Post by leunas on Feb 27, 2007 16:14:27 GMT -5
In many ways it is not surprising that it takes a company with a singular focus on games to really drive the mobile space. Why should portable games be any different than console and PC games?
Hundreds of millions of people own personal computers. PC software is widely available and doesn’t require buying a dedicated hardware system that will go out of date in a few years. Furthermore, anyone can develop a PC game without having to pay expensive license and royalty fees to the hardware manufacturers. Nevertheless, games for the console systems from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft far outsell PC games.
There is clearly something to be said for devices dedicated to a single task over multipurpose devices. This is especially true for those consumer types that have more than a casual interest in the product. In other words, a dedicated device is most attractive to the type of consumer that is willing to pay actual money for a product.
A cell phone or basic PC can be great for playing free games, but if you want to spend money on an activity, to most consumers it makes sense to invest in the proper tools. A Swiss army knife is a handy little gadget, but would you use it to cut steak or chop firewood?
Inexpensive Advantage
When viewed in that sense, dedicated game systems have the key advantage of being inexpensive. Sure you can buy the latest flashy cell phone or a souped up PC to play high-end games. However, those devices are likely to cost a combined $1,000 premium over lower-end devices that don’t focus so much on playing games.
That is more than a PlayStation 3 and a PSP combined. At under $400, a Nintendo Wii and DS combination truly looks like a bargain, even for a game player that also wants to buy a PC and cell phone.
However, cost is only one reason for the success of the Nintendo DS. With the DS, it seems Nintendo has finally been the one to get a good handle on the “casual game market.”
“Casual games” are a bit of a trendy misnomer. They usually refer to games that are simple to pick-up and play but can be very competitive and addictive. Oftentimes, it is used to refer to simple action games like Pac-man and Tetris. However, it is also used to describe the play of classic card and board games like hearts or solitaire.
www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4822&Itemid=2&limit=1&limitstart=1
Hundreds of millions of people own personal computers. PC software is widely available and doesn’t require buying a dedicated hardware system that will go out of date in a few years. Furthermore, anyone can develop a PC game without having to pay expensive license and royalty fees to the hardware manufacturers. Nevertheless, games for the console systems from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft far outsell PC games.
There is clearly something to be said for devices dedicated to a single task over multipurpose devices. This is especially true for those consumer types that have more than a casual interest in the product. In other words, a dedicated device is most attractive to the type of consumer that is willing to pay actual money for a product.
A cell phone or basic PC can be great for playing free games, but if you want to spend money on an activity, to most consumers it makes sense to invest in the proper tools. A Swiss army knife is a handy little gadget, but would you use it to cut steak or chop firewood?
Inexpensive Advantage
When viewed in that sense, dedicated game systems have the key advantage of being inexpensive. Sure you can buy the latest flashy cell phone or a souped up PC to play high-end games. However, those devices are likely to cost a combined $1,000 premium over lower-end devices that don’t focus so much on playing games.
That is more than a PlayStation 3 and a PSP combined. At under $400, a Nintendo Wii and DS combination truly looks like a bargain, even for a game player that also wants to buy a PC and cell phone.
However, cost is only one reason for the success of the Nintendo DS. With the DS, it seems Nintendo has finally been the one to get a good handle on the “casual game market.”
“Casual games” are a bit of a trendy misnomer. They usually refer to games that are simple to pick-up and play but can be very competitive and addictive. Oftentimes, it is used to refer to simple action games like Pac-man and Tetris. However, it is also used to describe the play of classic card and board games like hearts or solitaire.
www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4822&Itemid=2&limit=1&limitstart=1