Pachter: Apple 2013 Console

Personally, I see it as a big change in gamer composition, population size and reach. ^_^
Whether core gaming consoles will disappear will depend on the vendors and game developers, not Apple.
The definition of core games may shift due to the composition change.

For the existing core gamers, I am more inclined to think "The more things change, the more they stay the same". But their gaming habit may change also as they grow up and become too busy. In this sense, the game developers are also evolving to follow their fans.

For me, I am very open to gaming on the Vita just because it's always with me and the experience is close enough now. I think some startups are creating web-based core games (yes, core games) too. Their are getting paid subscribers in no small numbers, and those folks play game and work on the same machine at the same time just because well... the web browser is always there for them to track their gaming progress, and participate.

 

Apple just want to serve their customers well. If their customers want gaming, Apple will find their own way to satisfy these people. As long as they have a sizable and loyal userbase, they will remain a force to be reckoned with.

They are heavily invested in network operations and hardware ops as of late 2011. They seem to have an ambitious online plan.

For the moment, the Apple Store, iTunes Store, the AppStore, and the iCloud are industry leading (or among the top dogs).

e.g., In November 2011...

Apple Has More Online Shoppers Than Walmart
http://adage.com/article/digital/apple-online-shoppers-walmart/231740/

EDIT: Here you go...

Apple touts 85 million iCloud customers, sets service as strategy for next decade
http://www.imore.com/2012/01/24/app...loud-customers-sets-strategy-for-next-decade/

If I remember correctly, the iCloud was only about 3 months old (released in October 2011), when it hits 85 million customers.

EDIT 2: Ok, confirmed:

 

What is a core gamer today anyways? Back in the day they were on the cutting edge, today they are happily playing on archaic 7 year old hardware. I'd argue that the definition of "core gamer" has already changed, they are transitioning to a new type of gamer.

And there it is Heck I was thinking 5 to 10 years our before consoles are obsolete, maybe it will happen sooner. To you Vita has reached close enough, and Vita hardware will be eclipsed in no time by tablets or phones simply because economies of scale work in tablet/phone favor. The "close enough" mark will be in more peoples range as the years pass by, then Apple will be in an incredible position assuming they leverage it, as will Windows 8 devices which are on the same path. There's a reason Epic is trying to establish themselves as the defacto tech on iOS, and I bet Win8 as well even if they can't talk about it now.

 

They have always played on fixed platform consoles and gaming PCs regardless of equipment age. Powerful or new hardware may not define core gamers. They may enjoy playing old PS1, Sega, PCEngine games on new and old hardware.

I think it's the type of games people play, their gaming habit and demography that's evolving rapidly. Wii kind of started the trend.

Vita is close enough because of the dual sticks, not just computing power. ^_^
For me, I actually enjoy the Vita Uncharted game more than the PS3 ones.

In due time, other computing devices will be more powerful, but it has always been the case with PC vs console lifecycle. The vendors can always adjust their platform strategy accordingly to survive in the new race. The thing is people like my wife didn't play PC games (except Halo and Warcraft), but she's really into iOS/Android games now. Some of my friends don't play video games at all, but they are also into iOS/Android games these days. In fact, they are the ones who roped my wife into the "race". From the look of it, they spend more time gaming than me !

 

I don't know, I've heard that FB could go the way of My Space. Google is trying very hard with their own social network and then you have limited successful social networks like Instagram and now that Drawing app.

As far as what defines core gamer, I'm not sure about the control scheme. At the start of this console generation, before shooters had taken hold on consoles, there was a question about using control pads instead of mouse and keyboard.

There's nothing that prevents a new control scheme or paradigm from taking hold. And it may not be physical controls but touchscreen controls. After all, why did control pads become accepted for FPS games? Because shooter games shipped in huge volumes on consoles compared to PCs. So the same scenario could take hold with some genres taking off on mobile devices.

When you look at little kids (under 10 years old, sometimes under 5 years old) growing up with iPod Touches, being handed their parents' iPhones and iPads, there could be generations for whom touch controls is the main way they play games.

 

Where did you hear FB will go the way of MySpace ? ^_^


I agree touch interface is getting entrenched among children. The UI is effective for first time users. Once they learned it, it's difficult to sway them away. It's not uncommon to find little kids swiping at every screen, thinking that they all behave like modern multitouch devices.

 

Draw Something hits 30 million downloads, overtakes Zynga on Facebook
http://www.tuaw.com/2012/03/17/draw-something-hits-30-million-downloads-overtakes-zynga-on-fac/

On a related news...

