enigmo, kart racer Cromag Rally and Sega’s sexy, sexy Super Monkey Ball, which will all go for $9.99 each. Spore, Pacman, Bejeweled and more are also on the way.

“The ability to pour fresh software into the iPhone, wirelessly, at the touch of a button already has game developers interested,” said Forbes’ in its ‘Why Apple could kill the Nintendo DS’ article.”

“Apple is the first to master a pair of tricks that have made Nintendo’s latest products so compelling; a touch-screen interface and the ability to pick up on motion. The key difference: Unlike Nintendo, which has created a gaming console with a motion-sensitive controller and a touch-sensitive handheld gaming system, Apple has crammed both capabilities into its iPhone and iPod Touch.”

“Looks like the handheld gaming business, so long dominated by Nintendo, could be about to undergo a little evolution too,” boldy claims Forbes.