Hello again, and welcome to another edition of Touchstone Tavern, your weekly Hearthstone (Free) news roundup. Nothing really big happened this week other than Blizzard teasing a July 22nd announcement that “might" reveal an upcoming feature or expansion! In addition to the announcement of the announcement, we had another Tavern Brawl, which some called the most fun Brawl so far, some “drama" regarding the casting at Archon’s Team League Championship, and some other news. This hasn’t been the busiest week news-wise, but the news we did ranks up there with the best. I believe that you, just like me, are very curious about what Blizzard has in store for us in around two weeks time. Ok, let’s jump into it, shall we?
Blizzard Has an Announcement for us on July 22nd
Let’s start with the big news first that came right at the end of the week; Blizzard sent an actual scroll to PCGamer with a note about July 22nd. The actual text reads:
Champions are gathering from around the world to witness the next exciting thing Hearthstone has in store. News travels far and wide in search of brave new faces ready to answer the call to arms — Are you one of them? Muster for battle and mark July 22 on your calendar. The next bit of news won’t come by carrier pigeon — thankfully, we have much better ways of communication now. Victory awaits!
According to the PCGamer article, the theme played when the box is opened comes from the Argent Tournament, an event from WOW, so it is likely that the new expansion/feature will have something to do with the Argent Tournament. I don’t know yet which way Blizzard will go with this announcement; my first reaction was to think an expansion is upon us because Blackrock Mountain Adventure has been over for a while and people crave for more content. On the other hand, the reference to a “tournament" does echo the requests by many players for an in-client tournament mode that will allow Hearthstone to wean itself from third-party tournaments.
Hearthstone July 2015 Ranked Play Season is Underway
I hope you got your card back from June because we are officially into July now and there’s a new card back for you, Darkspear Delight! As Christ Carter wrote for Destructoid, the Darkspear back is in honor of the Warcaft troll race from the original Zul’Aman in WOW. Personally, I was starting to see all the card backs as pointless because you could only use one, and you don’t even get to see it while you play. However, the latest update has reignited my interest in card backs since I can have one for each deck, which allows me to use more of my card backs and also add some personality to my decks.
Hearthstone Streamer Attempting to Reach Legend Hands-free
Sometimes we forget that not all people can play videos games like most of us can due to different disabilities that don’t allow them to enjoy the games they love. So, I was glad to hear streamer Billyisms has been attempting to become the first person to reach Legend rank using only his voice. Voice control might seem like a fun luxury for most of us, but allowing people with disabilities to play Hearthstone simply by using their voice is a huge thing. William, the man behind the stream, will put together a tutorial on how to play Hearthstone hands-free, so keep an eye out if you are interested either by necessity or for convenience.
Andrew Fretz of The Fretz Zone Talks Hearthstone Mobile Interface
Andrew wrote an interesting article on TouchArcade discussing his issues with the Hearthstone iPhone interface. He talks about the tiny size of some of the UI buttons, especially the back and deck choice buttons that are almost too small to tap. I’ve been doing my Hearthstone gaming on my iPad, so I don’t have an opinion on the matter, yet, but what do you think? If you play Hearthstone on an iPhone, have you been having any issues playing, or do you find the UI acceptable?
This Week’s Tavern Brawl Was All Webspinners and Random Spells.
For many, Tavern Braw’s third week was the best one as Blizzard threw loads of RNG on us. The Brawl this week was all about decks consisting of Webspinners and a class’ random spells. Players had no control over the decks this time around. Being the RNG monsters that they are, Webspinners made matches quite fun, although my opponents kept getting some great Legendaries and I didn’t. I think that the more I play Tavern Brawl, the more I see it primarily as a fun way to play with friends rather than random players because the RNG flavor of most Brawls so far makes for some fun mocking.
Archon’s Team League Championship Week 1
ATLC, which has officially commenced this week, stands as the biggest Hearthstone League in terms of prize ($250.000!) and also has some of the greatest players around (we talked about ATLC last week, too). ATLC is a Team Conquest League with the likes of Trump, Firebat, Lifecoach, Kolento, Strifecro, and many more. We’ve had some crazy results this first week, none more unexpected than Kolento and Tiddler going 0-4. Kibler, on the other hand, has won both of his matches, even though he was counted out before and during the tournament because of his relative inexperience in Hearthstone tournaments (if you want to read more about Kibler’s experience in the tournament and look at his team’s decklists, go here). For all the VODs from the tournament, check Amaz’s channel, and also here’s the rest of the schedule if you want to watch the upcoming matches.
Interestingly, the underdogs really shone in this tournament, making for some fun narratives. While many, including the casters, didn’t give Forsen Boys and Value Town much respect, especially since they would have to face the already-established teams, those two teams actually came through with flying colors. Value Town beat Cloud 9 handily while the Forsen Boys downed Tempo Storm 6-4 (this series was really fun to watch). Looking at the results and the decks, I was happy to see a relative (emphasis on relative) variety of decks winning, with Druid, Mage, Hunter, Warlock, Rogue, Warrior, Shaman, and Paladin all having winning decks. Priest, unfortunately, still sits at the back of the class all by himself. Interestingly, Patron Warrior lost more than it won, showing that, perhaps, the deck has lost some of its ferocity. I think Patron Warrior’s relative failure is primarily because many players still consider it the most powerful deck around so they tech to beat it. If you want to see the results of Week 1 in detail, go here.
Archon’s Team League Championship Casting Drama
In addition to the fun matches, ATLC also had some drama as the tournament’s casting got quite unprofessional and stirred all kinds of problems for Amaz and the organizers. As ATLC tries to establish itself as the biggest Hearthstone League, the organizers (primarily Amaz) wanted everything to go smoothly. Apparently, picking Byron “Reckful" Bernstein to cast backfired, despite the caster’s huge popularity with the Hearthstone crowd. Soon after he started casting, he demonstrated profound disinterest and lack of knowledge of the League’s rules, and even became downright disrespectful, especially towards Tempo Storm’s Eloise (his behavior echoed his previous behavior in another tournament). Reckful was promptly fired, and hopefully that’s the last we’ll hear of that. As Hearthstone becomes increasingly bigger as an e-sport, so do the expectations from the public and the sponsors. If you have a League with professional players, then everyone around them needs to be professional, including the casters.
HTC Recharged Has Concluded
The second edition of the HTC Invitational, HTC Recharged, has just concluded, and the winner of the $5000 was…Trump! Despite the many technical issues, the tournament was entertaining with some big names like Lifecoach, Forsen, and Strifecro getting knocked out from Round of 16. Trump beat Dog 3-2 in the semis and then won the tournament with a 3-1 over nugoory. Go here if you want to see the VODs from the tournament (although they get interrupted often because of technical issues).
