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Metallicube on 03 April 2011
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greenmedic88 said:
Metallicube said:
 

The problem with that logic is that I don't think most of these people you speak of exist. People who are serious enough about gaming WILL buy an actual handheld gaming console. Those who aren't wouldn't have bought one anyway. It's as simple as that. These micro games found on the Iphone are not going to be enough to deter a serious gamer from playing Mario, DQ, FF, Monster Hunter, Layton, etc, on the handheld consoles.

Also, cell phone games have been around for what, a decade if not longer, yet haven't harmed handheld consoles. So I don't see why the iphone would suddenly change that.

You do realize that the Final Fantasy franchise has been ported over to iOS (I'm guessing it's on Android as well) and Square Enix is continuing to port more titles. Final Fantasy iii was just released last month and the port has received excellent ratings, just like FFI and FF2 before it.

That was just one example, but it's not like this is some sort of isolated instance. Epic ported Unreal Engine 3 to iOS and it doesn't take a great deal of foresight to see where that's leading for handheld developers. All the major publishers are either on board or behind the power curve if they aren't.

The advent of portable gaming on smartphone platforms that are now capable of going beyond Tetris, Pac-Man, etc. is a simple case of market disruption. The tools exist to develop "serious" games once only playable on dedicated gaming devices. So it actually is a sudden change in the market even if it doesn't mean the market for dedicated handheld game consoles is now gone.

There are plenty of "serious" games on mobile platforms, but one of the key differences between these and dedicated portable game systems is that consumers generally don't buy their phones based upon the games. It's arguable that Apple has sold quite a few iPod Touches to those were were just as interested in portable gaming as they were in portable music/video, but the biggest growth is still in the smartphone market.

I'm sorry, but people buy a smartphone because they want a PHONE, not a portable gaming console. They buy an ipod because they want a music player. NOBODY, I repeat, NOBODY buys a smartphone for the primary purpose of playing games.

People who want a GAMING console will buy a GAMING portable. Nothing will convince me otherwise. This is common sense here..

Case in point: Apple is not competition to Nintendo, whatsoever. Period.