It’s no question that Microsoft has a successful gaming console on its hands. The 29 million Xbox 360s that made their way home with proud new owners are evidence of its popularity. As a result, it’s gained tremendous support from a myriad of developers across the board. Now, a familiar contender is rising in popularity. This morning, Apple was pleased to announce that the company has sold a whopping 30 million combined iPod Touch and iPhone units worldwide, surpassing the amount of Xbox 360s currently out in the wild.

For each of these 30 million (and counting) combined iPhone and iPod Touch sales, buyers can choose from over an astronomical 25,000 apps available for use on the devices. Out of these 25,000 apps up for grabs, 6,000 of them happen to be video games, created by 50,000 developers. An impressive amount, to say the least – who would have ever imagined the advent of an Apple product as a gaming phenomenon?

Apple must be over the moon right now, what with these impressive sales numbers as well as the ability to boast over 800 million downloads since the units’ inception. With technology improving over time and developers becoming more skilled in the area of gaming, it’s inevitable that, eventually, the iPhone and iPod touch could be seen as veritable miniature titans of the gaming industry. Already Apple has taken enormous strides in moving forward. As of September of last year, there was the paltry amount of 900 games available. By November, the amount had almost doubled, rising to 1,500 games with 8,000 apps.

Prominent developers have already had their eyes on Apple’s goldmines. Travis Boatman of Electronic Arts has expressed the fact that EA has manufactured ten games for the iPhone to date, and that the upcoming Sims title, The Sims 3, will utilize iPhone 3.0 features. To date, micro-transactions have been introduced as well – Boatman showcased items available for virtual Sims to purchase with cold, hard, real-world dollars in DLC (downloadable content). 99 cents, the character could buy a stereo for use inside the game, allowing gamers to play music via the owner’s iTunes collection. It’s very forward-thinking, as more and more titles are going this route as of late.

It’s no secret that Nintendo could very well be dethroned as the reigning handheld champ if the dizzying success Apple is currently enjoying continues. Though Nintendo has the upcoming DSi up its sleeve, it’s likely that consumers might start flocking to the iPhone before picking up a system with only slight improvements over its predecessor. Factoring in the built-in accelerometer, as well as impressive, durable touch screen capabilities of the iPhone/iPod Touch, the DSi is going to have to prove itself with both its hardware and its gaming library in order to stay on top. Boasting its own camera as well as touch screen and app store, the DSi is a worthy contender. However, with the recent surge of casual gaming, Nintendo may need to begin watching its back, as Apple may soon be stealing company loyalists away. Though the DS has seen over 100 million sales since its inception in 2004, the exponential success rate of the impressive Apple products could soon see a shift in who can play the handheld gaming field most efficiently.

Thanks to VentureBeat for all those bite-sized facts!