By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
Metallicube on 04 April 2011
Edit Thread
robzo100 said:
Metallicube said: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.


Consumers' tastes change.  That is common sense.  I think what is clear is that there is a big paradigm shift going on in terms of dedicated devices being overrun by do-it-all devices (smartphones).  That should be clear as day by now, and Apple is the forerunner.

Society's tastes change overtime because of drastic changes like these.  If everybody already has a phone, and it is capable of playing some sort of game, consumers may start to ask themselves why they feel the need to spend 200-300 dollars on hardware, plus 40 dollars on additional software.  Not everybody who owns a Nintendo, Sony, or MS console is hardcore enough to retain their taste in a particular hobby down the long haul.  They eventually settle for less, especially when it's convienent.

If consumers haven't started asking themsleves that yet, what makes you think they all of a sudden would in the future? As I've said, cell phone gaming has been here for well over a decade. And yet the DS has become the highest selling console ever, and even the less popular PSP has done a respectable 66 million and is currently owning Japan. Exactly what features do smartphones have over normal gaming handheld consoles that would make gamers want to stick exclusively to those (talking in terms of purely GAMING features)?

Of course, there will always be some soccer moms out there who will simply buy the smartphones and play the games on those, but most of these consumers wouldn't have bought a DS/PSP anyway..

Just like PCs and home consoles, I believe the two should be able to co exist, because they are entirely differnet products deisgned for different things. Handheld consoles will never become obsolete, just like home consoles never will, because there will always be a sufficient audience out there that will want a machine deticated primarily to gaming, as I do, and many I know.