Comments on: BusinessWeek: Watch Out Sony and Nintendo http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/ ... keeping in touch with the latest in iPhone gaming Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:16:40 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: magallanes http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5907 magallanes Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:28:30 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5907 Hi there: About the price, you can find several freewares and even .99 price tag games but mostly those games are crap. Even for a indie, a .99 price tag is insane and many developer are not profiting with it. Tough, those games can be considered as "first generation", where only a few ones are decent (i can name 3 or 4), other are nice (because the casual market) and the vast rest are crap. Hi there:

About the price, you can find several freewares and even .99 price tag games but mostly those games are crap. Even for a indie, a .99 price tag is insane and many developer are not profiting with it.

Tough, those games can be considered as "first generation", where only a few ones are decent (i can name 3 or 4), other are nice (because the casual market) and the vast rest are crap.

]]> By: Paul O'Connor http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5867 Paul O'Connor Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:24:52 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5867 Even if an iPhone game is as good or better as a $20 DS or PSP game, I doubt you will see it sell for $20 in the iPhone. The App Store market is wide-open compared to the DS and PSP markets, with more pressure on prices to race to zero. iPhone publishers can ship games at a lower price point than a comparable DS or PSP game because they don't have so many hands in their pockets between them and their customers -- they aren't selling games into a channel that requires production, warehousing, and transportation of packaged goods. And they aren't selling their games in direct competition with their OWN product, on the same rack, sold at reduced cost as a used game where all of the revenue goes to the store, and none of it flows back to the publisher. If Sony and Nintendo need to be worried, it isn't because of a price or quality comparison between games ... it's because the iPhone App market is so much more attractive to certain developers and publishers because of cost structure. One market is glutted with expensive games, a long and expensive distribution pipeline, and jaded customers; the other is wide-open with inexpensive games, a dirt-cheap distribution pipeline, and a growing market of new and casual gamers looking for cool diversions for their new iPhones. Even if an iPhone game is as good or better as a $20 DS or PSP game, I doubt you will see it sell for $20 in the iPhone. The App Store market is wide-open compared to the DS and PSP markets, with more pressure on prices to race to zero. iPhone publishers can ship games at a lower price point than a comparable DS or PSP game because they don't have so many hands in their pockets between them and their customers — they aren't selling games into a channel that requires production, warehousing, and transportation of packaged goods. And they aren't selling their games in direct competition with their OWN product, on the same rack, sold at reduced cost as a used game where all of the revenue goes to the store, and none of it flows back to the publisher. If Sony and Nintendo need to be worried, it isn't because of a price or quality comparison between games … it's because the iPhone App market is so much more attractive to certain developers and publishers because of cost structure. One market is glutted with expensive games, a long and expensive distribution pipeline, and jaded customers; the other is wide-open with inexpensive games, a dirt-cheap distribution pipeline, and a growing market of new and casual gamers looking for cool diversions for their new iPhones.

]]> By: Nik Daum http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5845 Nik Daum Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:35:28 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5845 I'm looking forward to when more AAA titles come to iPhone. Don't get me wrong, there are many decent cheap games made by indie developers, but there are also far more that are simply cluttering up the store. Having 1500 games is pointless if 1400 of them suck. But I expect great things in the future for sure. I'm looking forward to when more AAA titles come to iPhone. Don't get me wrong, there are many decent cheap games made by indie developers, but there are also far more that are simply cluttering up the store. Having 1500 games is pointless if 1400 of them suck. But I expect great things in the future for sure.

]]> By: Arpan http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5833 Arpan Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:13:16 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5833 One more thing to remember. Good games like the ones on the DS and PSP generally have taken over a year to develop. It's been only a short time since the SDK for the iphone was released. Give a year after the SDK release and then compare the games to those on the DS and PSP. I'm sure there will be plenty of games that are polished and well thought-out. You can hardly expect those polished games to come out in 2 or 3 months. Asphalt is already a really nice and polished game, and it seems that NFS will be even better. Another really great thing about the iPhone is that the barrier to entry is so small, that although we may get a lot of crappy games, we are also going to get a lot of interesting games from individual developers and small companies that have a lot of interesting ideas, but would never be able to invest the money into developing a DS or PSP game. One more thing to remember.

Good games like the ones on the DS and PSP generally have taken over a year to develop. It's been only a short time since the SDK for the iphone was released.

Give a year after the SDK release and then compare the games to those on the DS and PSP. I'm sure there will be plenty of games that are polished and well thought-out. You can hardly expect those polished games to come out in 2 or 3 months.

