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Communications Handhelds Games

Why Has No One Made a Great Gaming Phone? 303

andylim writes "According to Engadget, John Koller, Sony's head of PlayStation marketing, recently said that 'Apple's entrance into the portable gaming space has been a net positive for Sony. When people want a deeper, richer console, they start playing on a PSP.' What's odd though is that everyone knows that the mobile phone gaming market is a huge and yet neither Sony nor Nintendo has made a gaming phone yet. Recombu.com thinks that Nokia could enter the space with PSP-like devices and it has come up with a concept phone called the Ovi Orion, which would bridge the gap between phone and console, 'If the iPhone is Wii, then Ovi Orion would be Xbox and offer Xbox Live style features. A serious gaming phone for serious gamers.'"
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Why Has No One Made a Great Gaming Phone?

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  • Because (Score:5, Insightful)

    by brian0918 ( 638904 ) <`moc.liamg' `ta' `8190nairb'> on Monday February 01, 2010 @02:57PM (#30985650)
    Because phones are for TALKING. :P
    • Re:Because (Score:4, Interesting)

      by sopssa ( 1498795 ) * <sopssa@email.com> on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:01PM (#30985762) Journal

      This is why Sony nor Nintendo should be looking to create a gaming phone, they should be looking to create PSP/DS with phone capabilities. Otherwise it's just going to fail.

      • by Tetsujin ( 103070 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @05:34PM (#30988244) Homepage Journal

        This is why Sony nor Nintendo should be looking to create a gaming phone, they should be looking to create PSP/DS with phone capabilities. Otherwise it's just going to fail.

        Actually, I really don't think so. The time will come where what you say is correct, but I believe now is not the time. Here's why.

        Basically, both phones and portable game systems are, in terms of their hardware and software, and the expectations of the users, continually evolving. However, I think phones are still evolving faster than game systems. New telephony technologies continue to be rolled out, network coverage in the US is still inconsistent between carriers and spotty in some places, and the iPhone, which is the item by which most people have set their standards and expectations for a high-end phone, is at present just a few years old - and has already gone through a couple revisions. Compare this to Nintendo DS and Sony PSP: DS has gone through two major hardware revisions in five years, and only the most recent of those changed the hardware specs significantly. The situation for the PSP is similar: roughly the same amount of time, and a similar amount of change to the platform over time.

        I think that combining a phone with a gaming device at this time would probably still be a bad idea. Turning a phone into a game platform involves more than adding game controls to it - it means turning it into a platform stable enough that players and game publishers will be willing to invest themselves in it. Game platforms stay the same for years so that publishers can make money on software. Phones, at present anyway, are still caught up in a mad rush to one-up one another. A game machine with phone capabilities could be good now, but a couple years down the road its capabilities as a phone would practically be a joke. This doesn't preclude establishing a stable game system as a subset of a particular phone line's capabilities - but then the "game platform" games would be inferior to the "phone native" games or something like that...

    • Because phones are for TALKING. :P

      Sorry, what?

      phone (n.) - Any small electronic device which you can carry with you. Older, obsolete models allowed vocal communication with other parties, though this was generally regarded as an optional feature.

      (From Oxford English Dictionary, 2045 edition)

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by zero_out ( 1705074 )
      Except when you are sitting on the toilet for 5 minutes, and want to play a quick little game to help take your mind off the digusting biological processes going on around you. Sure, there are other options, but not for true gamers. We game every chance we get.
    • Re:Because (Score:5, Funny)

      by Minwee ( 522556 ) <dcr@neverwhen.org> on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:08PM (#30985900) Homepage

      Because phones are for TALKING.

      And GAMING phones are for SIDE TALKING.

      This may be why they never quite caught on.

      • Bring back my tacos!

      • An NES/SNES emulator app for iPhone or Android that could download the ROMs you buy from WiiShop would be awesome.

        Probably wouldn't stress the CPUs that badly. The control interfaces would be a little weird, but with accelerometer + onscreen/semi-transparent buttons you'd probably be ok.
    • Err, what? My phone is primary a web browser and SMS toy that happens to do phone calls.

