iOS and Android Grab 58% of U.S. Portable Gaming Revenue

[ThanksSteve]

Crazy. A couple of tech companies are going to control most of the book sales, music sales, and video game sales within a couple of years.

Nintendo needs to set up a plan to make money from selling through iOs and Android. No way they can compete with hardware.

 

[0098386]

Nintendo is losing money because of a severe lack of software on the Wii for the holiday season. There is only (I believe) only one major "AAA" game coming out and that is Zelda: Skyward Sword. That game will sell in the millions, guaranteed.

Mario Kart 3DS, New Mario 3D Land, Kirby Wii, Pokemon Rumble 3DS.
Mario Kart for the DS sold 22 million and Mario DS sold 26 million, so they're quite AAA titles indeed.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Wow... People still buy 'PSPs' ?

 

[NAG]

While I do think comparing Nintendo to RIM is a bit of FUD, they do seem to be suffering from a bit of head in the sand tactics (price drop for one, running a brand into he ground with sequels). I do hope they turn it around as I did like my Gameboy Advance and DS (and DS lite). But I see more compelling games coming out for iOS (like Star Command).

 

[Liquorpuki]

Take that Flurry analytics pie graph

Remove all the social game revenue from bored housewives that never played a game that didn't involve waiting 8 hours to harvest some carrots

Now you've got a more accurate pie graph

 

[Lennholm]

The quality experience coming from Nintendos vertical integration is essential, releasing the games to 3rd party devices, especially touch only devices, would cheapen the experience

 

[trip1ex]

While I do think comparing Nintendo to RIM is a bit of FUD, they do seem to be suffering from a bit of head in the sand tactics (price drop for one, running a brand into he ground with sequels). I do hope they turn it around as I did like my Gameboy Advance and DS (and DS lite). But I see more compelling games coming out for iOS (like Star Command).

They don't run their brand into the ground with sequels though.

The vast majority of their franchises see only 1 maybe 2 releases per generation.

The only Nintendo franchises that see lots of sequels are Pokemon (not sure they all the same types of games or not) and Mario Party at least back on the GameCube when there was one nearly every year.

Now yes Mario is in lots of games but many of those games are distinct. Various sports games with Mario vs Mario Kart vs Super Mario vs Mario Bros vs Mario Party vs Mario puke if you hear my name too much.

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The quality experience coming from Nintendos vertical integration is essential, releasing the games to 3rd party devices, especially touch only devices, would cheapen the experience

Yes just ask Apple.

 

[FrizzleFryBen]

It may be me being stupid. But how does the head of Nintendo's DS division still have a job with marksetshare loss like that?

I'm sure with over 100 comment someone has already said this, but in a world recession NES has nearly doubled their portable gaming revenue while they have been faced with the growing and imminent threat from iOS devices. Doesn't seem like all bad news for NES....Just evident the must compete directly with iPhone and/or iPad.

This coming from a guy who hasn't owned a specifically designed portable gaming device since gen1 gameboy, which my mom stole from me when she discovered tetris.

 

[apolloa]

YAAAAWWWWNNNNNNNN wake me up once the VITA has been released, taken market share back with decent games and controls and more power then iToy's have.. because I shall laugh how one platform will have regained share from multiple tablets and phones....

But who am I kidding? People on here believe an iPad is better then a $5000 gaming PC, let alone any HOME console..... because Apple said so

 

[gkarris]

But who am I kidding? People on here believe an iPad is better then a $5000 gaming PC, let alone any HOME console..... because Apple said so

Tell me about it - owning both, I prefer gaming on my Sega Saturn over an iPad...

 

[something3153]

I love how people are downrating you and I mean that sarcastically. Probably the usual lot of traditional gamers who are feeling threatened that their world is changing.

But I totally agree with you. I'm a huge Nintendo fan but I've skipped out on a number of 3rd party games already for the Nintendo DS and 3DS because they are available for iOS for a mere fraction the cost. And the exclusives, like you mentioned, are the only things keeping me from leaving the hardware.

The mobile gaming market, spearheaded by Apple and iOS is absolutely disruptive. Anyone not seeing that through these figures is just in plain denial.

Is this revenue removed from traditional gaming, or is the market growing? Until you can prove it's the former, there's no threat. I play mobile games, sure. I didn't a couple years ago. I still do just as much serious gaming as I did before. I'm not going to sit on the couch and play Angry Birds for a couple of hours with my buddies...

 

[apolloa]

Tell me about it - owning both, I prefer gaming on my Sega Saturn over an iPad...

