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Console Makers Worry Over Apple's Growing Competition

Posted by Soulskill on from the worming-their-way-in dept.

The NY Times is running a story about the effect Apple is having on the console gaming market, making Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo worry that consumers will be satisfied playing games on devices that aren't necessarily focused on gaming. Quoting: "The concerns highlight an accelerating shift away from hard-core games, which have traditionally driven console sales, to more casual ones played on cellphones. Of the 758 new game titles shown at the Tokyo Game Show, 168 were for cellphone platforms — more than twice as many as in the previous year. ... Apple's assault could even eat into sales of home consoles like Nintendo's Wii, Sony's PlayStation 3 or Microsoft's XBox, as game-playing quickly becomes centered on cellphones. Many in the industry say that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft need to explore more radical changes to their businesses, including an emphasis on software rather than hardware and a better way for users to download games. 'As a platform, the cellphone has the biggest potential, because everybody owns one,' said Kazumi Kitaue, chief executive at another game maker, Konami Digital Entertainment. A family with three children might buy just one Wii or PlayStation to share, but those children will probably have cellphones of their own and download and play games, Mr. Kitaue said."

4 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Except that the iPhone is a TERRIBLE game machi by binarylarry · · Score: 0, Redundant

    lol, mod parent up!

    --
    Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  2. Re:We're doomed!! by ourfamily · · Score: 0, Redundant

    And while I'm at it...

    This message has been brought to you by a relative (ME) of the person who created this screen name. neither the former rant or the following message were the view of the person who created said screen name.

    --sez me ...

    "What goes bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud, bang thud? - - -A Time Lord committing suicide." - Graffito the Prydonian.

  3. Sony and Nintendo don't want part-time devs by tepples · · Score: 0, Redundant

    All Sony/Nintendo has to do to compete with this is write a DS/PSP Itunes sync program, and the problem's solved. Change the image of the DS/PSP from being mostly gaming devices, to a multifunction device that happens to play games and they'll be OK.

    Fat chance of that happening. Apple and Microsoft are fine with an environment where any developer working from home can buy a complete devkit for $1000 (either Mac mini + iPod Touch + 1 year developer certificate, or a Windows PC + Xbox 360 + 1 year XNA certificate), upload an app, and charge 500 bells for it. But Sony and especially Nintendo prefer developers who have "relevant industry experience" (that is, done an internship at a major video game studio in another state) and a "secure facility" (that is, a leased office). Developers with a day job in another industry need not apply.

  4. Re:Apple has a console too: the Mac mini by tepples · · Score: 0, Redundant

    People just don't buy joysticks for the PC anymore, unless they are super-hardcore.

    Then for which platform should a team of people working part-time develop a game designed for four players holding gamepads? Console makers frown on part-time development. Or must all indie multiplayer games require four PCs?

    And as expensive as a decent computer is, I'm sure not going to buy one specially attached to my TV for playing video games

    Any PC will do as a secondary PC for gaming and netbook tasks. One can go to dell.com and build a cheap slimline desktop PC with NVIDIA graphics.

    and lets be honest, surfing the web with a joystick sucks. Even lacking a keyboard means I can't write this post or write emails

    A USB hub helps you extend the keyboard and mouse to your TV tray.