Post by downphoenix on Aug 14, 2011 0:34:54 GMT -5
From what I can see, the writing is on the walls:
Smartphones/Tablets:
-Record sales growth for Smartphones and tablets
-Many have more advance hardware than every dedicated game handheld on the market (3DS, PSP being the best looking currently available)
-Though they can be expensive when purchased at the regular retail price in comparison to a dedicated game system, with a wireless contract it can be subsidized to cost about the same or even less.
-Gaming is just a secondary function on this, despite this, companies like EA have announced that they are experiencing record profits in the handheld market after pushing their focus from DS/PSP to Iphone/Ipad
Nintendo 3DS:
-The 3DS is the 1st Nintendo system since the Virtual Boy that sold less than its previous system at launch.
-The 3DS price drops just 5 months after launch by a whopping $80 US
-Nintendo's stock is the shakiest its ever been since before the DS launched.
-A pokemon game is announced for the Iphone and Nintendo is powerless to stop it since they are not the majority holder of the franchise. Nintendo's investors urges the company to move its other franchises to iOS and Android, Iwata says over his dead body.
Playstation Vita:
-Delays in the Playstation Vita for US and Europe may mean the system is launching too late globally.
-Debut of first Playstation Phone, the Xperia Play, first Smartphone with dedicated gaming controls (unless you count the N-gage/QD of course, LOL)
-Recent Playstation Network Hacking/Shutdown scandal has damaged consumer confidence in Sony's onlive service platform, which may become troublesome for the Vita as it will be deeply integrated into PSN.
-Sony's Playstation Phone platform is based on software, meaning that any device of required specs could theoretically run games released for the platform, convenient in case the Vita has a slow start like the 3DS or Sony pulls the plug.
-----
I feel the current gen of handheld systems started with the 3DS, may be the last. Market proliferation for Tablets/Phones is just staggering in comparison. Android has just exploded in growth in the past year, and iOS has been strong for the past 2 or 3 years, and both will continue to grow until smartphones and tablet computers are the undeniable majority over standard cell phones and laptops/netbooks. Sony is slow to respond to this but apparently have begun to put plans in place in case the Vita does bust to become a software publisher for Android devices, maybe iOS later but not for now since they consider Apple their biggest competitor.
Nintendo's shareholders, not that long ago happy little clams to the point where Nintendo became the #1 Japanese company by Market capital, has been in trouble for the past few months and are pressuring Nintendo to adapt to a more software oriented model, something that with a couple of limited exceptions of licensing their properties to 3rd party companies and in their pre NES days have never done and the main executives like Satoru Iwata refuse to even evaluate that option. Sega at one point was the same way back in the Dreamcast days, but they eventually decided that they needed to adapt to the market to keep the company alive, will Nintendo do like Sega or crash eventually like Atari? If they dont adapt to the market, it's only a matter of time.
Smartphones/Tablets:
-Record sales growth for Smartphones and tablets
-Many have more advance hardware than every dedicated game handheld on the market (3DS, PSP being the best looking currently available)
-Though they can be expensive when purchased at the regular retail price in comparison to a dedicated game system, with a wireless contract it can be subsidized to cost about the same or even less.
-Gaming is just a secondary function on this, despite this, companies like EA have announced that they are experiencing record profits in the handheld market after pushing their focus from DS/PSP to Iphone/Ipad
Nintendo 3DS:
-The 3DS is the 1st Nintendo system since the Virtual Boy that sold less than its previous system at launch.
-The 3DS price drops just 5 months after launch by a whopping $80 US
-Nintendo's stock is the shakiest its ever been since before the DS launched.
-A pokemon game is announced for the Iphone and Nintendo is powerless to stop it since they are not the majority holder of the franchise. Nintendo's investors urges the company to move its other franchises to iOS and Android, Iwata says over his dead body.
Playstation Vita:
-Delays in the Playstation Vita for US and Europe may mean the system is launching too late globally.
-Debut of first Playstation Phone, the Xperia Play, first Smartphone with dedicated gaming controls (unless you count the N-gage/QD of course, LOL)
-Recent Playstation Network Hacking/Shutdown scandal has damaged consumer confidence in Sony's onlive service platform, which may become troublesome for the Vita as it will be deeply integrated into PSN.
-Sony's Playstation Phone platform is based on software, meaning that any device of required specs could theoretically run games released for the platform, convenient in case the Vita has a slow start like the 3DS or Sony pulls the plug.
-----
I feel the current gen of handheld systems started with the 3DS, may be the last. Market proliferation for Tablets/Phones is just staggering in comparison. Android has just exploded in growth in the past year, and iOS has been strong for the past 2 or 3 years, and both will continue to grow until smartphones and tablet computers are the undeniable majority over standard cell phones and laptops/netbooks. Sony is slow to respond to this but apparently have begun to put plans in place in case the Vita does bust to become a software publisher for Android devices, maybe iOS later but not for now since they consider Apple their biggest competitor.
Nintendo's shareholders, not that long ago happy little clams to the point where Nintendo became the #1 Japanese company by Market capital, has been in trouble for the past few months and are pressuring Nintendo to adapt to a more software oriented model, something that with a couple of limited exceptions of licensing their properties to 3rd party companies and in their pre NES days have never done and the main executives like Satoru Iwata refuse to even evaluate that option. Sega at one point was the same way back in the Dreamcast days, but they eventually decided that they needed to adapt to the market to keep the company alive, will Nintendo do like Sega or crash eventually like Atari? If they dont adapt to the market, it's only a matter of time.