A Talk With the DreamHack Champion, Tiddler
Many pro players consider Tiddler the best Hearthstone player in the world currently, and he has definitely broken enough records to prove it. He currently holds #1 rank in the GosuGamers rankings (even if ATLC isn’t working out for him so far). In a recent interview on GosuGamers, Tiddler talked about the experience of preparing for tournaments and also about the current Chinese Hearthstone scene. It was interesting to see just how much Tiddler and pro players like him depend on statistics and similar information to prepare for tournaments and to pick decks. Tiddler described how he used his team’s “inside" statistics (deck win rates, popularities, wins, etc) to pick his Druid, DemonZoo, and Patron Warrior decks for Dreamhack. Those statistics, which stemmed from analyzing around five hundred top level games, led him to believe that at this moment Aggro is still more powerful than Control decks. He also gave some insight into running a team like Celestial, discussing how issues like having players on the team from different territories introduces all kinds of problems like bad server connections and different time zones that hamper the team’s preparation. Although he believes that Chinese players have their own understanding of the meta that is at times different from players in the west, he knows that the meta is driven by the west and that China lacks innovative deck designers.
Talking more generally about Hearthstone, Tiddler believes the game is probably slightly bigger than DOTA 2 in China at the moment, even though the professional scene just got started. However, because pro teams in China still lag behind those in the west, many professional players are forced to also become streamers simply for the income. However, the good news is that Blizzard China and NetEast are triny go improve the situation for the Chinese pros.
Meta Report – Still Fun, Still (Relatively) Varied
The Meta continues its relative stability and not much has changed from last week other than many pros perfecting the decks they already use. Patron Warrior still works well, although many players pick decks precisely to take him out, so if you pilot a Patron Warrior deck currently, expect a lot of resistance in the higher levels of Ranked Play. Midrange Hunter continues to be a very strong choice that provides players with more flexibility than Face Hunter. Warlock is also still very strong, with many pros going the MalyLock and ZooLock route. Oil Rogue is, as always, a trusted choice, and Paladin decks are making a comeback with Aggro and Midrange doing very well. Finally, Tempo Mage, especially the Flamewalker variety, continues to do well. Overall, the meta currently is on the healthy side, which hadn’t been the case after GVG. Most classes have at least one decent deck that can take you far, which bodes well for playing a variety of decks on Ladder (of course the lower levels are still quite Aggro, but that’s a different discussion for a different day). Hearthstone Metabomb has some good decks for most classes, so take a look at that if you feel like netdecking today.
What Do You Hope Blizzard Reveals on July 22nd, and Why?
Kripp Offers a New Player Guide
New Hearthstone Commercial: Anno-y-tron!
Eloise and Forsen Tavern Brawl
A Compilation of the Epic Animated Legendaries Series
Strifecro’s Lethal Puzzle #56
Epic Hearthstone Plays #70
As always, we have some good resources on the site for you in case you are new to the game or simply want to sharpen up your game. There’s never such a thing as too much help in Hearthstone.
Hearthstone Deck-building Guide
I hope you’ve enjoyed our trip around Hearthstone this week, and it has helped you improve your game. I believe we should soon start getting more info on the July 22nd announcement as our spies (or little spiders, in honor of Varys from GOT) come back with more info on what Blizzard plans in its secret dungeon laboratories. Please leave any comments/preferences/ideas in the comments, I read all of them. Till next week, may you have great matches!
In a year or two or five, though, won't that entire generation be in VR-land?
VR hype reminds me of the 3D TV hype.
But VR has much more value to offer than simply seeing a semi 3D on TV.
I played for a while with an Oculus. While I wouldn't want to be seen wearing those goofy goggles; I have to admit nothing has come close in immersion as that.
Even the apps for Google Cardboard are great. The horror games are a lot more scarier when they actually jump at your face instead of at your character in a screen.
...and then the motion sickness sets in.
Nah, for people who have been playing video games their whole life, motion sickness is non-existent.
And even less with the hardware pushing those PC VR viewers with a smooth 60FPS frame rate.
I've been playing video games for 30+ years and I get terrible vertigo from the Oculus. Not saying my situation is the norm, but it certainly is an issue for some percentage of players.
Really? I had a classmate back in high school that didn't play FPS games because they made him dizzy.
That was weird.
The only vertigo I have felt with VR is with several roller coaster apps with Google Cardboard. And you're supposed to feel that; otherwise you're just an idiot with a cardboard box on your face.
Where do you people get access to VR tech?
A friend of mine, who has a video game development startup, bought the Oculus dev edition.
And I got a Google cardboard, which is a very cheap way of trying VR out (if you have an Android device) and you can buy one easily on Amazon.
I've been gaming my whole life and I get incredibly motion sick playing certain games, mirrors edge and portal coming to mind. I would also add that the better the graphics and hardware the more noticeable it's becoming for me. I still have to pause my game when driving in far cry 4. I think it just depends on the person and whether or not they're prone to disorientation.
I've played games all my life and get vertigo still. I really wish it was non existent.
Been playing games my whole life and I've never gotten motion sickness. I think it tends to be the minority. VR is going to be awesome.
Yes it is! I've tried Oculus and Morpheus, and can safely say that whilst VR won't (and shouldn't) replace traditional gaming, it will be an excellent addition and will provide some phenomenal experiences. I do feel sorry for those who suffer from vertigo and motion sickness, but the various developers are actively working on reducing that. There are far too many gaming psychics out there, who are so sure that VR is going to be a huge flop, without having ever tried it out. That's a shame.
Been playing video games for two decades, and get easily motion sick, but not on VR for some reason. I don't think nausea is quite as simple as most people make it out, it varies for many people for many different factors
Lol People are going mobile for EXTRA cash to pull out on gullible and addictive players. This is kinda dumb considering that a kid doesn't play with a tablet from birth. Not to mention people who can't afford these expensive devices. What is this like a survey of the upper middle class children? I cringed halfway through reading this and I feel bad for anyone who raises their children not knowing about the capabilities of the device with the large screen right in front of them. Console gaming isn't dying anytime soon. People need their Call of Duty.
My vision of the future is a console like experience that is mobile, not a future with everyone playing candy crush on tablets.
"My vision of the future is a console like experience that is mobile" That is what this story is saying. I have no idea what Candy Crush has to do with anything.
Not really.
This particular article says kids are liking to play more on tablets and smartphones than anything connected to a TV (although in my personal experience, a kid can play through a dozen of mobile games and get bored within the hour but can stay a whole afternoon playing Super Mario 3D World).
While in dozens of other articles in this website they say that F2P gaming is crushing all "premium" games. And that games like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans and all those other derivative games are just perfect examples of how to be successful in the mobile gaming industry. And that more and more developers go F2P because thats the only way to make money.
So put 2 and 2 together. Kids now prefer tablets over consoles and mobile developers all go for F2P. What will those kids grow up playing?
I surely hope Anonomation vision comes true. I used to think the same a few years back before F2P became the dominant payment method, gameplay limiter/blocker.
Jared, may I suggest reading some of the articles on TouchArcade. There have been numerous over the last few months that highlight the rise of F2P games and how they are directly contributing to the rise of mobile gaming. THAT is the relevance of Candy Crush. The article mentions nothing about how mobile games are becoming more 'console like' in the quality of the games on offer.
