Could iOS kill console gaming? - Page 3 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

audacity · 2012-03-13, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Curious how you think the mobile industry is suffering? Very far from it. I don't know the statistics, but I am sure the mobile industry makes far more money than the console gaming industry.

Well, that is a misleading comparison. That would be like saying that the PC industry makes far more than the console industry, so consoles are dead.

What you need to do is compare the gaming portion of the PC industry to the gaming portion of the console industry (a large percentage, but you still need to excluding people who buy a PS3 just to play blu-ray discs for instance).

The argument against mobile gaming is that if game devs sell games for $1 or $5 rather than $30-$60 then you need a lot more customers to make up this massive difference in revenue per customer. Especially when you have Apple taking a 30% cut of the little money they do get.

jshel101 · 2012-03-13, 11:50 AM

I myself never said consoles are dead. Probably far from it, and I also do not think IOS will kill off consoles in the near future, as I have said before. I understand that the game developers probably do not make as much money as developing games for consoles. However; a lot of the games the developers bring to the iPad are already developed for another gaming device. So they don't have to develop a new game, so they spend a lot less money than creating a new game for the consoles. Look at those developers that started with only creating games for IOS. Some of them are making a ton of money on those $0.99 to $5.00 games.

Tikker · 2012-03-13, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jshel101

Some of them are making a ton of money on those $0.99 to $5.00 games.

oh for sure

when your startup costs for developing a sub $5 game are (and this is generous probably) a couple grand, you don't have to move a lot of product to start making money

I think that iOS will eventually become a feasible gaming system for real games, it will not ever KILL console gaming

right now, i've got Dungeon Defenders on both my win7 laptop, and my asus transformer tablet

it looks and plays almost identically on both, but it's still a fair bit better on the laptop in terms of some of the things you can do in game

james99 · 2012-03-13, 06:39 PM

The new iPad is coming next week, and it looks suitably impressive. More powerful than the iPad 2, a screen with a higher resolution than HDTVs, 4G LTE - it's incredible. Just like the iPad 2 and the iPad before it, developers are champing at the bit to work on games for this new tablet. From a hardware standpoint, it rivals the Sony PlayStation Vita and readily beats the Nintendo 3DS and Wii in sheer processing power.

TorontoColin · 2012-03-13, 07:26 PM

I think convergence will "kill" console gaming before the iPad really has a chance. We're already seeing consoles becoming DVD/Blu-ray players, networked media players, IPTV boxes, connected devices for streaming services, and even social networking tools. The line between the Xbox and PS3, and devices like the Apple TV, Roku, or Boxee Box is already narrow, and I expect that convergence to continue.

I predict that this generation of consoles will probably be the last that we differentiate into their own category.

Zod · 2012-03-16, 12:23 PM

I think there will always be a market for Consoles. There is a dedicated gamer fanbase out there who want real quality games on quality hardware.

A previous poster mention that the current gen of consoles are nearly 7 years old. I think its the longest span that I recall before a next gen was released. It doesn't surprise me that a portable device can now have similar power to a console that came out in 2005.

The next consoles are around the corner though and they would leave portable devices in the dust again.

I think both would fair ok. I think consoles will stick around for people that are really into gaming. I would think using a portable device for gaming would be attractive to the casual gaming crowd (like the wii was). Both devices have their own markets. I also think the gaming market will continue to grow. The kids of the '80s were the first ones to get gaming and home consoles (except for pong at the end of the 70s). This kids are now in their 30's. Most people older then that aren't into video games. However the younger generations still get into gaming. By the time today's 30 year olds are in their 80s, gaming will have a huge demographic. You'll have every generation playing video games instead of just the younger ones.

I also agree $60 is too much for a new game. I generally wait a few months. My sweet spot seems to be when they drop below $40.

99semaj · 2012-03-16, 05:46 PM

Lots of good points made in this thread. It leaves me now pondering a new angle....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zod

A previous poster mention that the current gen of consoles are nearly 7 years old. I think its the longest span that I recall before a next gen was released. It doesn't surprise me that a portable device can now have similar power to a console that came out in 2005.

There's a reason it's been seven years since a console refresh...Sony and Microsoft are both still in red ink in the current gen. A massive amount of red ink. Microsoft hasn't recovered their investment from the day they entered this business.

The one commercial standout is Nintendo. They made a fortune, but they did it by reaching a new demographic of lower-cost, casual gamers....so it seems to me that Nintendo should be terrified of iOS imminently knocking them out.

Sony and Microsoft should still be really, really scared though. Their investors won't have an appetite for another generation of business losses. The focus on cost-control for the next gen will be far more intense, and spec improvements will be evolutionary not revolutionary.

BGY11 · 2012-03-16, 05:53 PM

Sales for the XBox 360 & PS3 are also still very strong, which is another reason they haven't needed to worry about a product refresh. I do agree with the comment about Nintendo probably having the most to lose from iOS gaining traction in the casual gaming sector though.

james99 · 2012-03-17, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGY11

Sales for the XBox 360 & PS3 are also still very strong,.