      I see people play games on their phone all the time. Every phone is a gaming phone. I guess the author thinks gaming means 3D FPS and kiddies yelling profanity at each other to be 'real gaming.'

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by iamhassi ( 659463 )
        "I see people play games on their phone all the time. Every phone is a gaming phone."

        Agreed, and I think the Sony's trying to save face. After pre-ordering a PSP back in 2005 and starting the largest PSP group on Yahoo Groups [yahoo.com], I sold my PSP after a month with the iPhone 3GS. Larger selection, direct input to developers, visible feedback and ratings from users, an abundance of free "lite" games and most games costing $1-$3 finally put the nail in the coffin for the PSP.

        I really can't imagine ever buy
    • Re:Because (Score:5, Interesting)

      by gehrehmee ( 16338 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:31PM (#30986314) Homepage

      Specifically, they're designed for different interaction methods. A phone is meant to be used in one hand (zero, for handsfree), and held to the head (or in a pocket for handsfree). A gaming controller is meant to be held in two hands for maximum expressivness. A two-handed interface works best when the hands are relatively fare apart, meaning a set of controls on each end of a "stick" device, implying a horizontal interface. A one-handed device, or any device with a screen in general, is meant to be used vertically, so the screen is as far from the hands as possible, for maximum visibility.

      Touch-screen interfaces are sub-optimal two, since you end up obscruring the display by using it.

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

        There's also the issue of contracts.

        If you're a "serious gamer" are you going to be happy being locked into your device for two years? No? Are you going to be happy paying a 100%+ premium for a contract free device to cover the cell phone company tax?

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by JavaBear ( 9872 ) *

      Agreed. And where people tend to upgrade their phones more or less as often as they change underwear, a portable gaming console will have to last longer simply because of the investment in software people make. Just look at the media cost on the PSP to see why that is.
      Besides, the high powered CPU and GPU needed for decent gaming would slurp a phone battery dry too fast, phones these days are expected to last at least a few days between recharging.

      • by vlm ( 69642 )

        And where people tend to upgrade their phones more or less as often as they change underwear,

        And that, slashdotters, is why you have trouble getting a date. The only thing less likely to get you a woman than showing off your 'leet original motorola startac clamshell phone from 1996, is only changing your underwear when you upgrade.

        That also has interesting attire implications for people whom don't own a cellphone. How does that joke go:
        "So ... there's no cellphone worn under your kilt?" or something like that?

        • by Pojut ( 1027544 )

          only thing less likely to get you a woman than showing off your 'leet original motorola startac clamshell phone from 1996

          I would just like to say for the record that my lady would love it if I still had one of those.

          See, the problem isn't that showing off a Startac phone won't get you a woman...the problem is you haven't shown it to the right woman ;-)

        • by sopssa ( 1498795 ) *

          And where people tend to upgrade their phones more or less as often as they change underwear,

          And that, slashdotters, is why you have trouble getting a date.

          And the closed-minded thinking that just because you use phone only for talking (probably quite randomly), other people couldn't use it for other things. Not everyone spends their time sitting on computer 24/7. They could enjoy little quick browsing, latest facebook/twitter updates and some gaming while on the go or sitting on bus or train or generally anywhere you need to wait.

          This is the same thing why I always hate the comments about "stupidness" of facebook games and how they should be playing "real" ga

    • Just like computers are for DOING MATH. [wikipedia.org] :P

    • We knew that were in a bad reception area when my wife bought her phone and so we asked which ones were known for better signal reception. She decided on the cute one instead. Fashion beat out function.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by jellomizer ( 103300 )

      Not to sound like a fanboy here... But the iPhone even my old one. Is rather decent at gaming. I am not sure what people are expecting for a full gaming phone. It does 3d Display and some 3d games and there are some fun games for it. I myself tend to limit myself to free games for a few minutes a diversion before I go back to work. Even comparing to a PSP and a DS the iPhone can stand up rather well.

