Rovio: Console games are "dying"

[Guild McCommunist]

Console games are "dying".

That's the stark assessment of the maker of one of the most popular mobile games – Angry Birds.

Innovation has moved from console games into mobile games, Rovio boss Peter Vesterbacka told a panel at the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, reported by Venture Beat.

Mobile developers are more "nimble", he said, and able to upgrade their games with new content quicker than creators of big budget console games.

Angry Birds, which costs 59p for the full version or nothing for the free version, has been downloaded over 100 million times.

A PlayStation Network version of Angry Birds launched earlier this year. Nintendo 3DS and Wii versions are planned.

During the panel Vesterbacka said he was tired of the phrase "casual games", and complained that no one talks about "casual movies".

The mobile/casual game versus console game debate heated up during the Game Developers Conference this month when Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata expressed his fears over the future of "high value" games.

His keynote was seen by many experts as a thinly veiled attack on Apple's App Store - and the many thousands of games available to download from it.

"A few games do become mega-hits, but it's not easy," he said. "With such competition, even being noticed is extremely difficult - huge investments promise nothing. Now, consider this. The corresponding number of games available to download from app sites is in the tens of thousands. Game development is drowning."
[/p]

Source

Makers of poor quality flash games don't deserve a say in the future of gaming. Fact is that game consoles are probably still making just as much money as they are (probably more in fact).

 

[Veho]

Mobile developers are more "nimble", he said, and able to upgrade their games with new content quicker than creators of big budget console games.

Just like how shareware games on the PC killed the big budget titles.

Wait, what do you mean "they didn't"?

Well crap.

There goes that theory.

 

[redact]

Mobile developers are more "nimble", he said, and able to upgrade their games with new content quicker than creators of big budget console games.

if by update they mean release a new version every time a holiday comes along and change nothing but some level designs

yeah, i definitely prefer "support" like that over real sequels :|

 

[8BitWalugi]

Makers of poor quality flash games don't deserve a say in the future of gaming.

+1 Truth.

 

[CrimzonEyed]

Meh, angry birds is just something everyone have for some weird reason, but that don't mean that everyone play it 24/7.
"console games are dying" says someone that really knows what he is talking about ? (not)

I would much rather play maybe zelda, Black ops, Metroid and so on on a console rather than play angry birds on my htc desire.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Console games are "dying".

No they're not.

/thread.

 

[Rydian]

"What we're doing is the future and what our competitors are doing is dying!"

I can't tell you how often I've seen that, 'ya know?

 

[TheTwoR's]

"What we're doing is the future and what our competitors are doing is dying!"

I can't tell you how often I've seen that, 'ya know?

+1

 

[Veho]

And I can't believe I skipped this one:

"A few games do become mega-hits, but it's not easy," he said. "With such competition, even being noticed is extremely difficult - huge investments promise nothing. Now, consider this. The corresponding number of games available to download from app sites is in the tens of thousands. Game development is drowning."

Translation: "Boo hoo hoo, there's competition and risk involved." You don't say.

 

[Tonitonichopchop]

"What we're doing is the future and what our competitors are doing is dying!"

I can't tell you how often I've seen that, 'ya know?

That sums this up quite nicely.

 

[RupeeClock]

Angry birds may have millions of downloads, but that's trivial.
Thousands of people buy a cheap lottery ticket every day, they top up their mobile phone, they buy cheap things to keep their day going.

Do they seriously think Angry Birds can compete with the likes of Mario, Pokémon, GTA or Call of Duty?

Look, comparing mobile games to console games is like apples and oranges, people aren't looking to replace a night out or get a movie experience with angry birds are they? They just need to fiddle.

 

[nutella]

I highly doubt that he truly believes what he's saying anyway. They never do.

 

[SparkFenix]

During the panel Vesterbacka said he was tired of the phrase "casual games", and complained that no one talks about "casual movies".

[/p]


Really?

Did he just compare games to movies?

 

[BlueStar]

Problem is, preople are completely averse to paying more than pennies for mobile games. So unless you have something like Angry Birds, which sells millios and millions, you're going to have to keep development costs extremely low.

 

[RupeeClock]

During the panel Vesterbacka said he was tired of the phrase "casual games", and complained that no one talks about "casual movies".

[/p]


Really?

Did he just compare games to movies?

It's valid, modern games design is beginning to compete with movies in terms of narrative and special effects.

 

[SparkFenix]

During the panel Vesterbacka said he was tired of the phrase "casual games", and complained that no one talks about "casual movies".

[/p]


Really?

Did he just compare games to movies?

It's valid, modern games design is beginning to compete with movies in terms of narrative and special effects.

So, to my understanding, he says that since there are no casual movies, there are no casual games?

 

[Nujui]

I just can't help but to laugh of what this guy said.

Console games are not dying, and I'm sure they are not going to be for awhile.

 

[DeadLocked]

Console games are "dying".

That's the stark assessment of the maker of one of the most popular mobile games – Angry Birds.

I stopped reading here.
Angry birds is good and all, but it is absolutely nothing compared to the quality games on xbox and ps3.
It is even nothing compared to the quality of games on DS and PSP.
TL;DR bitches be talkin' shit.

 

[DSGamer64]

Micro applications like on the App Store are for the most part, a huge joke. Yeah, you get some great games like Angry Birds which are tons of fun, but for the most part it's like the DS and Wii libraries, there is far too much crap flooding the App Store because every numb skull with a computer and basic programming knowledge can make a game for the iPhone that is worth a dollar and lasts a little while before you get bored with it or isn't one of those games you sit and play for hours on end (unless you happen to be insanely addicted to Angry Birds like me).

The console game market will slowly fade, the next console generation will probably be the last due to the ever rising costs of game development, no one is going to pay close to 100 dollars for a game even in 5 years time. Even now console games are breaking the 80 dollar mark here in Canada, and that's too much for a game when the PC version is 49.99 or 59.99

 

[monkat]

Well, I mean...

I agree with him that we should see more simple games, not everything needs to be a AAA title to be enjoyable, but....I wouldn't really trust a guy (with video game advice) who created the worst game of 2010, according to the Monkast.