Asphalt is already a really nice and polished game, and it seems that NFS will be even better.

Another really great thing about the iPhone is that the barrier to entry is so small, that although we may get a lot of crappy games, we are also going to get a lot of interesting games from individual developers and small companies that have a lot of interesting ideas, but would never be able to invest the money into developing a DS or PSP game.

]]> By: blakespot http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5822 blakespot Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:05:30 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5822 @james @rawhide http://toucharcade.com/2008/07/07/under-the-hood-the-iphones-gaming-mettle/ @james @rawhide

http://toucharcade.com/2008/07/07/under-the-hood-the-iphones-gaming-mettle/

]]> By: Joel http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5788 Joel Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:54:39 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5788 Hey !!! DS and PSP games are ~ US$20 games (long, stable, well developed, etc.) iPhone games so far are ~ US$1 games (garage made games with little to no budget) You can be sure that when we start seeing $20 games on the iPhone they will be as good or better than DS or PSP games. One thing that we have to keep in mind is that gaming in the iPhone is different, since we have no buttons and only touch controls (which in my opinion sucks for gaming if are the only controls) Hey !!!

DS and PSP games are ~ US$20 games (long, stable, well developed, etc.)

iPhone games so far are ~ US$1 games (garage made games with little to no budget)

You can be sure that when we start seeing $20 games on the iPhone they will be as good or better than DS or PSP games.

One thing that we have to keep in mind is that gaming in the iPhone is different, since we have no buttons and only touch controls (which in my opinion sucks for gaming if are the only controls)

]]> By: James http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5783 James Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:34:56 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5783 @Rawhide Yes, it does. There have been several articles here on TouchArcade showcasing it's capabilities. It's really just a matter of time. @Rawhide

Yes, it does. There have been several articles here on TouchArcade showcasing it's capabilities.

It's really just a matter of time.

]]> By: Rawhide http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5781 Rawhide Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:06:45 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5781 The million dollar questions is... Does the Touch contain the built in hardware to support games that can compete with the DS and PSP on visuals, sounds, length, and gameplay? The million dollar questions is… Does the Touch contain the built in hardware to support games that can compete with the DS and PSP on visuals, sounds, length, and gameplay?

]]> By: Jesse http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5780 Jesse Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:00:25 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5780 People, complaining about the quality of the games is missing the point entirely. This is about business. Any competitor in any business, no matter how good their product, has to be concerned about tons and tons of sales going to a rival. Love it or hate it, Windows rose to global domination by selling a product that was good enough and cheap enough. Love them or hate them, are iPhone games good enough and cheap enough to make people stop seeking out a different portable gaming system? The bar is NOT set at Zelda. Be afraid, be very afraid. People, complaining about the quality of the games is missing the point entirely.

This is about business. Any competitor in any business, no matter how good their product, has to be concerned about tons and tons of sales going to a rival.

Love it or hate it, Windows rose to global domination by selling a product that was good enough and cheap enough. Love them or hate them, are iPhone games good enough and cheap enough to make people stop seeking out a different portable gaming system?

The bar is NOT set at Zelda. Be afraid, be very afraid.

]]> By: DaDosDude http://toucharcade.com/2008/11/06/businessweek-watch-out-sony-and-nintendo/#comment-5778 DaDosDude Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:51:03 +0000 http://toucharcade.com/?p=995#comment-5778 The thing about iPhone is, you carry it everywhere. Where my DS usually lies at home, unless I travel long journeys, my iPhone is always in my pocket, since it's my cell phone too. And while the Moroboshi statement is very true, I'm not underwhelmed, rather I'm overwhelmed, since everyone can make games for it. The only thing is, bigger company's need to wake up. They haven't been paying attention to the iPhone. And I think after this year, they will certainly wake up, and see that the iPhone will be played on more, just because you *have* to take it anywhere as a cell phone. The little time you have, like me on my lunchbreak, you will use to play a game. The thing about iPhone is, you carry it everywhere. Where my DS usually lies at home, unless I travel long journeys, my iPhone is always in my pocket, since it's my cell phone too. And while the Moroboshi statement is very true, I'm not underwhelmed, rather I'm overwhelmed, since everyone can make games for it. The only thing is, bigger company's need to wake up. They haven't been paying attention to the iPhone. And I think after this year, they will certainly wake up, and see that the iPhone will be played on more, just because you *have* to take it anywhere as a cell phone. The little time you have, like me on my lunchbreak, you will use to play a game.

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