Rewind your mind a few years into the past and what you’ll find is a gaming market dominated mainly by three companies, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. Mobile phone games were invisible in terms of market share, they hardly made a dent. But a revolution happened with the iPhone where people started purchasing all sorts of games for their device and because of it, Apple’s share has increased fives times over in just one year. Even beating out the PSP.
In 2009, Apple’s devices ate up 5 percent of all video game revenue, up from 1 percent in 2008. As mentioned above, the iPhone is now selling more games than Sony’s PSP.
Market research firm Flurry released new data that shows how big Apple’s influence has become in the gaming industry.
“Controlling 5% revenue of a $10 billion industry in just a year and a half is significant. From a market share perspective, console games lost ground to portable platforms and iPhone,” Flurry’s VP of marketing Peter Farango said.
in 2009 Consoles accounted for 74 percent of all game revenue, with portable games including the PSP and DS excluding the iPhone took in 24 percent, the iPhone nabbed the remaining 5 percent. That’s a decent increase for both the iPhone and handheld game segments, while it’s an 8 percentage point decline in console sales over 2008.
The amazing thing is when broken down into portable games, iPhone games software accounted for 19 percent of all revenue in 2009, leaving Sony’s PSP in its dust which accounted for only 11 percent.
According to Flurry, in the near future iPhone games will be announced alongside PSP and DS announcements, and with the rise of the iPad, Apple’s influence and market share will only grow.
“With companies like Electronic Arts and Gameloft joining Apple on stage during its January unveiling of the iPad, the tablet device will enjoy elite game publisher support on day one,” Farango said.
That’s a very interesting result. I can’t believe Apple’s iPhone beat out Sony’s PSP in market share.
And to think Apple’s not even trying hard. Will Steve Job and the gang join the console fray? Well it’s a wait and see situation, if they’re making good money then why not?
Interesting stuff indeed. As we know though, competition is good for everyone. Good to see portable gaming coming up.
Seventy7! How are you? It’s been a few days…
Welcome back…
Having more console is not something i will like. Reason more console more exclusive games. I’m person that like games not consoles.
I agree with you shadow, I’m a lover of games, and that’s all that matters really.
i really cant see apple joining the stage for the same reason i cant see onlive surviving.
exclusives.
everyone knows your platform is not going to survive just on multiplatform games it needs exclusives, now 3rd pary exclusives have gone the way of the dodo.
and allot of 3rd party developers well there not first party because they dont want to be, they want to make games for every platform so they can rake in more cash.
so how is apple going to get those exclusives?
Yeah, when it comes to exclusives, it’ll be a tough road for Apple.
Pachter predicted that Steve Jobs and the gang would only rely on third party pubs..
That’s already a failing strategy imo.
But you never know… After all, it’s Apple.
nah, they will crash and burn without any exclusives for 2 simple reasons.
1 why would i go out and buy apples machine to play multiplatform games?
if you already have a PC, 360 or ps3 why would you spend cash on a system that can play games the system you already own can play?
2 yes it is apple and thats their biggest problem.
every single piece of their products is extremely overpriced!
to get the same spec apple laptop to the one i have i would have to spend 1K more!
so again back to point 1 why would i spend the money?
its not like their cheap, if they were cheaper than ps3 or 360 than ok maybe if their lucky they maybe could survive.
buy a ps3 and get ps3 exclusives along with 3rd party games.
buy a 360 and get 360 exclusives along with 3rd party games.
or buy a apple machine and get only 3rd party games.
i know which one id go for.
the only way apple could survive is if they are dirt cheap, and again that wont happen because everything apple is ludicrously overpriced!
actually come to think of it, they could make all the games on the apps store playable on their console.
that may help them, but i still think that wont be enough, they need console exclusives without them their doomed!
this roumor has been going on for years, ever since M$ came in with the xbox.
its time to put it to bed, if they were going to move in they would of by now.
Some strong points you make there Nick. I guess Apple’s only real bet would be to open some first party studios…
But will that ever happen? I doubt it.
nah to costly.
plus where are the developers going to come from?
tis is why i really cant see them strolling in.
if there were studios who were wanting to be first party than ok, but anyone and everyone who is willing to be first party already is.
apple missed their chance at the beginning of this gen, if they wanted to leap in they should of done it then.