Author: JT

Mobile games may be the doom of consoles

| May 14, 2013

Mobile games doom of consolesMobile games have caused a shift in the game industry

The game industry is beginning to shift and that has one of the largest game publishers in the world somewhat worried. Activision, which is second only to Nintendo in terms of revenue, has taken note of the stunning rise of mobile games. These games have proven to be rampantly popular with consumers of all ages and have become a very lucrative sector for the game industry as a whole. Normally, this would not be a problem as more people playing games could be considered a boon for the industry. What has Activision worried, however, is that mobile games may soon cut into the console market.

Activision foresees turbulence ahead

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has been expressing his concerns regarding the console market recently. Consoles are currently trapped in a state of limbo, lingering between old technologies and the emergence of next generation consoles that have yet to hit the market. The current console generation has been successful for the game industry, but many believe that it has lingered too long, creating stagnation in the market and causing consumer interest to evaporate. This problem is being exacerbated by mobile games.

Mobile games expected to cut into console market share

According to Kotick, mobile games are beginning to become a serious issue for the console market. iPhones and Android devices are becoming much more popular and available to consumers. These devices are often used to play games and most of these games can be acquired for free or at a very low price, unlike console titles that typically cost $50 or more. Because of the price and convenience associated with mobile games, Kotick believes that more gamers may soon be inclined to play on mobile devices rather than actual consoles, especially as next generation consoles are expected to come at a high cost to the consumer.

Nintendo takes note of popularity of mobile games as well

Kotick has been using Nintendo’s Wii U as an example of the turbulence next generation consoles are likely to see. The Wii U is the first of this new generation, but has performed poorly in the global market. Nintendo recently acknowledged the lackluster performance of the Wii U and has been considering a foray into bring mobile games to the console in order to make it more appealing to modern gamers around the world.

Electronic Arts to release 15 new mobile games this year

| May 12, 2013

EA New Mobile GamesEA aims high in mobile games

Electronic Arts has sent ripples throughout the game industry this week in announcing its partnership with LucasArts, the long time developer behind the Star Wars game franchise. LucasArts was acquired by Disney earlier this year, which put the company’s future in question despite Disney’s insistence that it would remain involved in the game industry. Electronic Arts may have some ambitious plans when it comes to Star Wars, but the company has also been strongly focused on the mobile games sector.

Company to release 15 mobile games in 2013-2014 fiscal year

EA has announced that it has no less than 11 major games coming out this fiscal year. These games will cover a variety of genres and platforms and will include new additions to ongoing franchises like Battlefield and The Sims. While EA has some ambitious plans when it comes to console gaming, the company is also increasing its efforts in the mobile space. The publisher has announced that it will be releasing no less than 15 major mobile games this year.

EA plans new Command & Conquer and Ultima mobile games

The mobile games that EA is looking to launch this year will cover various genres. The company plans to release new mobile titles for the Command & Conquer franchise as well as the widely popular Ultima saga. These games will be available on multiple mobile platforms and EA expects that they will be well received by gamers in many markets. The company does not expect that its mobile games will suffer with the launch of new consoles from Sony or Microsoft, which are expected to be released later this year.

Industry continues to become more mobile

Mobile games have become a very lucrative part of the game industry, which is why massive companies like EA are getting involved in the mobile space. EA expects that mobile games will come to represent a very large portion of the gaming audience in the future and has been working to establish a powerful presence in this sector before competition becomes too fierce.