Console Makers Worry Over Apple's Growing Competition

[wraggster]

The NY Times is running a story about the effect Apple is having on the console gaming market, making Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo worry that consumers will be satisfied playing games on devices that aren't necessarily focused on gaming. Quoting:
"The concerns highlight an accelerating shift away from hard-core games, which have traditionally driven console sales, to more casual ones played on cellphones. Of the 758 new game titles shown at the Tokyo Game Show, 168 were for cellphone platforms — more than twice as many as in the previous year. ... Apple's assault could even eat into sales of home consoles like Nintendo's Wii, Sony's PlayStation 3 or Microsoft's XBox, as game-playing quickly becomes centered on cellphones. Many in the industry say that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft need to explore more radical changes to their businesses, including an emphasis on software rather than hardware and a better way for users to download games. 'As a platform, the cellphone has the biggest potential, because everybody owns one,' said Kazumi Kitaue, chief executive at another game maker, Konami Digital Entertainment. A family with three children might buy just one Wii or PlayStation to share, but those children will probably have cellphones of their own and download and play games, Mr. Kitaue said."

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/09/09/27/0126230/Console-Makers-Worry-Over-Apples-Growing-Competition

[Eviltaco64]

Meh, I'd still rather have a DS or PSP and a seperate cellphone.

[symbal]

This exact subject has been discussed a million times a thousand ways, is anyone actually left with a view they haven't already repeated, i know i certainly haven't.

[inlovewithi]

I've always speculated that as computers get more powerful, it will eventually make all consoles obsolete. This story reminds me of that.

Imagine lets say 15 years from, if an cheap cell phone has enough computer power power to handle a game like Crysis. Even now cheap graphics has become good enough for many, one of the reason's why the Wii does so well. Why spend so much money for a PS3 when the Wii's graphics are just good enough. As technology improves, well I'm tired. I didn't explain what I wanted to say well, but I think some will get my point.

[symbal]

Phone's will replace consoles and computers in future because they already fitting little dlp projectors for an easy 30 inch screen, they also working on foldable screens so you can have computer monitor always with you, and they just have to crack the cooling problem on mobile processors and they can match modern pc's.. why would anyone want a home computer with all that and more in 15 years.

[osgeld]

Yea, they have been working on foldable screens since the late 80's

People who only game on iphones would have never bought a nintendo or psp anyway

They are about as worried about iphone killing consoles as Apple is worried about nintendo making a celphone

and for anyone who says pocket pc's will replace pc's, well its been about 15 years now and it still hasnt happened + try writing more than a page of text without a keyboard

[megaman_zer0]

well notebooks might replace conventional PC's just as Cell phones are replacing land lines. why have something staitionary when you can have something mobile that's just as good.