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by pebs ( 654334 )

        The iPhone is totally pants for gaming. I mean, yeah, it's fine for playing chess or a scrabble-clone, but for action games I just don't enjoy it. Games that use the accelerometer are especially atrocious.

        Now if someone would create a proper game-controller add-on and games started to support it, then, and only then would the iPhone be a great gaming phone. Though, Apple would probably need to either create an official game controller or establish an API and standards for such an add-on for it to really

    • That's one thing. The other is, it's a lot easier to sell a simple console then a phone or extension of it. To sell a phone, you need a lot of domain knowledge that can only be accumulated through many years of R&D and market expertise. People are very pushy in that market, so you also need a bunch of patents to push them back.

      Nokia would have a reasonable chance as they did a lot of development recently and could easily put together a gaming platform (hard and software). They have another problem thoug

  • They did (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jimbobborg ( 128330 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @02:57PM (#30985662)

    There was a gaming phone a few years back. It flopped. No one revisited.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Grindar ( 1470147 )
      It was a phone called the N-gage, as I recall.
    • Did you miss the "great" qualification?
    • Have you seen one in person? They had an awful form.
    • Re:They did (Score:5, Funny)

      by interkin3tic ( 1469267 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:46PM (#30986578)

      There was a gaming phone a few years back. It flopped. No one revisited.

      It's a good thing that not everyone has that mindset.

      Wilbur Wright: "Wouldn't it be great to build a flying machine?"
      Orville Wright: "Did you hear about that guy Otto Lilenthal who tried to make one?"
      Wilbur: "No, what happened?"
      Orville: "He crashed and died."
      Wilbur: "Oh well, then that proves it can't be done ever."
      Orville: "Yup, lets get back to making this bicycle and never talk about flying ever again."

  • We'd get gaming at the cost of losing good phone features.

    • exactly- the iPhone 9and Android to an extent) are popular because of the wide range of things they can do... I know I wouldn't give up high quality maps/gps for gaming on my phone. Building out a phone like that almost requires that you build a killer app store with it.
    • Re:Wouldn't work (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Belial6 ( 794905 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @05:17PM (#30988030)
      No you wouldn't. I consistantly look at my iPhone and MyTouch and wonder why no one is making a controller that the phone just slips into. The only problem with these devices for gaming is that they don't have physical buttons placed properly for gaming. So, make a 'case' that either connects via the data line, or via bluetooth that has proper buttons and directional pads. Have the controls and the audio pass through to the phone, and you now have a phone that is just as good for gaming as a dedicated gaming device.
  • by pwnies ( 1034518 ) * <j@jjcm.org> on Monday February 01, 2010 @02:58PM (#30985678) Homepage Journal
    I have an ngage you insensitive clod!
  • Because... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by TheKidWho ( 705796 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @02:59PM (#30985706)

    The kids who play the games can't afford the service plans or phones themselves...

    Most adults have other things to do, or more powerful systems at home to play "serious" games on.

    • I know a lot of middle aged people who own portable systems. Admittedly, they are usually the parents of kids who own powerful consoles.

      I can think of at least 3 single moms that love their portables for just sitting down and relaxing during work breaks or when they get home to some gaming. They aren't hardcore gamers, but certainly do game.

      Interestingly enough, I don't think any of them own cell phones.

      • Re:Because... (Score:4, Interesting)

        by XxtraLarGe ( 551297 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:42PM (#30986510) Journal

        I know a lot of middle aged people who own portable systems. Admittedly, they are usually the parents of kids who own powerful consoles.

        I'm one of them, or at least I used to be. I owned a Nintendo DS Lite (Cobalt), and I liked it a lot. I bought it so I'd have something to keep me entertained during my step-son's day long wrestling matches. There's a lot of dead time between rounds. Then I found a lot of the same games were available for my iPod Touch for a fraction of the price. Besides, being "middle-aged" means that I don't really have a whole lot of time to play games anymore anyway--but gaming is going to be great when I retire! So same games for lower price, plus one less device to carry around, and no cartridges made dumping my DS Lite for my iPod a no-brainer. I've found the games on the iPod Touch to be at least as good quality wise as a PS One, which is fine for a middle-aged old school guy like myself.

