I'm talking about more than just the graphics. Those games are far cry of the scope of PsOne era games like MGS or FFVII.
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Japanese smartphone game market grew 5 times between 2011 and 2012 to $5.1 Billion
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I'm talking about more than just the graphics. Those games are far cry of the scope of PsOne era games like MGS or FFVII.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
That's quite an statement to do 1) and 3) requires time and budget, which is the reason why so many companies are going the mobile route, cheap and fast releases with really big returns of money.
This too. So much this.
Aside from that, you have companies like SE or Capcom largely ignoring their other audiences in favor for mobile games. If they were continuing to cater to the existing audiences as well as producing mobile titles then people wouldn't be so down about mobile games.
It is quite a statement. I stand behind it firmly too. Titles like Deus Ex: The Fall and XCom are only the beginning.
The time and budgets needed still pale next to the 'almost as volatile' console market. Hopefully it'll stay that way to a degree because I don't want to read 'we need to sell 5 million copies to break even' in the mobile sector.
If people bought more handheld games, perhaps it wouldn't be this way. I don't want to watch the Vita dying on the vine, but I can't force people to adhere to my purchasing decisions. All I can do is watch the river keep on flowing and make best of the fish that I pull out.
There's a standard controller API as of iOS7.
The iPhone isn't going to get buttons, and having to use a separate controller for a phone game defeats the main purpose of mobile gaming.
I can kind of see the appeal of using a controller to play a game on an iPad you have propped up in front of you... if you have no PC/console and monitor/TV.
I think they've got a good scope given the price. How long did it take you to beat Bloodmasque? It's a 12-20 hour game for $7. Deus Ex is more like 5 hours for $7, but it's supposed to be episodic. I think better graphics and cheaper price is a good trade off for scope, since even most console games are decreasing in playlength.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
I don't think XCom counts since is a port all the major work in the gameplay and the systems was basically done for console/PC. Is a game that wouldn't have been greenlighted on iOS if it wasn't because they had most of the work done.
I didn't say otherwise. But people who are fans of SE, are fans of the super productions of yore, not of simpler but cheaper games. I can see why they are upset with this change.
UltraGunner
Banned
I really want the whole video game industry to crash and take every single plublisher down with it. Its the only plosible way I see for this whole mobile trend to end. And in the likely case that there is no resurgance , we can at least look back fondly on the good parts instead of dreading which beloved IP the pubs will turn into a social card game.
Nothing else^^?
Sure, the 3DS is the one in trouble. Not the Vita, Xbox One, PS4..
Think about it: What platform would a young developper choose after the game market crashed (which means investors will not be forthcoming with money).
Easy and cheap to develop for, huge install base....
The market most dependant on big publishers is the one that would suffer the most if a total crash happened. That market is consoles.
On the other hand there is nothing easier to ignore than mobile cash grabs. It's not like there's a shortage of games.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
There's no hope for Vita, Xbone or even PS4 (or Wii U for that matter), we know that alerady.
Basically everyone is in trouble, but even 3DS is. Not inmediatly but in the future and in the next iterations of Nintendo handhelds.
curlyfriski
Banned
rip traditional gaming
Yeah, a gaming crash would make it unprofitable to make game consoles and unprofitable to invest $20 million on a game. It won't stop Apple from making phones and tablets and that install base is still willing to buy games.
HamPster PamPster
Member
I could go for an ipad mini with a slick controller craddle
UltraGunner
Banned
I don't care if it takes traditional gaming down with it, I just don't want to see shit like BoF 6 ever happen again. The rest of the mobile users can keep playing with their garbage f2p titles for all I care.
In time you'll realise how petty and childish that mindset is. Assuming you're serious.
Chinpoko_Master
Member
When my sister went to Japan about a year ago, she said that most people were still using flip phones. Now that smartphone sales are starting to pick up there, I wonder if we're going to start seeing handheld sales gradually go down like they have in the rest of the world.
I was there in March. I saw mostly smartphones (and still, I saw a TON of 3DS and a couple of Vitas).
sublimit
Banned
I'll be very curious to see how (and if) the next Nintendo handheld survives through the smartphone dominance.
As for Sony it should be obvious by now that Vita will be their last effort in the handheld market.
I will never take mobile phone gaming seriously until major phone manufacturers start releasing controller adapters. swipe and tilt controls do nothing for me.
This saddens me though. I miss the variety that japanese devs brought to traditional consoles back in the day. I hated being treated like a unloved step child while they dragged the butts on translating games though. I will never miss that.
