Apple gains gaming market share
With the app store being so huge, and the iPhone and iPod Touch both selling gangbusters, it’s no surprise that a look into NPD figures show that both Sony and Nintendo need to take Apple seriously in the mobile gaming market, especially with the iPad due to hit shelves next month and Steam coming to OS X too.
“It’s clear that Apple is taking share from Sony’s PlayStation Portable, and to a smaller level, the Nintendo DS,” says Flurry Analytics’ report. Sony’s market share fell from 20% in 2008 to 11% in 2009, and Nintendo fell from 75% in 2008 to 70% in 2009.
“It’s getting to the point where Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft need to be looking seriously at the iPhone and iPod Touch; Apple’s devices single-handedly gobbled up 5% of all video game revenue in 2009. That’s up from just 1% in 2008.” The report went on to say “Apple has already established broad third-party game publisher support. With the iPad featuring a larger screen and more processing power, games on the tablet take a step closer to PC and console gaming. Unless the other major video game platform providers (ie, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft) respond accordingly, Apple could continue to roll up video game market share. With these figures, our main finding is that iPhone (and iPod touch) is a gaming platform to be reckoned with,” Farago wrote. “Controlling 5% t revenue of a $10 billion industry in just a year and a half is significant.”
It’s hardly a shock to anyone that the 79c pricetag on small, puzzle type games are popular on a platform that’s in the hands of nearly every single student and yuppie the world over. What’s more interesting is the fact that Apple are sitting up and paying attention to gaming for the first time in their illustrious career making hardware and software. OS X will be the next battleground in an attempt to take market share from Windows by bringing Valve’s acclaimed Steam platform to OS X, also bringing Source-engine based games with it. Those with licenses for games on Windows can re-download their titles in Steam for Mac entirely free, too.
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