Tablets and Smartphones are a fad as a significant gaming platform.

[famousringo]

kljesta64 said:

famousringo said:

TheLastStarFighter said:
Sorry, I should clarify. I think Smartphones and Tablets are here to stay, I mean as a primary gaming platform they are a "fad". I think games will always be on them, I think they will be used, but as Japan shows they seem to be, in my opinion, a gateway to dedicated gaming moreso than a block.

I honestly have no idea how reputable this analysis is (IDC's a big name, only heard of App Annie a couple months ago), but there is evidence that smartphones and tablets are already more important to gaming than the 3DS and Vita are:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/21/4012812/mobile-games-beat-handheld-games-in-consumer-spending-last-quarter

i would like to see them paying 40-50 dollars for a mobile game

No, thanks. I like the idea that massive distribution can make games profitable at only a few dollars per install.

There's a definitely a problem with the race to the bottom, though. Certain kinds of games are hard to make when they'd get no visibility at five or ten dollars, and the seductive success of the freemium model is seriously compromising mobile game design. See Real Racing 3, a most excellent game in a franchise born of $10 sales, hobbled by a customer-hostile freemium model.