This saddens me though. I miss the variety that japanese devs brought to traditional consoles back in the day. I hated being treated like a unloved step child while they dragged the butts on translating games though. I will never miss that.
OldAsUrSock
Banned
Smartphones need at least 4 buttons so we can get some real gaming. Only a few genres work on smartphones and when you try to port genres like shooters, action/adventure, and the like then they are just gimped versions of what comes on a dedicated gaming device.
Puzzle & Dragons is the biggie for now. It's made GungHo extremely rich.
Chinpoko_Master
Member
This is already kinda happening. Samsung already made an official controller for their phones, and then there's the Shield which is made by Nvidia. iOS7 is also adding official controller support.I will never take mobile phone gaming seriously until major phone manufacturers start releasing controller adapters. swipe and tilt controls do nothing for me.
This saddens me though. I miss the variety that japanese devs brought to traditional consoles back in the day. I hated being treated like a unloved step child while they dragged the butts on translating games though. I will never miss that.
I dread seeing news like this as it means less Japanese games on traditional systems or ones that do get made are for western tastes or the Japanese Otaku niche, its already bad enough seeing oldschool Jap action genres like rail shooters only come out on the 3DS when I want them on a big screen.
I guess Japanese genres becoming more popular on PC is a silver lining.
I guess Japanese genres becoming more popular on PC is a silver lining.
Wondering how Puzzle & Dragons Z will do.
How will that affect iPhone gaming when the vast majority of people are not going to use a controller to play a game on a 4 or 5 inch screen?
Because experience is not the same and people are fearing and this is where the market a as a whole is going. That perhaps their hobby will just collapse and be replaced with mobile only styled games with microtransactions to left and mediorce controls to your right.
There are good games but man they are far in between and they are not the games that make all that money that companies are chasing (hint microtransactions).
This is important. Mark my words, phone gaming will remain touch focused because even something as low as 10% of the iOS or Android buying a controller for their devices sounds like a huge stretch, and by not aiming at the largest portion of the market completely removes the appeal of mobile development. Let's face it, the games that are big on mobile devices don't really require controls, the market as a whole is not demanding controls on their phones.
If managed properly, I think the title is a massive boon for Nintendo. That said, it remains to be seen how many people want to pay £40 for a game they already own and lose the progress they've already accumulated. Chuck in some extra content and a little cross-platform incentive and it could sell like hot cakes.
The vast majority aren't as predictable as you think. It wasn't long ago that people didn't think anyone would play games on their phone.
Given the immense iOS userbase, controllers only need to see marginal adoption rates in order to be worthwhile. Mark my words, it will happen.
None of that matters. Think of games like Max Payne, GTA3, Modern Combat 4 & Deus Ex: The Fall. All of these games currently exist in touch only form and all will be enhanced with optional pad controls. Nothing will change, except for the better.
Japan from what I understand is very similar to Korea, or the other way around (doesn't really matter). Both have small land and don't have large spaces to play games on. Additionally, they rely heavily on commuting and travelling and such. This makes small mobile devices the ideal method of getting their game on. It's unsurprising that this is the outcome.
Pretty much this. What's stopping that minority from acquiring a 3DS and/or Vita if they want that sort of sophistication in their games that traditional control interfaces offer? The markets can surely coexist. As of now I personally couldn't care about Capcom's, Square Enix's, Sega's, and Konami's exclusive mobile offerings with few exceptions because the experiences there pale in comparison to what's on my 3DS and Vita.
Glass Rebel
Member
Maybe this will finally lead to better original mobile titles from Square-Enix, Capcom etc.
S-E's original offerings on iOS have high production values but are utter drek compared to the ports.
S-E's original offerings on iOS have high production values but are utter drek compared to the ports.
Android gaming still isn't big. The first thing we saw with the iOS Controller API was a Crytek game.
Parmenides
Banned
The outlook is pretty bleak,particularly for the PS4,Wii U and Xbone.