That would be extremely lame.....as are all the kiddies who prefer watching a movie on their stupid phone. I, and millions more, would rather do both on their 65" tv than 5" phone no matter how powerful they make them.
Plus play actual games. Not this "sit there and tap on a screen" shit. How are Angry Birds esque games going to replace games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, GTA, God of War, and Saints Row? A 5" screen with shit games and controls. No shit it makes more money. When you're playing a "game" and the only way to get anywhere is to keep dumping money into it that's bound to happen. It could replace handhelds I feel, but not console and PC. Can you really see the hardcore gaming audience hyped about the new Candy Crush or Clash of Clans?
Personally, I think the app-world is a monumental scam in which the Chinese government is using these apps to gain access to billions of phones worldwide. The overwhelming majority of these games all come from China, India, and South Korea and all demand full, un-fettered access to every facet of your phone and online social media accounts for no good reason.
(as I slip my tin foil hat back on)
Its sad that their have all these free to play games. That's because of lazy developers who refuse to make an actual quality game. Instead they prey on gamers addictive nature.
If say we have a Pokemon game with updates and current graphics, and would be update on a regular basis. That game would sell millions and millions of copies AND people would buy it for the original price that those games usually go for. Not only that but it would be easier for developers to make expansions for additional content.
Nintendo would have to release a new Pokemon app every year and waste tons of money, they could simply make an expansion available for a decent price that add new characters and content.
Not to mention these companies wouldn't have to worry about building hardware that is obsolete after only a few years.
The problem is that phones and operating systems have a much shorter life cycle, say 1-2 years instead of 7 or 8 like a console has. Look at how many games were broken by the recent iOS updates?
Most iOS games that came out 4-5 years still work. Any F2P game will be fixed for new iOS updates. Games that are broken that don't get fixed are because the company isn't making any more money on additional sales, which are mostly premium games. 1-2 years may be the shelf life for some games monetarily, but many older games are still going strong.
I don't think it comes down to lazy developers. It comes down to what it always comes down to; money. Devs don't make as much money for high end mobile games and they usually put in much more work. F2P games are easier to make, get a larger user base, and make more money. Which would you rather do?
This perception can change, but its an uphill battle when everyone thinks a 9.99 mobile game is 'too expensive.' I do believe mobile gaming is the future (its the current world for me). I just hope it leaves room for premium triple A titles and a small amount of F2P content.
And in the quest for money developers have become lazy by focusing on F2P garbage.
You could say that, but its not always about making tons of money as a dev. Its about finding something sustainable and concrete vs something risky. A longer to develop game means more risk, more money. A shorter easier to develop F2P means less risk and higher chance of success. This is true for all developers yet less true for indie since most have smaller overhead or even do it on the side out of the love for the game. We are talking about a developer who has a job, mortgage, family. Calling them 'lazy' because they are taking the project which has a higher chance of keeping there job hardly seems fair. I know many who do that in any industry.
The problem more so stems from the way the market and gamers see the games. F2P is a business model because its perceived as more valuable to the gamers; not because the devs want to make F2P all the time. Remember too; most of the touch arcade members aren't into F2P games (myself included) the problem is most people outside of the heavy gaming community are.
I've never played a phone game that's worth £9.99
What a naive blanket statement., it's because Millennials believe everything is free. Until you've walked a mile in a mobile developer's shoes
No edit on mobile, frustrating. First, apologies for making a blanket statement to counter yours. My point is that your view is extremely biased and doesn't represent what's happening. I agree that there are predatory F2P developers, but the business model arose because premium gaming is not sustainable on mobile. The successes are either ports from other platforms or just exceptions that prove the rule. Sure Nintendo could sell a lot of Pokemon games, but what about every other developer without that kind of brand loyalty? The core issue is that supply far outstrips demand. Why pay for anything when there are literally thousands of free alternatives? It's not just games, but all electronic entertainment. There are not enough core gamers on mobile willing to pay premium prices to mitigate that risk, and Touch Arcade is filled with articles proving this. Not to mention you can create a free account on AppAnnie, look at the download numbers for premium games and do the math yourself, subtracting Apple's 30% of course.
While I do agree somewhat with you, tablets and smartphones are multi-functional. As soon as the tech can catch up with console quality productions on tablets they'll be toast. And not all games out there are there to just rack up money on compulsive spenders. Look at the X-Com port. Which brings to another problem with consoles not being portable. People once said there would never be a personal computer, then it was, portable, then people said there's no such thing as a gaming laptop, it's a natural progression.
Nah, by the time they catch up with consoles they'll probably merge into one device. Like what Nokia wanted to do with the N-Gage a decade ago.
And that not taking into account that PC and console gaming will probably be very into VR in the next 5 years.
a tablet costs about the same as a modern gaming console, doesn't require the purchase of a TV to plug into, and many tablet games are free to play. a console requires a tv and the games are not free.
Spoken by a person who has no knowledge of console gaming because if you did you would know that there are free games on Xbox live and PSN
Yeah the tablet games are free for a reason. Their repetitive, shallow tripe.
VR is the perfect example for why TV is slowly dying. The way we live we are constantly on the move nowadays. Mobile gaming is the new fad. VR technically does not require a TV, it just requires the console.
Personally, I think Sony, Xbox, and especially Nintendo, should be making console games for mobiles, and just allow theirs controllers to connect to mobile devices. They would instantly make insane amounts of revenue. Even more in Asia where mobile gaming is on a much higher level than in America.
I can't see VR gaming ever becoming the everyday way to play games! I see it more if something you would do every now and then when you feel like looking like a pleb head and disconnecting yourself from all those around you..
"when you feel like looking like a pleb head and disconnecting yourself from all those around you"
So.... like every single time we play?
But one day, VR will be it
Soon tablets and mobile devices are dead.
The time will come that we all welk around with holographic devices.
I Giessen even with TA non news is news..... It must be summer.
Giessen = Guess
stupid Dutch auto correct
Your looking at 10 to 15 years or more into the future my friend.
I can't wait to see what this mysterious "welking" is that we are all going to be doing?!!
:) that is gonna be massive mark my words.
Welking will be the next social hype!
Heh. You'll find out...
I'm not sure this is in the foreseeable future, but I still have my trusty vinyls and Atari 2600 :). My thing is that most companies seem to see mobile as a quick fix in its current state. There a few of us that still desire a story driven game of extreme depth and dialogue that just doesn't seem to work for kids these days or work on mobile gaming in general. I see most games on mobile as a let me bust out 15 mins of play. That is why FTP wins on mobile and premium is dead. Let's just hope I'm dead and gone before consoles fizzle out. I had a sad revelation speaking worth my son and his friends about RPGs this past weekend... They never heard of, or knew what final fantasy, dragon quest or Zelda was... They also thought it was "crappy" when showed it, they didn't care about the story, they want fancy graphics and high dps ... I have failed as a parent
Yep you have a couple of retro hating little kids with no idea what gaming is about other then spending all their allowance into iap. I feel like they play games to get closer to our generation but they just don't understand why and get stuck in freemium games.