    • I have other things to do, but it's nice to have games when I'm sitting in the doctor's office, waiting to pick up a pizza, or sitting on the crapper. I certainly wouldn't complain about having a game with good graphics either.
    • by Hatta ( 162192 )

      This is true. I carry my DS everywhere I go, but seldom find the time to spend more than 10min a day on it. When I get home, there's a dozen full sized consoles hooked up to a big TV in front of the couch.

    • >Most adults have other things to do, or more powerful systems at home to play "serious" games on.

      Or the adults dont want to pay EA 20 dollars for the phone version of Battlefield or whatever and also 60 dollars for the full PC version.

      There's already a market for free/super cheap phone games. If anything "phones" are the most popular gaming platform. Trying to upsell us to 3D FPS and more expensive phones, and expensive software is just a failed market strategy.

  • by sopssa ( 1498795 ) * <sopssa@email.com> on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:00PM (#30985722) Journal

    But why not go the other way? Integrate phone capabilities to PSP or DS. It's a lot easier than creating a new platform which can never really live up to those two.

    Nokia did already try it, but it lost to PSP and DS. It was semi-popular with guys in my country and at my age, but I didn't really felt like getting one. And there really wasn't any good games.

    • It would be good for download games, especially if they bundled the transfer fee into the cost of buying the game, with no monthly contract.

  • I'd rather keep my phone/sms/chat separate from my game play. To play on the go needs something a bit larger and more tactile than an iPhone... the PSP is nice but I'd never stick it in my pocket on a night out. Plus, and particularly with the iPhone, a couple of hours playing games and your battery would be dust. Not only putting an end to game play but taking down your comms as well. Personally - when travelling the PSP is great (especially for the kids), if its a long time away from the PS3/Wii then I'll
    • the PSP is nice but I'd never stick it in my pocket on a night out.

      the night out opens the door to a whole new world of gaming for the geek. assuming his batteries are at full charge.

    • I wish tethering 'just worked'. My phone has an unlimited data connection, wifi, and bluetooth. Data doesn't interfere with the phone's ability to make/receieve calls. My GPS should be talking to my phone to get traffic info. My DS or PSP should be asking my phone for a net connection so I can play on-line. My laptop should be able to talk to my phone for a net connection if nothing's around. My camera should talk to my phone to auto-upload pics to my FTP site. Then we wouldn't need a 'game phone' or

  • meh. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by milkmage ( 795746 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:03PM (#30985806)

    serious gaming? on a mobile device? c'mon. games on a phone are at best, distractions or time killers (babysitters).

    the LAST thing I want to do is get heavy into a game and get a fucking call.

  • Great can be measured in many ways, you need to specify what way/how you want to measure great phone.

    I'm sure there are plenty iPhone users out there that believe they have an amazing gaming phone,

    heck, even I with my old Nokia and Tetris thought I had a great game phone.
  • Because .... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by phoxix ( 161744 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:06PM (#30985856)

    You can buy a DS/PSP without a freaking multi-year ass-rape contract.

    Buying a gaming console should never be a long term financial decision.

    • by Fozzyuw ( 950608 )

      Buying a gaming console should never be a long term financial decision.

      I feel the same way about phones.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by holiggan ( 522846 )

      I agreee. Besides, having the mobile carriers around tends to mess things. The manufacturer of the hardware (in this case, either Nintendo or Sony) would have to wrestle with the mobile carrier's problems, the share in the profits, perhaps exclusivity, etc, etc.

      Nintendo and Sony would leave their present "top of the food chain" place, masters of their own hardware and have to "share" that spot with the telcos (more or less like what's happening to google, except that the "google mobile" is nothing but a "to

  • Sometime streamlined/less is better, right?

    Does your alarm clock really need a radio in it?

  • Despite gaming trying so hard to convince itself it's the greatest thing ever, gaming isn't cool enough to have a phone that looks like a controller of some sorts.

    I've had a few ideas I've toyed with under the assumption I would patent it but patents are expensive, I don't see myself being a patent troll and I couldn't even fucked to pay to get a mock up done.

