iPhone, A Rising Star on Handheld Console Market
Filed Under (News) by Hemon on 05-02-2009
Tagged Under : handheld console, iPhone
Comparing with PSP and NDS,iPhone has developed rapidly in the field of video games. According to the latest statistics from ComScore, the number of iPhone users who download mobile game is about 10 times compared to the ones use other smartphones—about 34% of iPhone users ever downloaded games, while the proportion in other smartphone users is only 3.4%. And the download number of iPhone users occupied 14% in last year total volume.
As a matter of fact, this is not news. At the beginning of iPhone release, Apple Inc. was on the intention to step into the portable video games market. With the virtual online App Store, users can purchase games very easily and download to their own iPhones, no need to buy discs or cartridges. The screen resolution is 480*320. Its excellent performance enables it match with PSP in visual effect. The function of Multi-touch and Gsensor produce similar effect with NDS. As iPod Touch launched, Apple made it as “ The funnest iPod ever”. Its gameplay, operation and abundant applications (games, software) support, all greatly shocked its competitors and the whole industry.
Although iPhone occupied 14% on the mobile games market, compared to PSP & NDS current market share, iPhone has a long way to go. Some classic games like Silent Hill, Need For Speed Undercover, etc. has been played on iPhone, but lots of games played on iPhone are still Zuma’s kind.
Sony and Nintendo use traditional model for promoting their products, at the same time, they try to use Eshop for releasing new games. PS eshop sells PSP and PS3, while Wii and DS own a shopping channel–Ware.
During the global economic crisis period, the development of vedio games industry is still promising. Perhaps this is one reason why Apple steps into handheld console market. Let’s wait and see whether iPhone will occupy the similar market share with PSP and NDS, or not!.