Yeah, boo on them for not appreciating your superior culture.
I guess the fact that 20 million PS4s have been sold is a clear indication that mobile is the future. :P
Having worked in both the mobile and console industry, I definitely feel there are significant audiences for both. Frankly, there's a slew of genres that have yet to offer comparable experiences on mobile.
The comparison to telephones and cameras are unfair, because neither of the 'old' versions of those offer functionality that the contemporary counterparts don't completely eclipse. Once mobile has offered everything that traditional console games offer, then I'll eat my words. Until then, personal experience and the hard facts speak to how premature this article is. Sure, maybe in 20 years when the 'new generation' are the core gaming audience.
Nobody said it's going to happen overnight :P 20 years seems about right, though I'd bet it's sooner.
Hopefully 20 years is enough for there to be a big push for quality mobile games, as opposed to a small amount of great/amazing mobile games and a very large amount of f2p, and candy crush like money grubbing.
I give it till the end of this generation of consoles. so maybe 5 to 7 more years.
I'd be surprised if it took that long for the top flight iPad to be more specced out than the PS4.
right - then instead of TV based consoles, Sony and Microsoft will create fully mobile consoles that utilize their current online stores.
I think that iOS will need to make devices that are more capable of being relevant for more than a year for this to happen... As it stands a new iPad and phone will hit it September that will probably render my iPhone 6 and air 2 useless. They will need to make games that can handle older devices to grab and audience, the majority of us aren't mega wealthy and can't keep up with the slew of new i(fill in noun) that will be out in 2020 ;)
Could I write an article about how in 60 years mobile gaming will be dead? I mean, not to sound TOO snarky, but everything ends... eventually. This article has way too much of a sense of immediacy to really just be saying "oh hey, eventually consoles won't be the thing."
I mean, why not just write the end-all future article about the heat death of the universe?
Right, but the nature of console hardware necessitates that it take years for something like that to happen. Console lifespans are generally 5-7 years. This last one was 8. Current hardware came out in 2013, so we won't even be talking about successors until 2020 or so. So let's say the companies decide to do another generation of hardware. That's another 5-8 or maybe even 10 years that that hardware will be around. If THAT generation fails, to the point that companies are like "welp it's not worth it anymore we aren't doing a new console" it will have been nearly 20 years. However, this current generation of consoles isn't doing as well as the last, and it's very possible with the rate that mobile hardware progresses that by the end of this console generation the big players pack it in and try something else.
You make good points, but the money tells the truth. Game companys make tons of money selling consoles. I think they will continue to sell. The previous generation of console gaming is free advertising for any future console iterations.
Hated, where do you get you're info from??? The XB1 and PS4 are both selling incredibly well and both selling more and fast than their predecessors. How is that 'not doing as well'?
Sorry, it should say 'Jared' at the start of my comment. My iPhone auto-corrected Jared to Hated.
I don't know about Jared, but I get my info from NPD, Chart-Track, and Media-Create. The PS4 is outpacing the PS3, naturally, but it has fallen behind where the Wii was at a similar point in the previous gen and looks like it's going to settle in at ~90 million lifetime (about the same as the Wii ended up) provided nothing totally unexpected happens. Which might happen! But it's not reasonable to predict such things when tracking sales data.
The XB1 fell behind the 360 pretty early on, actually, and it's never going to catch up. It's doing worse in every region compared to its predecessor, and I'd be awfully surprised if it crawled past 50 mill lifetime, and I should stress, that's being generous.
You didn't mention the Wii U, and I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know here, but the Wii U is basically a dead console walking. Its sales are probably going to top out under 20 mill lifetime. Likely closer to 15 mill as it looks like Nintendo's going to put it down fairly soon.
I should mention that all three of these estimates are generous. Most of the sales analysts I know are guessing significantly lower. But let's go with mine, here, and you have total console sales for the gen of about 160 million units. That's not only lower than last gen's ~230 million, but also lower than the gen before's ~190 million. There are many, many reasons for all of that, but reasons don't pay the bills or keep shareholders happy. The console business is factually worse than it's been since the turn of the millennium.
That doesn't mean it's dead, but it's falling off sharply and it probably means something big has to happen to keep it from falling into a niche or collapsing into the much healthier PC business. And by big, I mean something on the level of the revolution Steam and the rise of social networking brought to PC gaming. Could that be VR? That's what everyone is hoping at this point, but only time will tell on that one.
I think EVERYONE classes the original Wii as an anomaly. Those sort of sales had never been accomplished before, and probably won't again.
I'm surprised to see your comments on XB1. Everything I've read suggests it's doing significantly better than Xbox 360. I even checked after reading your comment. A simple Google search produced a number of links to articles from Microsoft, Gamespot, Forbes etc. all quoting how XB1 is outselling the Xbox 360 at the same milestones (and in November last year XB1 outsold PS4). All these articles quote stats from NPD.
The Wii moved fast early on, but it burnt out relatively quickly. Its final total was actually considerably lower than the PS2, but the HD twins made up for a lot in the seventh gen. That sustained fireball is unlikely to happen again, though, I agree with you. People suspected the PS4 might have been able to do it (it was ahead for a few months due to having more supply than the Wii did and enough demand to move it all), but as I said, it's fallen off. That said, I expect it to catch up again by the end of the gen. The PS2 numbers are the ones that will truly never be seen again, I think.
As for the XB1, I wish I could share exact numbers, but it's a super no-no with NPD and Chart-Track. I can say that the US sales of the 360 at this point last gen exceeded the XB1's current worldwide sales, but I can't specify or give you a source you can go and look at, so if you don't believe me, that's certainly understandable. Just appreciate that nobody is putting out exact numbers and everyone (and I'm not excluding myself) has an angle of some sort.
I don't think you'll find any sales analyst worth their salt that will claim this console gen will end up surpassing the previous one, and not many will even go as far as say it will beat the one before that. Lots of good reasons, of course, and I don't think mobile is the biggest one by any means (PC PC PC), but like I said - reasons don't change the outcome, they only explain it.
Now, the handheld market? Yeah, that blood is on mobile's hands. It'll survive, but it's going to be increasingly niche as time goes on.
Anyway, I have to head home for the night, so if I don't reply again here for a long while, I'm not ignoring you, promise! I'm just enjoying delicious supper and sleepytime. Thanks for the discussion!
I appreciate your opinion, but you're basically saying 'trust me' when there are numerous other reports instantly available on the internet suggesting the exact opposite. All the most recent articles that I can find are suggesting PS4 is selling RIDICULOUSLY well and the Xbox One is 'smashing' previous Xbox records.
With the numerous vitriolic articles on TouchArcade propagating the 'death' of console/traditional gaming, surely you can understand why some people (such as myself) would wish that TA were just a little bit more... appreciative of gaming as a whole (you might be, but it comes across - intentionally or otherwise- that TA are almost actively wishing mobile gaming takes over and 'kills' consoles).