Zynga boss Pincus hints at Xbox deal
http://www.develop-online.net/news/40237/Zynga-boss-Pincus-hints-at-Xbox-deal

 

Interesting articles about the new display:

New iPad Display Technology Shoot-Out (iPad 2 – New iPad – iPhone 4)
http://www.displaymate.com/iPad_ShootOut_1.htm

The New iPad's Screen Under the Microscope
http://ignorethecode.net/blog/2012/03/16/ipad_screen_microscope/

New iPad:
http://ignorethecode.net/upload/437/iPad_3.jpg

iPad 2:
http://ignorethecode.net/upload/437/iPad_2.jpg

New iPad vs 4S:
http://ignorethecode.net/upload/437/iPad_iPhone_Comparison.png

3DS
http://ignorethecode.net/upload/437/Nintendo_3DS.jpg

Vita:
http://ignorethecode.net/upload/437/PlayStation_Vita.jpg

PSP:
http://ignorethecode.net/upload/437/PlayStation_Portable.jpg

Xperia Play:
http://ignorethecode.net/upload/437/Xperia_Play.jpg

 

Zynga buys 'Draw Something' app maker OMGPOP http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_20223649/zynga-buys-omgpop-draw-something-mobile-game

GAF has more juicy albeit unconfirmed details. e.g., About $200 mil buy-out. Draw Something earning about $250,000 a day after Apple's 30% comission.

 

Video Speed Trap Lurks in New iPad
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303812904577293882009811556.html

We spoke about sponsored dataplans, shared dataplans and prepay plans in the Vita thread. It looks like iPad with 3G/LTE will need the same. ^_^

 

Zynga has that asshole CEO who was forcing employees to return their stock options to him.

As for LTE and data caps, it looks like they invested in all the base stations but not in the backhaul.

It's like they made a fast sports car but it runs out of high-octane fuel right away so you can't go far before you have to refill.

 

Baldur's Gate Enahnced Edition coming to iPad.

It's happening...

 

Anyone here got any statistics for graphics performance of New iPad versus Vita?

its the same graphics chip I think .. but lacking dedicated graphics memory?

r.e. this whole thread, I'd love to see an iOS 'console' if that would just be a "mac TV on steroids" (a headless ipad).
octocore arm,octocore gpu.

 

Stone him !

I think Draw Something is a good purchase. Zynga can't afford to have another game company triumph it in FaceBook traffic.

Sony's GPU has some extensions done by them and Imagine Tech together. The new iPad has 1Gb RAM vs 512 in Vita. The new iPad goes through OpenGL for all graphics work, Vita developers probably have lower level access. iPad also needs to push a lot more pixels than Vita.

It's probably more interesting to figure out how to make both of them work together for the end users. ^_^

EDIT:
Someone wrote a high level comparison:
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/316161/20120319/ipad-3-release-date-2012-ps-vita.htm

 

Hmm, that article said very little imho.

 

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/...ular-than-multiplayer-gaming-on-xbox-live.ars

If consoles continue to become more and more general entertainment devices, instead of being core gaming-centric, then they start to compete more directly against mobile devices, which are selling in huge numbers every year (think of the hype and hoopla for the iPad launch every year).

Yet Sony and MS probably feel they have no choice but to expand the feature set of consoles. So given these trends, why would Apple bother with a core gaming console?

 

You've got that a little back to front. A computer does whatever its software enables it to do. The cost of supporting more than just gaming on 'gaming' hardware is only the cost of the software, which is pretty negligable. So adding media functionality to their consoles makes considerable sense. If XB360 had all that media value, and PS3 just played games, XB360 would offer far more value, which would have cost MS an irrelevant some to gain such a huge advantage.

Where Apple can compete on non-gaming functions (better than any console), they can't compete on games. Thus a buyer whose priorities are weighted in favour of gaming with non-gaming functions as a secondary (but still valued) concern isn't being offered a valid option from Apple. If Apple bring out a better console experience, they would compete on the full range of features and broaden their market appeal.

 

True but the market of people who prioritize core gaming over general entertainment is but a subset of the latter.

Put it this way, if Sony and MS were offered the chance to trade their console businesses for the iPhone and iPad business, would they go for it?

 

Of course! But then someone else could step up to expand the media experience with proper gaming and offer added value. Apple doing that would stave off attacks from MS or Sony offering a comparable experience. If MS rolls out Windows tablets that can play Live! Arcade games as well as do iOS stuff, and/or Sony gets its PSS act together and offers a unified experience of PS games across tablets, TVs and consoles, Apple will be facing a challenge that they have no current reply to.

 

I'm not sure anyone will be able to revolutionize the way TV is consumed, that is reshape the "living room" which everyone seems to be racing to capture.

Unless someone is able to break the relationships between the content providers and the content distributors somehow -- so that consumers can buy HBO content directly without going through the able or satellite cos. for instance.