Friday, February 25, 2011

Handheld digital games: Hand to hand combat | The Economist

I’m surprised the chart doesn’t include the iPod touch, which is now probably as big a threat as the iPhone, in this context

ALIEN intruders are attacking. Can Sony and Nintendo survive? Since Apple’s iPhone and iPad were introduced, smartphones and tablets have begun to undermine the cosy duopoly that dominates handheld digital games.

The gaming industry is undergoing three shifts. First, the new devices are good enough for sophisticated games, so they have caught the attention even of hardcore gamers. Second, online app stores have created a new sales channel, opening the market to new game developers. Third, because Android (Google’s mobile operating system) can run on devices from different manufacturers, it has emerged as an alternative platform. This unbundles games from the dedicated hardware they run on.

Handheld digital games: Hand to hand combat | The Economist

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