I'm not trying to be facetious, I'm just getting tired of this 'anti-console' bias and I feel it's worth debating/ correcting 😜
What you seem to forget is that there's no new physical media this gen. A lot of people bought a PS2 for it's DVD player, so much that I remember the low attach rate being an issue for a while. Then the PS3 came with the Bluray drive, another system seller. There was a point where it was almost impossible here to buy a Sony TV that didn't come with a PS3 and a bunch of movies. And like someone else's said, the Wii was an anomaly and ended up being a bowling/fitness machine for a lot of non gamers.
We have none of that this gen. I've got dozens of devices that can run Netflix, haven't used physical media for my movies in years. There hasn't been a hit game for casuals yet (bowling, guitar hero / rock band, etc.)
You've got access to better data than I do but I think it has a lot more impact on consoles sales than PC gaming, even if I've been a proud member of the master race for a long time.
So much for your theories eh "The PS4 has seen quite a good run in terms of sales, so much so that Sony has even dubbed its PS4 to have experienced potentially the strongest sales and fastest movement in the history of its PlayStation console, CNet reported. Since its launch, two years ago, the PS4 has sold over 30.2 million units all over the world."
In 20 years or so the future generation will probably still be playing on a home console, along with VR of some sort and the newest iPhone. Neither one of these things is going to suddenly spike in popularity after the older generation dies out.
To be pedantic, you're right. Not over night, but the article is written with a sense of immediacy, to quote; "Do you want to know why the dedicated gaming system is not dead now, but soon will be?".
20 million for 7 billion people on the planet. Now redirect the PHONE or TABLET you are reading this on and look up how many phones and tablets are in the world. Now think a bit, and realize potential. Just because ftp games are the norm now doesn't mean it always will be. As the console players migrate to other platforms, more and more games will be designed for them.
Agree. Its a shame that developers haven't realized such potential yet.
I don't think it's that we haven't realized the potential, so much as look at all the competition that's there and how much harder it is to stand out on mobile than it is on consoles. The mobile space is filled with noise.
As an independent developer, I wouldn't even want to touch the mobile space because too many big companies are stealing the market with paid installs, etc.
I feel like unless game controllers for mobile became a norm or some new revolutionary input device were designed, you still won't get the sort of fine-tuned quick-response you get from console controller inputs. Shooters, for example, will never quite be the same on mobile without the use of controllers. This is all my opinion of course, and I -want- to love mobile and not care about consoles anymore, but there are many experiences on console I could never see myself having (in its entirety) on mobile.
It has a lot to do with exclusivity as well. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all refuse to allow their games to go onto mobiles because they will no longer have exclusivity. Their won't be a reason to just buy a microsoft phone or sony phone. They would essentially lose out on all that hardware profit.
I agree with most of what you say. Mobile does need standard controllers for the reasons you stated. I detest virtual controllers and can't even play most of the old video games (think 80's like pac-man, defender, etc) on my tablet. You would think the older the game the better it would be for mobile. But that certainly is not so. The only area I really do disagree is being an independent developer I would definitely look at the mobile platform first. The games making big money on the consoles are not the smaller games, but the major releases (Call of Duty, etc.). At least so-called smaller games have a chance on mobile platforms, and can become bigger games. There are countless examples of this on the App Store. You also have complete control on pricing and do not have to worry about interference (as much) as by Apple and Google.
I guess actually if I were an independent developer, Steam is where I'd hit. Console does have opportunities for indies, but it's much more of a process to get published.
Steam is never a bad choice...
Indie games are doing really well on PS4 and XBone.
Yes, the potential exists if you look at the number of people who own mobile phones. But, how many of those people who own mobile phones are mobile gamers, would be a better question to ask. Not every phone owner is a gamer.
You have to look at it this way. Asia is far ahead of us when it comes to technology. They adopt new tech far before americans even see its benefits. I mean, look at all the robotics that they are developing with super smart AI.
In asia consoles are selling like complete crap. Thats because mobile devices are HUGE, they can do everything a consoles can, and many times more and all in just the palm of your hand.
Yes, the article is premature, but it is definitely correct in the way it perceives the future.
All we need is for big developers to start making console quality games for mobiles and consoles will die out like the dinosaurs.
GREAT POINT BRO 👋🏾👋🏾👋🏾😃😃😃😃HAS ANYBODY SEEN HOW MUCH THE NEW BATMAN GAME COST I GO IN TARGET GAME IS 60$ + season pass 40$ CALL OF DUTY 60$ SEASON PASS AKA MAP PACKS 50$ BOR TO MENTION CUZ I BOUT ADVANCE WARFARE (never again ) THEY HAVE MICRO TRANSCATIONS FOR GUN SKINS AND SHIT ITS LIKE $2.99 SOOOO LETS NOT BASH MOBILE GAMING AS MUCH CUZ IT WAYYYYYY WORSE ON CONSOLES I HAVE A XBOX ONE AND MAN BETWEEN BUYING THE GAME AND SEASON PASESS I THINK MAN U KNOW HOW MANY MOBILE GAMES I CAN BUY EVEN ONES IM NOT SURE ABOUT AND HAVE A BLAST 😊😊😊😊
Yah, but that's still better than the hundreds the whales are spending for Horrible traps such as Real Paying 3.
Yes, Whales, a.k.a. suckers, are ruining mobile games to some degree. They are the ones that cause designers to focus on things that they are most interested in, as opposed to the vast majority of the players that don't make many purchases. Designers design for the whales. Even if they're only 5% of the market for the games they are usually the ones paying the bills for the developer. Hopefully things like this change as time goes on.
I can't tell if your being sarcastic and angry, or completely serious lol.
Asia also has a vastly different culture than we do. They spend so much time away from home (60%-100% more time per day) and have significantly less space in the home for optional tech like TV or a console. These are the major factors pushing them towards mobile, not being ahead of the curve on tech. This is NOT a new thing- Japan had been preferring mobile consoles (GBA, DS, PSP, etc..) well before smartphones came along. The Vita actually has decent sales there!
Yeah the PSP was huge in Japan.
One day though, 'mobile' will be it, and you shall eat your words with a slab of shrimp sauce
The PS4 has seen quite a good run in terms of sales, so much so that Sony has even dubbed its PS4 to have experienced potentially the strongest sales and fastest movement in the history of its PlayStation console, CNet reported. Since its launch, two years ago, the PS4 has sold over 30.2 million units all over the world.
I'd like to see that future where friends and family sit around a tiny iPad in the middle of the kitchen table to watch TV shows like GoT. Or instead of hearing a blockbuster movie through Dolby 5.1 surround while watching it on a big screen, we get tinny sounding 1" speakers and a 9.4" display. Viewing media for many people is a social experience- that's not going to replaced by a tablet or VR helmet.
Of course kids prefer the tablet. They can watch whatever they want with a simpler interface than a TV. It's just the freedom (a rare thing for children) afforded to them that's appealing.
I'd also like to mention that while I'm writing this comment my 8 year old nephew is playing my Playstation 4 on one TV while my 6 year old niece is playing my Wii U on the other. They both have access to an iPad but will chuck it in a second flat to get to play one of my consoles. Even at that young an age they understand the difference in the experience.
http://time.com/3615387/tv-...