Code:
Media Create - Hardware Sales
(Jan 1,2007 Aug 05,2007) (Dec 31,2012 - Aug 04,2013)
NDS 4,693,678 3DS 2,210,593
PSP 1,255,519 PSV 628,664
GBA 43,471 PSP 326,752
Handhelds 5,992,668 Handhelds 3,166,009
Wii 2,365,438 PS3 532,736
PS3 584,420 Wii U 399,142
PS2 488,870 Wii 51,748
360 133,122 360 17,010
GC 9,000
Home Consoles 3,580,850 Home Consoles 1,000,636
Total 9,573,518 Total 4,166,645
Code:
Media Create - Software Sales
2007 - Total 69,630,582 2012 - Total 51,320,551
2007 - Source: Famitsu 500 2012 - Source: Media Create
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Media Create - Software Sales (Week 31)
2012 - YTD 28,741,774 2013 - YTD 24,894,0003DS = Nintendo+MH+DQ+Small Niche Games
Code:
Famitsu Top 30 Since 3DS Launch (Feb 21,2011 Aug 04,2013)
Third Party SW TOT TOT - (MH + DQ)
-----------------------------------------------------------
PS3 19,575,434 19,188,075
PSP 13,816,380 13,371,488
3DS 13,108,057 9,158,505
Wii 2,845,086 2,243,576
NDS 1,979,741 1,979,741
PSV 2,126,870 2,126,870
Wii U 293,928 41,1373DS has been out for ten quarters in Japan
Cumulative Shipments (Unit: Million)
Code:
JAPAN (First ten quarters)
HW NDS HW 3DS SW NDS SW 3DS
Q1 1.45 1.06 2.10 2.18
Q2 2.12 1.27 3.82 3.21
Q3 2.66 2.13 5.82 4.01
Q4 3.62 4.66 9.13 10.28
Q5 5.7 5.85 18.50 13.31
Q6 6.91 6.77 25.34 16.27
Q7 9.25 7.94 34.42 20.37
Q8 10.84 10.88 45.98 29.39
Q9 13.76 11.54 65.20 34.47
Q10 16.02 12.18 75.11 38.78It makes sense. When I got here back in 2008, you never saw a smartphone. Then right around the time the Iphone 3g / 4 hit they were freaking everywhere. Probably because the Iphone is cheaper than 80-90% of the phones available here at the shops.
But anyone screaming doom and gloom for handhelds, don't worry. We all carry purses here, so theres room for both.
But anyone screaming doom and gloom for handhelds, don't worry. We all carry purses here, so theres room for both.
Brofist
Member
I don't think that translates to as much as you think as far as gaming preferences.
Yes many people commute in Japan, so mobile and handhelds are more popular. But I don't think the space issue is the reason consoles are dropping off. Otherwise why wasn't space an issue when the PS2 dominated? Or why is PC gaming so popular in Korea?
The amount of people needed to churn out a decent disk based release has changed. There aren't many 10-15 man teams making block busters these days I'd wager.
You should try the "premium" mobile games that are paid and not tap to win browser/social games!
Hey, it's true, but iOS has several controllers as well and they don't seem to set the world on fire. Most importantly, I don't think controller usage will ever be so big that games are designed around them. For example, the new Prince of Persia having huuuuuuge safety windows to grab an edge and super slow combat - even if it supports controllers.
Thanks for the numbers. 3DS vs DS software is not a pretty sight, pretty much halved.
The iCade stuff, whilst cool, pales into insignificance next to a proper standard controller API.
The 3DS number is due to digital sales being a factor for the latest Nintendo handheld and, above all, the absence of all the Brain Training / Sight Training / others.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
Is there actually going to be a sustainable $5+ market over there for deeper games, or are we going to continue to see mostly fire and forget games that milk nostalgia along with bad impulse control (BoF6 FFATB)?
I mean, I say this watching Big Six third party Japanese pubs run screaming to this one by one as it's harder to fuck up compared to console 'n handhelds which they've been spetacular at self-sabotaging the last 8 years.
We're in a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad place worse than ever if they keep sluming it, along with the dangers of being caught in a fad (see Zynga & friends).
However, if it goes well, it could be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad for Nintendo and Sony....
I mean, I say this watching Big Six third party Japanese pubs run screaming to this one by one as it's harder to fuck up compared to console 'n handhelds which they've been spetacular at self-sabotaging the last 8 years.
We're in a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad place worse than ever if they keep sluming it, along with the dangers of being caught in a fad (see Zynga & friends).
However, if it goes well, it could be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad for Nintendo and Sony....
Digital sales are a minor factor from all we know so far. Smartphones stealing the crowd that bought the titles you mention is a far larger factor, one would reasonably suspect.
Devs are flocking to mobiles because they can make cheap games that are profitable that nickle and dime their customers. There's no reason for them to offer anything more than that on those platforms. If they wanted to do so there's already tons of other platforms that offer the hardware/capability for that.