Yeah mate, COD and Battlefield 3 are of *****'s, multiplayer Angry Birds is where it's all at!!!
Or maybe it's Modern Combat 3? Good game, but, erm, typical utter clunckiness gameplay because the controls, as expected, are crap! It also lags a lot.

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

Casual gaming kids are just getting weeded out. These are the same lames who fall for the Kinect gimmicks. Also, old folks who never carried a game around just happen to because they have a phone with an app store.

The only iPhone game I enjoy is Tetris. All the other games that try to be hardcore are somewhat of a cock tease.

Still love the PSP and the real gaming that is there.

These iOS games disagree. And they were only $5-7 each.

Call of Duty: Modern Combat 3:

NBA2K12:

Shadowgun:

 

[apolloa]

Wow, shall we post some pictures of Battlefield 3 running across 3 30" displays running off 4 graphics cards linked together? Because I'll bet you $100 it wipes the floor with those pictures!

Meh, I'll be happy in the fact the VITA and Unchartered, Wipeout etc etc wipe the floor with those pictures instead.

And Call of Duty: Modern Combat 3: doesn't exist? It's just Modern Combat 3

But come back once iToy's get physical controls. Until then, they will NEVER compare or be anywhere near the same supreme league of a console of PC.

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

I'm glad Nintendo is finally getting a bit of pressure from good old fashioned American Capitalism. They had little to no competition for so many years in the mobile department. I mean really.. Over a DECADE of the same handheld being re-released in a different form factor. GMBOY, GMBOY COLOR, GMBOY ADVANCED, GMBOY ADVANCED SP, GMBOY ADVANCED MICRO, GMBOY ADVANCED SP2.

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Wow, shall we post some pictures of Battlefield 3 running across 3 30" displays running off 4 graphics cards linked together? Because I'll bet you $100 it wipes the floor with those pictures!

Meh, I'll be happy in the fact the VITA and Unchartered, Wipeout etc etc wipe the floor with those pictures instead.

And Call of Duty: Modern Combat 3: doesn't exist? It's just Modern Combat 3

But come back once iToy's get physical controls. Until then, they will NEVER compare or be anywhere near the same supreme league of a console of PC.

This article is about MOBILE gaming. I don't know about yourself but I don't lug around my desktop and monitor and call it portable.

 

[acslater017]

WHY why why do people still choose misleading colors for charts?

Sony PSP = bright green?

Although this is not as bad as that chart comparing carriers, where Verizon was gray, Sprint was red, and pretty much everything was the opposite of their trademark dress.

 

[APlotdevice]

I'm glad Nintendo is finally getting a bit of pressure from good old fashioned American Capitalism. They had little to no competition for so many years in the mobile department. I mean really.. Over a DECADE of the same handheld being re-released in a different form factor. GMBOY, GMBOY COLOR, GMBOY ADVANCED, GMBOY ADVANCED SP, GMBOY ADVANCED MICRO, GMBOY ADVANCED SP2.

Uh, excuse me? Saying the Gameboy Color the same as the original Gameboy is debatable (it ran similar hardware, with the noticeable difference that it could diplay color). However the Gameboy Advance was a completely different series of handhelds, running completely different hardware. And the lifespan for any series of Gameboy was not by any means unique for a dedicated gaming device. Nor was making revisions. Furthermore they have had some completion over the years, even if those didn't do nearly as well.

 

[Liquorpuki]

These iOS games disagree. And they were only $5-7 each.

Call of Duty: Modern Combat 3:

NBA2K12:

Shadowgun:

Call of Duty ripoff

Ugly port where the devs were too lazy to put player names on the back of the jerseys

Gears of War ripoff

no wonder they were only $5-7

 

[mcarling]

A game library and portfolio of hit franchises/characters? Not to mention any game designers and developer talent who'd stick around after a sale. Not that they'd be worth buying for the price, but they have a lot more than just patents.

That's exactly what Apple wouldn't want because it would seriously antagonize their current and potential 3rd party game developers. If Apple could buy that part of Nintendo for $1, they would be foolish to do so. Apple have a good (but not perfect) relationship with their developer community, that relationship is very valuable to Apple, and acquiring games from Nintendo would damage the value of that relationship more than Nintendo is worth.

What Apple could potentially do with Nintendo is sign long-term contracts ensuring that every future Nintendo game is released to iOS before any other platform (30 days before might be enough) and then very quickly spin it off. That would minimize but not eliminate the harm to Apple's relationship with their development community.