This^
PSHHHH PLEASE THE WII U REALLY THAT THING IS LIKE THE SEGA DREAMCAST 😂😂😂😂😂😂
LOL! SO RIGHT!
You completely missed the point for an excuse to bash the Wii U, way to go. The Internet is so proud of you.
Do people actually watch TV as a family anymore haha. I haven't heard of or seen a family do that in at least a decade.
I didn't just say family or just TV.
My sister and her kids and I love watching movies together. And friends get together to watch GoT and True Detective all the time.
That's funny, just finished doing it an hour ago.
We do from time to time. We all watched Zoo tonight.
It is funny I used to think this way. Then as I got older I realized having the sharpest graphics and the absolute best sound really did not raise my enjoyment level for most television program. Even the movies. What I enjoy post was the storytelling. Certainly there are times when having the best sound enhances my enjoyment. But for the most part watching it on a smaller screen is going to be good enough and make me happy. For the big event movies where the graphics and sound really can make a difference, movies like Jurassic Park, I will go to the theatre.
I actually said a whole lot more than just that.
I, like many people, enjoy watching movies I love over and over. Movies are only in the theater for a few months so how do you suggest re-creating that experience with an iPad?
Its not just about the quality. It's about having others in your life that you enjoy watching movies and TV with. Most people don't only watch stuff by ourselves on a tiny screen.
This is where you and I are different. I'm not one for watching TV with other people. When I'm with a group I like more interactive things. Our family and friends are big on board games. Not Monopoly and Sorry but more strategic, or sometimes all the social games out there, like Balderdash. I see where watching programming together can be a shared experience, allowing you to common thing to discuss. It's just not the way our family consumes tv or movies at home. I am sure there are plenty of people like both of us.
Exactly. I like doing both, it just depends who I'm with. Plus I have an exhausting day most of the week and laying out on the couch with friends is a great wind-down. Plus I love movies.
I'm just making the point that this article saying TV is doomed is ridiculous.
Idk i dont think couch gaming will go anywhere. Having a nice console and TV just seems like the ideal way to game for me and others. Sure 5 year olds love gaming on their tablets and stuff, but once they've grown up a bit and realized the community/games/quality of consoles and PC's they'll commute to that. I mean my little nephew lived off of minecraft pocket edition and geometry dash. I showed him minecraft xb1 edition and he immediately got attached to it. Now hes got a 360 himself lol. Hes constantly chatting/yelling with his friends on his 360 playing what ever the heck they play. I just like to accept the fact that there are different types of gamers. Mobile and console/PC. Neither will take over the other. But this is all speculation no on knows what is going to happen. Heck, some new technology might probably be introduced next year and it'll make consoles/tablets/PC irrelevant the following years...
Btw i love these articles that create discussion. Keep it up!
Agreed it reminds me my opionion is only that, love to see other thoughts.
Well then, screw it. I guess in the next 20 years, I'm going to turn into a hipster purist who only plays video games on a TV.
Really though, what do these kinds of articles matter? None of the platforms are going anywhere! Consoles won't stop being made and neither will mobile phones. The "screen" will remain a centerpiece of the home. The technology will always be changing, and interactive media will always be a part of it.
And let's face it, we'd always like to see something on an larger screen than something you have to squint at to see in your hands.
If mobile gaming is the future of all gaming then the future is chaotic and terrifying, random hits, white whale consumers who burn trash cans of money for weird f2p games, and the occasional great game that only makes sense on a touch interface that I'll love. I'm a huge touch arcade fan, and I'm a huge mobile gaming fan. But the ecosystem could not withstand being the main platform for gaming. People just aren't dedicated enough to anything when they are on their phones, and free to play is going to wear people down eventually. Multiple platforms makes the most sense. This argument has been made about movie theaters as well, but at the end of the day, a big screen and a big cinematic experience just can't be taken in on a mobile device in the same way and people will always want it, that's not to say it's the best way to experience something, but it's a particularly unique way to and people will continue to seek things like that out.
Quicker, shorter, cheaper, more individualized... It's snack food.
You can use it as a substitute for a meal when in a hurry, but It's not as satisfying or as nourishing. Still, it sells, and it's tasty. And It's part of our culture now.
That is such a great way to explain it. It's like there are the millions eating McDonald's yet there is still room for fine dining and gourmet meals. Two different desires.
Why do you people keep writing crap like this, who are you trying to convince?
It starts a debate. I come here for the forum debate as well as the articles.
The so called clickbait. Haven't you heard about it? We all have. We know it is. But we can't resist clicking on it, reading it, and going straight to the comment section.
What a timely article I was just thinking of this on the way home today. It's crazy how my son won't know what a cassette is, or weird we played video games on plastic cartridges. Our friends son is always on the iPad or phone even though he has a Wii U and Xbone (just for reference he's 7).
It's just weird, it's a weird time. Not bad, it's just so crazy... Never even mind ten or twenty years, there will be even more changes over five years I bet...
It's crazy that I create apps writing code instead of punching holes in paper cards....
And that I start a car with just twisting a key and not winding it up with some sort of crow bar....
Or that my TV has always been in color....
Crazy times. Crazy times.
Eh touché lol
You'd want to do that because no matter how good games get on mobile they are never going to be as epic as sitting down in front of a monster TV with insane surround sound with a game that has far more scope than a mobile device will ever allow. Kids..psshhht
Kids just like them because the TV is controlled by the grown-ups. It's much easier for a parent to limit the content a child has access to on an iPad.
True
"TV sucks" *Goes back to watching YouTube*
Do you really believe console gaming will be dead? When those twelve year olds grow up and see what a real game is they'll switch to consoles / PC :p
thank you YES
this is the absolute dumbest post i have ever read,it is absolutely ABSURD for you to think that tablets will outlive consoles.
But who's to say the consoles don't adapt, with new tech that works as a main console on TV ( for adult gamers which is much of the total gamer population) and tablets? There is plenty of logic that mobile replaces consoles, but consoles could have replaced PC gaming.
In the end it isn't only what the young gamers are doing, it's what gamers are doing as a whole. Plenty of kids play on PCs. It's a bit much to definitively say consoles or PCs will be dead.
Oh, says some marketing firm? I'm sure that's what they want us to believe, as the ability to sell advertising is pretty limited within the console game experience. Where as every company on earth is in love with the idea of shoving targeted ads at people walking around with screens in their pockets. The console gaming industry made nearly $50 billion dollars last year, I'd hardly call that a dying industry. I remember when PC gaming was "dying" in the mid nineties. And when the motion picture industry was "dying" in the 1950s when television came along. I believe mobile gaming will continue to grow because it has no reason not to, but claiming the doom of console games (which are in the midst of trying reinvent themselves) is the same clairvoyant statement we always hear when there's a paradigm shift in any industry.
Well, I like mobile gaming, but I love PC gaming. And I still really like console gaming, but mobile comes in last for me.