    But I do believe the key is to make it not look like a gaming device while having decent controls and it can't be too delicate so it can handle
  • ... why haven't console makers displaced phone makers by making their own portable phone hybrid handheld? They have all the background necessary to make a killer phone that could wipe out most other phones.

    • by 7Prime ( 871679 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:32PM (#30986326) Homepage Journal

      Not really. Phones and game devices use vastly different technology, and even more vastly different infrastructure. Infrastructure is the most complicated part of making phones. Working out networks, contracts, etc. By comparison, the infrastructure for game devices is a walk in the park. When you make a phone, you're somewhat beholden to the phone companies which hold all the cards. Game hardware manufacturers control their own infrastructures, like XBox Live and Playstation ("home" is it called? I don't have a PS3). Also, the interface designs and hardware functionality is quite different. It's not particularly intuitive to combine a phone with a gaming handheld and not lose a bit of one side in the process. You hold them differently, the speakers locations for each are not ideal for each other, handhelds usually sacrifice some portability for ergonomics, phones must maintain an even smaller form factor. The two are really very different devices. The fact that they have screens and are essentially computers is the only major similarities. The control systems that are typically ideal for handhelds don't really make much sense for a phone. So then you either have tacked-on gaming controls which take up more space than your phone functionality needs, or you sacrifice gaming control to make up for the portability that a phone needs.

      That's why contextual control devices like the iPhone are probably the MOST ideal. They're deffinitely not perfect, but they do both things relatively well without sacrificing too much. Now its a up to the game manufacturers to create control systems that are ideal to the non-tactile nature of the device. For instance, I've played a few very playable platformers on the iPhone like Soosiz (which uses large virtual left, right and jump buttons), Bounce On (which utilizes the tilt functionality of the iPhone remarkably well, for control). But on the flip side, Sega's port of Sonic the Hedgehog (which simply places a tiny virtual D-Pad) is almost entirely unplayable. This isn't Apple's fault, it's Sony's fault. Bounce On and Soosiz are both very similar to Sonic, and they play extremely well, so it can be done.

  • Why? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Thyamine ( 531612 ) <thyamineNO@SPAMofdragons.com> on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:12PM (#30985986) Homepage Journal
    Because I have a large wide screen TV attached to my consoles at home, multiple computers in my house running multiple OS'es, a DS, a PSP, an iPod Touch, and yes a MAME cabinet. I don't need my phone to play any games. I barely use my iPod Touch to play games, and that seems crazy to some people. Maybe because I'm a 'serious' gamer (as named by various media and/or gaming companies) as opposed to all this talk of 'casual' gaming. If you want real gaming, toss your DS or whatever in your car, or grab a backpack/messenger bag/stylish-bag-of-your-choice and pop it in. I carry my Blackberry and iPod around without problem.

    Clearly I need more caffeine or something. And get off my lawn. Damn, when did I get old?
  • Sony's scared (Score:3, Interesting)

    by 7Prime ( 871679 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:13PM (#30986008) Homepage Journal

    Phones and Games mix about as well as SPAM and Phad Thai. Really, the only seemless way of doing this is to create a contextual device that changes from one to the other seemlessly... wait... we already have that, it's called the iPhone. And it's the most rapidly growing gaming platform on the market. With titles outselling the PSP about 20:1. Now, it's getting handheld console ports like Broken Sword, Spore, Myst, Super Monkey Ball, and on and on. With capacity and processing power that outdoes the PSP, Sony really should be worried. And they are, but this kind of speak that their using in the above quote reaks of double-talk spawned by latent fear. Basically, they realize they're in trouble, and their trying to make it sound like everyone is jumping on board with the PSP from the iPhone... but where are the numbers? The PSP hasn't had any major sales increases, in fact, I've heard that their numbers are falling. This is all speculation, wishfull thinking, and advertising on Sony's part.

