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Apple Positioning iPhone and iPod Touch as Mobile Gaming Devices

iPod touch/iPhone will never tap into the hardcore gamers' market, just like Macs will never tap into the hardcore gamers' market. However, it can become decent enough that the average person will just make do. Again, not many people actually carry around a gaming device because most people do not play games enough to justify the trouble. However, most people would listen to music, watch videos, look at photos, browse the web or make calls enough to justify carry around and iPod touch/ iPhone. Those are the majority of the population, and those are the people that Apple is trying to cater to. To them, iPod touch/ iPhone is a decent gaming device and Apple have a lot of potential in this market. People who don't play games often may have a hard time justifying the purchase of a DS/PSP, but an iPod/ iPhone could be exactly what they need. Some light gaming on the go, yet it would be useful for everyday life. It can become the best selling mobile gaming device, because it appeals to a larger market. Even if it doesn't replace a DS or PSP, some avid gamers may stop carrying around the DS/PSP as much because the iPod/ iPhone satisfy them enough while they're waiting in line.
 
teflon said:
iPod touch/iPhone will never tap into the hardcore gamers' market, just like Macs will never tap into the hardcore gamers' market....
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I agree with your post completely. the fact that there are not that many games out now for the new Intel macs proves that Apple is not after the gaming audience. It's after the general populace, basically it's prying the costumers away from the competition, and from what I have read in many posts, I think it's actually working!


:apple:
 
Lots of good comments here. Speaking as a games nut, I'm really impressed with my iPhone so far. A lot of mobile phone games are actually not half-bad, but the iPhone makes them so much more accessible than on other devices, just like it's done with Internet access, email and so on.

If Apple is serious though, it needs to lock down the pricing. I realize this is a debate that is raging across all applications, but it's particularly risky to allow iPhone to be swamped with cheap games.

The reason is game development will always attract bedroom heroes who want to be stars. They will pull down the price of games by being prepared to work for, basically, free.

That might sound good from a consumer POV, until you think of what it did for, say, PC Flash games.
 
godslabrat said:
:D

The iPhone is good for casual games and not much else [...] I'm not trying to downplay the iPhone, but from a gaming revenue standpoint, I can't see it getting out of the minor leagues.

I'd say it's already outpaced the N-Gage, though.
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I think these two statements aren't maybe compatible. I get what your saying (and think your most was very on the money) but I'd just question whether casual gaming and 'the major league' is incompatible?

In fact, games like Bejewelled and Tetris are worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year across various platforms. Even on the consoles, you see games like Buzz on PlayStation 2/3 and Brain Training et al on the DS selling incredibly well. I think it was Nintendogs that was the biggest seller for Nintendo in Europe a couple of years back.

I could agree with the statement 'iPhone will never get out of the minor league for hardcore gamers', but there are plenty of good games out already (Theseus, Bubble Bash, BloXor, The Stone of Destiny, and that Desktop Tower clone game (forget the name - Field Commander, for instance) that show the platform could have legs to more open-minded gamers.
 
I do believe that some day the iPod Touch will be marketed as a full blown gaming devices. The more good games the more they push it in that direction. Super Monkey ball and Spores they started calling it "The funnest iPod ever". They know they are dancing on dangerous territory with DSi and PSP s rather then flat out saying it's for gaming they are waiting for something revolutionary.

We have yet too see epic games for the touch because that takes time especially since games have to be solely played by touch and the motion sensor it takes a while for decent games to come out.


I do feel how ever the lack of controls hinders the gaming experience.
 
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