If I can't play World of Warcraft, or similar games on a tablet - and why would I want to? - then mobile gaming will always be my least favorite way to game.
Sorry, but no. Mobile gaming is not going to replace or surpass consoles ever. PCs will always be there and be able to run newer and better games. That means consoles will constantly be there to catch up to compete. I'd say often people have and use both.
Consoles are cheaper than expensive mobile devices and they make it easier for parents to monitor the content their kids are exposed to.
Consoles and computers also will always be a better investment when it comes strictly to entertainment.
Mobile gaming will probably always be there I am sure. It could benefit a lot of apple and android came up with an easy way to stream the image from the phone to big screens to play games and other tasks, thereby adding functionality that resembles consoles.
There is profit to be made from reality TV's dominance, but premium content like Game of Thrones is still thriving. Vinyl is still a music choice for those who prefer it, while MP3 dominates sales. I see mobile gaming becoming mainstream, which will grow it and improve it, but consoles will persist for those willing to pay for the premium experience.
Maybe console gaming will die out when AAA games like GTA V and Arkham Knight come to iOS. I cant see gamers sit and play Candy Crush or endless runners all day. Mobile games can be fun, but are mostly small and quick. Games like GTA V you can play for hours on end. A majority of mobile games also suck, and I doubt that will change very soon.
I agree entirely.
I would prefer a touch screen device to re-watch all my cartoons if I was under 10 yes, but I think as you grow so does your need for more. As someone else posted, what kid would rather use a tablet than a wii or console? Also, they are using these things because it's what the parents buy them. Give them a choice and some time to grow up and I'm sure they would pick the TV & console every time... or maybe I'm just getting early on set cane shaking :)
Consoles are living stronger than ever. Mobile gaming shouldn't be compared to it and vise versa. Also I personally use a monitor to play my various consoles on. Yes TV's suck, but having a monitor running 1080p fixes the problem real quick. There shouldn't be competition between phones and consoles anyways. The only form of comparison anyone can make us with Nintendo platforms, because they outright said they were competing with phones and not current generation console platforms like PS4 and Xbox One. Seriously though, there is a fine line between phone / tablet gaming and console / PC gaming.
While I love my iPad, I personally enjoy gaming on a big screen tv with a controller in my hands far more. When these kids who think the TV suck, grow up, a lot of them are going to find that after a long day of work, there's something relaxing about leaning back in a comfortable chair and gaming on a good tv. I'm also willing to bet that a lot of them will change their tune when they can afford a good entertainment setup. That said, I'm not too worried myself about console gaming dying since I'm far more into retro gaming. Most of what I game with is already obsolete. I'm just glad I can relive the games I enjoyed as a child. In a couple decades most of these tablet and phone games will be lost to oblivion.
Same was said of PC gaming when consoles were on the rise, but no, here we are with everything working fine for different audiences. Consoles will change, PC too, and mobile / tablet along with it.
And yet gaming websites like IGN and Eurogamer are still thriving and mobile gaming websites like TouchArcade (the self proclaimed biggest and best!) are sinking and need a Patreon to survive.
In fact, if TA can't see that the two mediums co-exist separately then you're never going to get my money for your Patreon. And I was *this* close to giving you something because I thought you'd got past this extremely short sighted and petty type of argument.
I think that a more realistic approach would be to say that mobile will pave the way to console for young gamers. I think it will be a point of transition, because as these little guys get older they will want more. In fact, ALL the kids I teach have some kind of console in addition to a mobile gaming system. They scratch different itches, honestly. This is just a click bait article. (It worked, lol)
This. I have been saying for ages that this is exactly what is happening. My experiences are exactly the same as yourself. Kids start with edutainment games/apps on tablet, then start playing some more traditional games on tablet (F2P or premium) and then they see what they can play on console and then they want a deeper more rewarding experience. This is how it is with absolutely every kid I know. My son probably still spends way more time on his iPad than his PS3, but he gets way more excited for PS3 games (he went nuts for Lego Dimensions! Even games like Skylanders that ARE available on mobile, chose it on PS3 because "it's better").
Plus, the 6.5 million steam users, the millions of Xbox/PS3-4 owners and dozens of wii u owners say hi.
I just want to point out that you're probably confusing Steam's total amount of users with the amount of users currently online. As of right now there are 5.5 million steam users who are online, however the total number of steam users passed 100 million last year.
Holy shit!!
Hm, interesting... I feel like this generates debate but this one really just plays to the sort of trugamer fanboy tribalism that is just too easy to tap into for the sake of views and vented spleens. Give them a subject that makes them feel like they're losing ground to something they hate and they'll happily complain how stupid everyone else is and they have the master plan that'll please everyone who matters, them. It works well and TA knows it.
It's trash articles like this that have made me stop caring about this website.
I use my iPad Air 2 for live Tv and football. Netflix too. Scheduled tv programmes are so 2014! Watched the whole of House of cards (39 episodes) in 42 hours. Watched the whole of Breaking Bad in 5 days. My 3 year old godson has never watched tv. On his own iPad air 2 or his family's iMac for YouTube or Netflix or Sky Go.
That's great, I can do all that stuff on my PS4, you didn't really mention gaming though.
Wow this article makes me cringe so hard..
You are totally ignoring the problem that most mobile games sucks and you get bored of them quickly.
Most of the better games are ports of proper consoles and pc.
This is just this generation's version of 'pc gaming is dead' touted by console players until today.
Newsflash: pc gaming is more alive than ever and so will console gaming continue to be. Both have their places. Mobile games on the other hand consist of barely disguised cash grabs, endless runners or pixelated games ( just because its popular and cheaper).
Haha, it was a fun read.
Actually, the game park is completely different on mobiles than on consoles. Until console quality titles (with premium price!!!) drowns out the f2p crap, consoles won't be in danger at all. Sure, companies can start going toward the f2p mobile market, but mature gamers won't choose that over premium games.
So I continue to love my N3DS, PS Vita and iPad4 together. :-)
An interesting article - but am I the only one that finds the video seriously scary? I love gaming, especially mobile gaming, but I don't happen to think that a young child being transfixed by an iPad and not having to interact with the rest of the family is a particularly healthy thing. It comes back to the fact that just because we can do something like watch films/videos 24/7 it doesn't necessarily mean we should be. I personally make sure I have at least 1 day a week without any 'screen time', i.e. no phone, tablet or pc, as It makes me feel so much better. The main draw of mobile technology - that you can have everything and anything you need wherever you are - is also its biggest fault. This instant gratification culture is making us poorer people in the long term...
"My vision of the future is a console like experience that is mobile" That is what this story is saying. I have no idea what Candy Crush has to do with anything.
To mods,
While I agree that mobile gaming's where the future is (at least for a foreseeable future, and I'm pretty sure there're data to back this up), this article completely disregarded consoles simply because they aren't mobile and don't have interactable screen. Read the article again and tell me I'm wrong.
One million Candy Crush clones won't kill consoles. Now if there're a hundred Implosion (one of the very few console-like mobile game) clones out there, it'll be another story.
