You make a good point about the social-in-the-bar aspect of iOS apps, but I think you're off the mark about gaming.
This is an area where the Mac has been weak for more than a decade. Imagine an environment that allows you to purchase a multiplayer networked version of Civilization: Revolutions (or Quake or Plants vs Zombies or a dungeon crawler version of Dragon Age) for $20 and you can play it while sitting at your desk, on the couch with your iPad or out in the world on your phone.
Given the popularity of cheap apps and casual gaming, I expect the App Store turns into a Jobsian version of Steam.
You may be right, but there are some hurdles. Networked games on individual devices don't replicate the social experience of the living room with a console, nachos, Madden and some buds. Sitting at a computer is solipsistic.
An issue with the iPad and iPhone for serious gaming is that unlike a wii controller, neither is replaceable for $25 after an over enthusiastic gaming session (durability in general is also an issue).
From a business standpoint, I'm not sure how well games fit into Apple's strategy. The market for sophisticated games is mature and growth would mostly come from capturing increasing market share rather than an expanding market and small games are easily delivered to the desktop via the web. The life cycle of a game is also much longer than a movie.
This is an area where the Mac has been weak for more than a decade. Imagine an environment that allows you to purchase a multiplayer networked version of Civilization: Revolutions (or Quake or Plants vs Zombies or a dungeon crawler version of Dragon Age) for $20 and you can play it while sitting at your desk, on the couch with your iPad or out in the world on your phone.
Given the popularity of cheap apps and casual gaming, I expect the App Store turns into a Jobsian version of Steam.