 

[cmvsm]

When you lose 50% marketshare in the portable gaming market within a 2 year period, you need to either step down or be fired. Iwata was big when the Wii came out, but he's a one trick pony. Nintendo better get some innovative blood through their veins in the form of upper management, or they will die a horrible death. It may already be too late for them in this business segment, as they are too far behind. The 3-D deal was/is lame.

 

[apolloa]

This article is about MOBILE gaming. I don't know about yourself but I don't lug around my desktop and monitor and call it portable.

Fine, my PSP WIPES THE FLOOR with ANY iOS title because it has PHYSICAL CONTROLS!!!

Something the many just cannot understand?? And the VITA will annihilate the iPad and iPhone for the next 3 years at least on quality, but you can play your Uncharted rip off Shadow Guardian, I'll stick to Uncharted thanks very much!!

And people in here HAVE stated iPad and iPhone gaming is beating HOME consoles and PC gaming before, so that's why I brought it up thanks. Also iOS game devs seem to think they are going to dominate the front room for games too!!!

http://www.computerandvideogames.co...-disrupt-consoles-in-a-meaningful-way-ngmoco/

Apple's powerful iOS devices have already had an affect on the games industry, but in the next few years their existence could significantly disrupt the console market.

That's according to Neil Young, CEO of ngmoco, developer of highly-rated mobile games such as the Rolando series.
Speaking at a recent press event, Young said: "If you look forward kind of one or maybe even two years it's not hard to imagine that the console business in the living room is going to get disrupted by tablets in a really meaningful way."

Young points to technical innovations such as Apple's wireless video connection - Airplay - as a sign of things to come in the games industry.

"You know, AirPlay is a little glimpse in the direction that things are going, and we want to make sure that ngmoco and DeNA are at the very forefront of that and working with the most talented people in the world."

The iPad and iPhone 4S are already plenty powerful - iPhone is capable of better visuals than the 3DS - and these are devices that iterate with more power and features yearly, not every five years.

Can console makers afford to ignore Apple?

 

[tigress666]

You know what? I say this as some one who uses her iPhone as a "gameboy" and doesn't have any dedicated portable game player (and doesn't plan on getting one).

Do you guys cheering for iphone/android to win and Nintendo and PSP to go obsolete think that's really a good thing for us who do like gaming on our iphone?

Really?

Think about it. iPhone/android games can not charge much for the game cause no one will pay it.

Therefore the games we get are either going to be ones that they aren't going to spend a lot of resources making (Angry Birds), or, here is where it is important that Nintendo/PSP stay around, ports of games from Nintendo/PSP.

Or alternatively forced to find some other way of making money... like say all the freemium crap. Go look at Let's Golf 3 or GT + by Gameloft if you want to see the future of games that companies spend more resources developing so have to make the money back. They're not cheap (you realize both games have packages that are 100 dollars to pay for and honestly if you play a lot you'll end up spending that much and more?), they cheapen gameplay though (paying to advance cheapens gameplay over *playing* to advance. Your reward is not even gotten by playing the game and comes too easy and you lose motivation for playing).

So... the fact that iPhone and Android are doing so well in gaming seems good at first until you look at long term affects.

What I'd be cheering for is all of them to do well (and iphone to do well enough to encourage them to send some ports over of the popular games. Kinda like squaresoft is doing a lot ). And for people to rebel against freemium and realize paying a little more upfront is a helluva lot better than emptying your pockets over time for a game that just isn't as rewarding.

 

[haruhiko]

When it comes to Nintendo, your forgetting its cash cow, the Wii is coming to its end of life. I expect that when the Wii 2 comes out next year ( or whatever its called ) profits will start to rise again. The Wii has done extremely well, far better than people thought.

People thought when the Wii was released all that matters was HD gaming, the Wii proved these assumptions wrong. If the success of the Wii can be repeated then Nintendo have a healthy future. N should still adapt its hand held gaming console strategy.

Sony OTH have plenty of other problems. PS3 sales are rising.

Have you read the news about "Wii U" yet?

 

[thenerdal]

I think the percentage will change next year. When the PS vita is released.

The 3DS and Vita are a new generation of consoles.

 

[Stella]

Have you read the news about "Wii U" yet?

Yes. The news about Wii U is months old .

TBH, when it was announced I was kind of disappointed. I was hoping they'd advanced the motion controllers. I don't see the point of the touch screen game pad. I was hoping to see Kinetic style controller. Kinetic has so much potential, not just in games.. it really is a cool piece of technology. microsoft did well to buy the technology.

Still, I like Wii games, especially PES ( I could never go back to playing footy games with classic controllers ), and 1st Person shooter games are a lot easier than game pads too - more natural.