This comment isn't meant to offend anyone, but I thought TouchArcade writer is better than this and I'm very disappointed in the way this story is written.
Mobile gaming isn't the only reason consoles are doing poorly, and hardcore games aren't dying off. The rise in popularity of games like Elder Scrolls and Dark Souls testifies to that.
The reason consoles are doing so poorly is because:
(1) casual gamers have all moved to mobile gaming; they most likely have a phone already and don't care about game quality because they don't spend much time playing anyway
(2) more and more "hardcore" gamers have transitioned to using personal computers because they most likely already own a computer, the specs can surpass that of consoles (this wasn't true until recently), most of them spend a lot of time gaming so they don't mind dishing out serious cash, and way more games are now available for PC, including the same game titles available for console
Consoles may be able to make a rise again if...
(1) they feature more console exclusive games
(2) they somehow invent a console with great specs at a price lower than that of most computers
(3) or they come up with a stupid gimmick that gets people's attention (cough, cough, Nintendo)
The last generation in console terms was long over it's expiration date.
If publishers get a say in it the live span will be brought back to 4 or 5 years.
Somehow the longer a console runs the more creativiteit goes down ( according to Yves Guillemot of Ubisoft). Activision and EA have said this to not so open as Ubisoft did. So if they get their way the next gen will see light in 2018 or sooner.
What they do not take into account is that last gen are still very populair in upcoming markets and are often handen down to younger familly members who experience and discover gaming. Sure mobile devices wil with no doubt grow and become more versatile. As it stands mobile devices are a consumption product with a short lifespan. When they are getting upgradable and more taillored to it's specific user needs they wil most likely create their own market or move the PC market a few notches down. Let's be honest have they not been saying Pc gaming is dead for some decades. And if we look at that at the moment it is booming again.
Pc is the future
You laugh at being tethered to the wall with a land line phone, but if you're gaming on your phone, you're still tethered only to the power outlet instead!
I've either received or bought every console since Atari . The last systems I've bought were PS3, Wii u , Xbox 360... I will not be buying anymore systems. Now I have 3 kids and a wife . With. My job and family , I have no time to dedicate console time to a game. But I do have time to game on my phone or tablet because it's easily assessable as I have 5 minutes to spare here and there. Also their are thousands of quick games at my fingertips that I can buy and delete any minute. I also have adhd so iOS gAming is perfect for me because I quickly get bored with games and can buy and delete hundreds a day if I wanted.
I've been a gamer my whole life. I grew up with my Nintendo NES and would love to see Nintendo even go together with a phone company and make a Nintendo / droid phone. Maybe a Galaxy NES . All the great phone features with a gaming twist. That would be amazing
The text at least does not factor in couch co-op at all. I would think that is a factor that can keep consoles going. I for one enjoy couch co-op more than on line.
Exactly.
I don't know where you get the idea that console gaming is dying. It makes a lot more money than mobile gaming. I play exclusively on console and I've been playing games for more than 30 years, since before the Atari.
This article just seems like it's deliberately oversimplifying in order to be provocative and attract clicks. Grand Theft Auto V made $1 billion in its first 3 days on sale on consoles. If you look at lists of the top grossing video games none of them are mobile. Sure, mobile is popular, and I'm sure some F2P mobile games make as much, or will soon, as the top grossing console games, but I don't see any evidence that console gaming is near dead. Until mobile devices can run games like AAA console games, they're not going to replace consoles.
It's a generation of idiots who I hope will have better taste and demand better games someday. Anyway, this was a problem with the whole cycle of Game Boy systems, too, shovelware and young players with no taste. Doesn't mean those kids still play Game Boy as adults.
Not just that but friends are too addicted to their phones to visit so why not social gaming
Hahaha no way is console going to die lol it will become a smaller market that will always be catered for untill..... A platform is released that will kill console and mobile. Personally i truly believe that platform without a shadow of a doubt will be vr or hololens. There is no where else to go, graphically the bar can be raised so high, so logically the next gaming platform will be one that gives more immersion, touch, maybe smell or even taste! Yes if done right some twist on 3d virtual reality concept will be the platform to end consoles if anything does, mobile is just not at that point yet. There is only so much f2p kids today can stomach, give them another 5 years and they will be yearning for a deeper richer gaming experience. So yeah i really dont believe for a second, not one second that mobile will end console. And im a mobile gamer only, my choice is the tablet, air 2 right now, so im not being buyest. Its nice to read articles like this as its just a big shit stirring stick lol as in they know its not gonna end console but it will sure as hell fire up our loyal gamers lmao each platform will have its own space.....thats not going to change for a good long while ✌🏼️
It's like saying that classical music has no future, because the majority of kids listens to disco music. Complete drek.
Pivi...i coudnt have put it better myself ✌🏼️
What you're saying is absolutely right, but it seems like you have more of a partisan view of it in this article than others I've read.
That's not to say I don't appreciate the article though.
99.9% of touch based games are shovelware. Touch screens are bloody awful for responsive or precise controllers. If the person who wrote this thinks the skyrims of the world are to be crushed by cutesy time wasting apps they are stupid.
Peasant Consoles? Low quality mobiles? But what about the GLORIOUS PC MASTER RACE?
Just kidding, I like both consoles and PC.
Anyway this article is pure bullcrap. It's not ALWAYS the kids playing video games you know. I don't know about some random 5 year olds but I do know that instead of these crappy and extremely low quality mobile games, most teenagers and adults will definitely choose that beautiful 1080p (and even 4k stuff with PC) graphics and actual QUALITY games.
I mean, for just one game like angry birds, you find maybe about a hundred other rip-offs. Not to mention annoying and stupidly designed ads and in-app purchases that tell you to buy it for eff off with their game.
Honestly, I can't imagine playing a mobile game for more than 5-10 minutes.
It's hard to take this site seriously. Google blocked. Spare us of your ridiculousness.
Mobile gaming is not the future no matter how much anyone wishes it were true. There's literally no money..the games are getting worse by the second....and who really GAF about playing games on a 5" screen? Easy...literally nobody. Which is exactly why there's little to no game loyalty because, again, they all suck...have numerous bugs (every single game) and players easily tire of them. TV gaming (console or next gen) will still rule. I don't consider Oculus Rift as 'mobile'.
I highly doubt playing games with little substance similar to what was on addicting games .com back in the day with shit touch screen controls will replace an emersive gaming experience offered my console and PC. Mobile gaming is a joke and the reason kids are mostly using mobile is because they don't have consoles. Sit a kid down with a tablet with angry birds and a PS4 with actual video games and they'll choose the PS4.
Economy haven't picked up since 2007. 60 bucks a game is not affordable when you can play better multiplayer games on mobile phones for free. Strategy games have already died on consoles. Sooner than later people will start playing free multiplayer FPS on smartphones. VR is not the future, at least not anytime soon and I wont buy one till we are entirely sure about the negative side effects of wearing one for hours in a gaming session.
Consoles may survive if they make strong singleplayer story experiences on par with Hollywood.