Apple just got a bigger piece of the pie according to Flurry Analytics. Being a medium for casual games have proved to be the iPhone and iPod Touch’s strong point and it has caused Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS gaming handhelds to lose revenue.
It looks like Apple’s intention to get a steady foothold in the handheld gaming race is coming to fruition. No matter how much Sony and Apple duke it out though, there is still a bigger piece of the pie dedicated to Nintendo. But for how long will it last? It is easy to see why the casual gaming crowd would prefer Apple devices over handheld gaming centric devices.
For starters, a lot of casual gamers already own an iPhone or iPod Touch. These people would probably have to visit the app store one way or another and they would be served with plenty of casual games that they can easily purchase with the click of a button. No need to walk into a store to ask how a game plays, it is as easy as looking for a review on the spot.
Aside from having an advantage with regards to availability, iPhone and iPod Touch gaming is less expensive than gaming on the PSP or the DS. It is also a big plus that you get an all-in-one device that lets you communicate with your friends, surf the web and play games at the same time. No wonder Apple gets a one up in the market share.
Now maybe all this attention on the iPhone would get Sony to release their PSP phone. After all, they were the ones who suffered the most considering their drop to an 11% share last year. Anything can happen this year, maybe Sony will announce an official PSP phone, maybe the Nintendo 3DS will dominate the market or maybe Apple’s iPad will stomp on both. Only time will tell.
See how the pie is divided at Engadget.
Tags: Apple-iPad, Apple-iPhone