sublimit
Banned
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/198083/Smartphone_game_sales_are_rocketing_in_Japan.php
Can't wait for FFXVI to be smartphone exclusive.
Can't wait for FFXVI to be smartphone exclusive.
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Japanese smartphone game market grew 5 times between 2011 and 2012 to $5.1 Billion
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DangerJuice
Member
That is something Square would do.
I can definitely understand it since the install base is so huge but I feel a considerable amount of alienation from companies like Capcom and SE who are going this route.
I hope they enjoy their free money while it lasts, because they are basically burning the IPs they created from real games, and eventually they will run out of ready made assets to revamp, and they will dilute their properties until they are of limited worth.
plus if they release mobile versions of handheld games too close to the original release, people will start waiting for the mobile release, so handheld sales will collapse - meaning there is nothing to support the investment needed for the original game for the mobile version to leech off.
edit: that sounds rantier than I expected it too. I'm not against mobile versions of console games, I'm just wary that companies will eat their own tails.
Basically what SE did with FF.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Bu..but...3DS sales!!!
Or NIntendo does something or they will be left behind like they were in the console market.
Or NIntendo does something or they will be left behind like they were in the console market.
Bill Rizer
Member
Until a big geomagnetic storm will blow away all smartphones (and those who play subpar games onto).
Well at least Square Enix has made a lot of official statements about wanting to make higher end phone games.
That's quite a big overreaction.
EDIT: I mean that, since Japan is handheld centric (the opposite of the West), the main handheld (which is also the main console, like 3DS) will still get lots of support.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
When was the last worthwhile SE game announced for 3DS? (so Gyrozetter dosn't count)
Look at the scaled back Capcom support compared the first year of the console.
Or other similar Japanese companies. Anime/otaku games are still healthy on the system (like in Vita) but if that's what we can expect from 3rd party japanese companies (Gyrozetter, that new Capcom game for kids, or level 5 stuff) then I'd say that Nintendo is missing the train...
More like that's a shit load of Puzzle and Dragons,
Palette Swap
Member
So, let me get this straight.
In 2012, the Japanese market was:
- $2.7 billion for smartphone games
- $5.1 billion for mobile games overall (what are non-smartphone games?)
- $4.6 billion for traditional games hardware + software according to Enterbrain, divided in $1.8 billion in software and $2.8 in hardware.
Currency issues notwithstanding )not too sure about the dollar conversion rate used in that second source), mobile gaming looks to be in the same ballpark as traditional gaming including hardware. Am I missing something or was this known?
(minor edit to fix 2.6 to 2.8)
In 2012, the Japanese market was:
- $2.7 billion for smartphone games
- $5.1 billion for mobile games overall (what are non-smartphone games?)
- $4.6 billion for traditional games hardware + software according to Enterbrain, divided in $1.8 billion in software and $2.8 in hardware.
Currency issues notwithstanding )not too sure about the dollar conversion rate used in that second source), mobile gaming looks to be in the same ballpark as traditional gaming including hardware. Am I missing something or was this known?
(minor edit to fix 2.6 to 2.8)
Relaxed Muscle
Member
non-smartphone games is stuff like mobage and other web based games.
Yeah, they're definitely at the forefront. They have been since it became obvious that smartphone gaming was something to take seriously. I hope it works out for them.
They just announced another DQ remake for it.
I just have no interest in playing games on my iPhone. It's a poor experience.
If I had an iPad I might be interested in playing certain types of games at home.
It's not that I don't understand why it's happening, it's that I'm annoyed it's happening on platforms that are completely unintuitive for gaming.
Hell, I understand how powerful my S4 is. Put a Dpad on it, some face buttons, some shoulder buttons, I'm in whole hog. But I don't want to play Grand Theft Auto with touch controls. Ever. Period.
That can't be right, but I can't see why it's wrong.
Smartphone games make substantially more money than traditional games in Japan. That seems to be true, yet it sounds strange even to my ears.
