App Developer Survey Shows Possible Shift Away from Mobile to PC, Consoles

By Jorge Ba-oh 26.09.2013 4

App Developer Survey Shows Possible Shift Away from Mobile to PC, Consoles on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Mobile or console? A recent survey conducted for the App Developer Conference reveals a potential shift towards console, PC.

According to GamesIndustry, the survey highlighted two key issues for those creating content for mobile and tablet systems - piracy and discoverability - making it a challenge to succeed and stand out on the over-crowded marketplace.

The results also highlighted how nearly half of those asked made no profit at all.

Developers that GamesIndustry spoke to during the course of the conference suggested that a number of mobile teams are "at least thinking" of moving away from these platforms as "Having to give your game away for 69 cents a throw (after Apple's and Google's cut) and then competing with 1000 new apps each day is hardly a draw for anybody."

The mobile space does give the "largest customer base and relatively low development costs", said Jeffrey Lim a producer at Wicked Dog Games, but admitted that it is becoming "harder to be profitable".

He added that "we do think developers (especially indies) are considering going back to develop for the PC - and even game consoles."

Chillingo COO Ed Rumley feels that it's more of an issue of content for the mixed mobile success, as he feels that consumers can easily "spot second rate games a mile off" and that these devices are the most "innovative gaming platform the world has ever seen".

Do you feel that the mobile market is reaching a saturation point?

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Sonic_13 is offline. Sonic_13 26.09.2013#1

I play exactly two games on mobile: Scrabble and The Simpsons: Tapped Out.

I don't really have any interest in playing games on mobile.

 
Canyarion is offline. Canyarion 26.09.2013#2

Wait, could this be... Nintendo was right?? A few years back, Iwata had a speech on how selling games for less than a dollar was not lucrative, that mobile gaming would never take over classic console/handheld gaming, etc.

He was right.

 
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RudyC3 is offline. RudyC3 26.09.2013#3

To be fair, the mobile game boom really came to everyone's mind when we were at a time in handheld console life-cycles when software was growing thin. The shift in focus was from the DS to the 3DS and the DS market was becoming pretty much saturated, so it's only normal that with a lack of games late in the DS life and the 3DS life (and I might add late in the PSP's life, outside of Japan anyway, and pretty much ever since on the Vita also outside of Japan), people looking for a game fix on the go would go mobile.

It wasn't early in the DS life, like 2006 or 2007 that mobile games made a big bang, it was only later, like 2009/2010, as new software was starting to become rarer, and smartphones were becoming more and more commonplace.

Even I played mobile games more in that period, but not at all ever since because I have too much stuff to play already on the 3DS now. That being said I still think the multifonctional aspect of the phone as opposed to dedicated portable consoles make them suitable gaming platforms for those who can't be bothered to carry around an additional device with them at all times. Even I find it annoying sometimes to have to carry both my phone and 3DS in my pockets outside my home for streetpass. Makes my pockets heavier haha.

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darkflame (guest) 29.09.2013#4

I really think you can see someones ignorance when they think mobile platforms have innovative games.
Certainly some stuff - AR is preponderately mobile exclusive, despite some 3DS stuff. (and Gizmondo before that). And, like all platforms, theres the odd gem of an idea.

But most things are just clones or versions of PC flash games, or even classic arcade games. Even stuff like "Angry Birds" was old hat on sites like Newgrounds. (hell, some of them even used the same engine - AB uses Box2D after all).
The Nintendo DS gave us touchscreen minigames before the iPhone, and we quickly got bored of it. Now, at a lower price per game that does justify there existence still, sure....but the idea that they are "innovative" is just silly.


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