Will mobile gaming kill handhelds -- but not for the reason everyone thinks?

[mike_intellivision]

Capcom announced it will be placing Ace Attorney on iOS (see link at the end of the story). Square Enix teazed The World Ends with You -- and people hoped for a sequel until it was announced it was an iOS port (again see link at the end of the story).

Nothing wrong with ports. Nothing wrong with using IP to make money.  The potential problem is the pricing.  Chances are, since the R&D has been done, these games will only be a few bucks -- not the $30 or so (USD) that they cost on the DS.

Everyone has been asking "Will people buy 3DS/PSV games for $30/$40/$50 when they can get games on their phone for nothing/next to nothing?"

Perhaps the real question is "Will people buy games on their 3DS/PSV games for $30/$40/$50 when they can get eseentially the SAME GAME later for next to nothing?"

This then creates a system where IPs are used up. And once they are all ported over at ridicullously low prices, there is nothing left to support the mobile market at the cheap rate. So people have to come up with new IPs which are usually not as suceessful as "Angry Birds."  Meanwhile, the long-time market of handhelds will have been eroded by software company decisions, further making it difficult to make money.

 

Mike from Morgantown

 

http://kotaku.com/5938861/youll-be-able-to-play-all-three-phoenix-wright-games-on-ios-this-fall?utm_campaign=socialflow_kotaku_twitter&utm_source=kotaku_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2012/08/27/the-world-ends-with-you-solo-remix-confirmed/