I buy and play phone games. 98% of them ate crap, no hyperbole. This is personally my only issue, the crap to gold ratio is something the industry had never seen before, not even on Wii or Atari 2600.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Well, we knew that DQ is staying in 3DS anyway (and we'll stay won't see them in the west). Still is a piss poor situation compared DS days.
ComputerMKII
Banned
The Xbox One is so dead in Japan.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Your basically arguing if traditional gaming in Japan is dead then considering how much the 3DS has a monopoly over there. This isn't simply about Nintendo anymore but traditional Japanese gaming as a whole because console development certainly isn't all that profitable for Japanese developers anymore (at least the large budget ones anyway).
The new Amazon box may suit your needs better, given Amazon is going to devs and trying to get them to put controller support in their games.
As an actual company (unlike Ouya), they actually might have a fair amount of success rounding up support as well.
I'm curious as to how that money is actually spread over games. Like is that mostly P&D money? It's interesting to think if the highs are really that high then the lows must be abysmal (may not matter to indies but to big corps it probably does). But also I think what's most important for business is if there's a pattern of repetition. Can you continue to churn enough on the average mobile game or do you fade out like Zynga when you're no longer the "it" thing?
I still don't understand why these companies don't treat their phone releases like handheld releases and continue to make handheld/phone exclusives.
I mean, why not release something like Square's Final Fantasy remakes on 3DS/Vita/iOS/Android? It seems to me like that's just leaving money on the table.
I mean, why not release something like Square's Final Fantasy remakes on 3DS/Vita/iOS/Android? It seems to me like that's just leaving money on the table.
Do you buy blind? Try checking out the iOS thread on here, it's a very good resource.
I buy an awful lot of phone games and I've found that it doesn't take long before you can easily separate the wheat from the chaff. I'm reminded of the old C64 / Spectrum / CPC464 days, where anyone in a bedroom could have a crack and creativity and originality was rife.
I'm digging it, personally. Never had a wider selection of games at my fingertips.
-COOLIO-
The Everyman
yessir.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Japanese switched traditional gaming to handhelds (mostly), is not about console gaming is about that they are even droping handheld gaming and Nintendo is basically letting this to happen, because their IP's are still healthy for the most part, so they don't care about staying retail and premium prices as long as they can.
I have yet to see good results of such compromises. Port of old ass games and crap like All the Bravest. Even their "best" efforts are comparable to mid to low tier, budget Ps1 era RPGs. But apparently that's what the market wants...
Games on mobile phones are obviously the way to go. Third parties aren't involved with a first party making decisions like overpriced hardware that is incredibly weak and outdated just to line their pockets. Just ship out the best game for your customers who would rather play on their phone then buy a overpriced and outdated handheld to play the game.
How far did you get in Deus Ex: The Fall and Bloodmasque to think it is PS1 quality?
Nexon's data is right here:
http://pdf.irpocket.com/C3659/qnwX/q0mN/U4Q2.pdf
Mobile revenue: 7,291 million yen, last year it was 180 million yen
PC revenue: 29,333 million yen, last year it was 22,697 million yen
You are looking at Q3 2012. We are now in Q3 2013.
I don't, but it's so tricky. I bought After Burner Climax despite negative fan reception and out was a turd indeed. I buy Prince of Persia S&F despite negative fan reception and it's probably the best game I've played on a phone. I buy League of Evil because of universal praise (I recall a guy saying it was particularly better than Wario Land Shake It, lol) and Ididn't like it.
Mostly because people want several things which may include 1) deeper experiences 2) buttons 3) proper treatment of IPs rather than quick cash-ins or ports...
I've tried a few of the more popular phone games and I just don't see the appeal. Most of them are tap to win browser games so I can definitely see why people aren't happy with those.
All 3 of those are virtually guaranteed to arrive over the next few years. We know that numbers 1 & 2 are already being worked on, 3 will be a natural progression from 1.