Mobile games may be the doom of consoles

Mobile 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.