MS sold 2.3 million 360's in q1 2012 so they're very happy with sales. They now have 40 million xbox live members.

audacity · 2012-03-18, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99semaj

Microsoft hasn't recovered their investment from the day they entered this business.

Can you cite your source for this? For a number of years now when I've been looking at Microsoft's financial statements their Entertainment and Devices Division (which is mostly their XBOX division) has been doing quite well. I think the XBOX 360 started being a profitable business in 2008, and has been profitable since then.

You are probably correct regarding Sony as the PS3; Sony's financial statements have been a river of red ink for many years now.

99semaj · 2012-03-19, 01:15 AM

Sure, my sources are the financial statements for MSFT, available from the investor section of their website.

Just add up the profit/losses in the Entertainment and Devices division going back the past ten tears since they entered the console business. It's a net loss, despite a modest profit the last couple of years. Sales don't mean much when you're losing money, and recent profitable quarters don't mean much when a product is nearing the end of its lifecycle.

I only bring it up because its an additional pressure that both MSFT and SON have to deal with. Investors are rightfully going to challenge these losing strategies while Apple is outperforming.

blueroomelectro · 2012-03-19, 11:53 AM

Quote:

the 99 cent games play like 99 cent games tho

there is a HUGE gap in the quality of games for iOS and windows/xbox/ps3/nintendo

Not true. There are some awesome games for 99¢ and some real gems for over $4. Add to that they go on sale every now and then. The $60 game is going to be a tough sell for console makers and kids parents.

2012-03-13, 06:39 PM	#34
james99 Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Burlington Posts: 24,791	The New iPad Will Not Be a Real Gaming Platform The new iPad is coming next week, and it looks suitably impressive. More powerful than the iPad 2, a screen with a higher resolution than HDTVs, 4G LTE - it's incredible. Just like the iPad 2 and the iPad before it, developers are champing at the bit to work on games for this new tablet. From a hardware standpoint, it rivals the Sony PlayStation Vita and readily beats the Nintendo 3DS and Wii in sheer processing power.

2012-03-13, 07:26 PM	#35
TorontoColin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Wind Mobile, Rogers Cable, Teksavvy Extreme Cable Posts: 3,229	I think convergence will "kill" console gaming before the iPad really has a chance. We're already seeing consoles becoming DVD/Blu-ray players, networked media players, IPTV boxes, connected devices for streaming services, and even social networking tools. The line between the Xbox and PS3, and devices like the Apple TV, Roku, or Boxee Box is already narrow, and I expect that convergence to continue. I predict that this generation of consoles will probably be the last that we differentiate into their own category. __________________ Rules of the Forum \| DHC Help Desk DHC now supports Tapatalk for mobile devices!

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2012-03-13, 11:50 AM	#32
jshel101 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,712	I myself never said consoles are dead. Probably far from it, and I also do not think IOS will kill off consoles in the near future, as I have said before. I understand that the game developers probably do not make as much money as developing games for consoles. However; a lot of the games the developers bring to the iPad are already developed for another gaming device. So they don't have to develop a new game, so they spend a lot less money than creating a new game for the consoles. Look at those developers that started with only creating games for IOS. Some of them are making a ton of money on those $0.99 to $5.00 games.

2012-03-16, 12:23 PM	#36
Zod Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 590	I think there will always be a market for Consoles. There is a dedicated gamer fanbase out there who want real quality games on quality hardware. A previous poster mention that the current gen of consoles are nearly 7 years old. I think its the longest span that I recall before a next gen was released. It doesn't surprise me that a portable device can now have similar power to a console that came out in 2005. The next consoles are around the corner though and they would leave portable devices in the dust again. I think both would fair ok. I think consoles will stick around for people that are really into gaming. I would think using a portable device for gaming would be attractive to the casual gaming crowd (like the wii was). Both devices have their own markets. I also think the gaming market will continue to grow. The kids of the '80s were the first ones to get gaming and home consoles (except for pong at the end of the 70s). This kids are now in their 30's. Most people older then that aren't into video games. However the younger generations still get into gaming. By the time today's 30 year olds are in their 80s, gaming will have a huge demographic. You'll have every generation playing video games instead of just the younger ones. I also agree $60 is too much for a new game. I generally wait a few months. My sweet spot seems to be when they drop below $40.

2012-03-16, 05:53 PM	#38
BGY11 Veteran Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Calgary AB Posts: 3,165	Sales for the XBox 360 & PS3 are also still very strong, which is another reason they haven't needed to worry about a product refresh. I do agree with the comment about Nintendo probably having the most to lose from iOS gaining traction in the casual gaming sector though.

2012-03-19, 01:15 AM	#41
99semaj Veteran Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: /dev/null Posts: 2,663	Sure, my sources are the financial statements for MSFT, available from the investor section of their website. Just add up the profit/losses in the Entertainment and Devices division going back the past ten tears since they entered the console business. It's a net loss, despite a modest profit the last couple of years. Sales don't mean much when you're losing money, and recent profitable quarters don't mean much when a product is nearing the end of its lifecycle. I only bring it up because its an additional pressure that both MSFT and SON have to deal with. Investors are rightfully going to challenge these losing strategies while Apple is outperforming.