Will Multi-Function Tablets Become the Next Mass Market Games Platform?
By David Tobia
November 28, 2012
November 28, 2012
- With a growing number of tablets hitting the market, and games now serving as the largest category of tablet apps, industry leaders are faced with a possible shift: Are tablets the gaming console of the future, or something all to their own?
- Tablets certainly play an important role in the gaming industry, argues Scott Steinberg, CEO of TechSavvy Global, but Greg Harper of Supercell North America adds that tablets should not be compared to anything in the past (i.e. gaming consoles) because they have created a new market rather than replaced an old one.
- The consensus among industry leaders is that tablets will not replace consoles, but could pull casual gamers away from the more expensive and time consuming consoles in favor of the relatively simple world of tablet games.
- “I don’t think tablets are going to replace the next console generation, but they will siphon a large number of potential players away from next generation consoles,” suggests Chris Ulm, CEO of Appy Entertainment. “Tablets will have the effect of luring away casual and semi-casual players because they are portable, have multiple entertainment functions and an incredible number of free or low priced games.”
- Tablets should dominate consoles this holiday season for multiple reasons, industry insiders told GamesIndustry International.
- First, Microsoft and Sony’s consoles are dated, and fans are essentially waiting for the next console. This leaves tablets competing with just the Wii U. Additionally, some parents favor tablets rather than consoles because tablet games are relatively inexpensive compared to the $60 offerings on consoles.
- But if game developers hope to make a significant splash in the gaming industry, they must overcome the problem that tablets lack physical buttons. This makes complex controls difficult. The first game to overcome this obstacle will likely benefit greatly.
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