    The big hurdle is control. Buttons are always very nice for many kinds of games, though finger-pad is really nice for other things, and stylus is great for other things. Adding a d-pad to a smartphone is going to be either combersomb or unneccessary or both. There are games with extrodinary control systems on the iPhone, and there are games with terrible control systems. Same goes for the PSP. But I honestly don't think control system is going to be a big loss for people when the games are 1/4 of the price, run smoother, and are more portable.

    Sony should be scared, and it's fairly clear that they already are.

    • I am old enough to remember people wondering whether someone would ever come up with a game control system that took advantage of the mouse.

      • by 7Prime ( 871679 )

        Yes, and as good as mouse-keyboard control systems are, console titles (which use simple joy pads) outsell PC games like 3:1. Which either means that people don't care about control (which I would say is false), OR more likely, developers have learned how to utilize what control systems they're given, to an extent that most times, people aren't bothered by either.

        It's all about what you do with the control scheme's you're given.

  • Same reason no one has made a serious fart machine for serious teenagers.

  • That would be awesome. I was just texting a friend about this the other day while on my regular commute on I-95*. He said it nobody would use a phone for games when they have much better graphics at home. Then I pointed out how many people were stuck in this bumper to bumper traffic each day. I mean, there's only so many people you can talk to between the beltway and Manassas. I tried reading but it just wasn't, well, engaging enough to command my attention and I found myself getting bored.

    I know that th

    • I know that the whole gravity-sensor-tilt thing is hot with the kids, but it might just be worth it to get a stationary mount on the dash, and some bluetooth buttons that would clip onto the steering wheel. I'm all about safety, and to play those tilt games properly takes both hands way too often. Then again, I can text pretty well while driving with my knees, so maybe it's not a big deal once you get used to it.

      On behalf of the other people on the road with you, drive your damned car, and don't play with y

  • "A serious gaming phone for serious gamers."

    Am I the only one who chuckled at this? There is nothing serious about a gaming phone, unless you call bedazzled or solitaire serious gaming.

  • Lifespan (Score:3, Insightful)

    by kenp2002 ( 545495 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:23PM (#30986170) Homepage Journal

    ... because the lifespan of a cell phone has been around 2 years so far and no developers wants to invest in building apps for a platform that people throw in the trash every time they switch carriers...

  • There is enough crap on my phone. In fact, the iPhone has so many apps and games for it that Apple had to make a larger model called an iPad :P

  • Serious gamers? (Score:3, Informative)

    by xxuserxx ( 1341131 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:26PM (#30986220)
    Serious gamers use a PC. Anything else might as well be Learning with Elmo.
  • I don't know what you mean with a 'gaming phone' but the iPhone does a pretty good job playing games. It has OpenGL 2.0 and a fast enough processor to play a bunch of games incl. high-end like Spore, Need for Speed etc.

    What you should ask is: why has nobody made a great game for a phone and the answer is obvious: the devices are too small (you don't want to walk around with an iPad-sized phone), they don't support any type of controller (see yourself walking around with an Xbox controller or keyboard/mouse?

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Hatta ( 162192 )

      No d-pad. Instant gaming fail.

      • by 7Prime ( 871679 )

        Not neccessarilly. There are many games on the DS that hardly use the D-Pad, and I've found very playable control-heavy games on the iPhone, where I don't really even notice after playing for about 5 minutes. It's all about how you use the control schemes you have been given.

        The biggest problem with the iPhone is that there's no standard in control schemes. Some companies do extremely well, and some are terrible at it.

  • Just what we all need, one more thing for people to do while behind the wheel of a vehicle besides actually driving.
  • The reason nobody has made a great gaming phone, IMO, is because the criteria for "great gaming device" and "great phone" are so at odds with each other.

    For a phone, you want to ensure that the primary use (communicating with people) is always available -- you don't want the battery to run down because if it does, you're screwed in an emergency. For a gaming device, you don't want the design to discourage people from gaming all they want. For a phone, you want the usability of the core functions (sending

  • The DS is the DS, the PSP is the PSP, but what exactly is a phone? Both the hand holds are designed for gaming and nothing else. They suck as phones or even as computers. But a smartphone has for a long time been hampered by the need to have a keypad. That keypad is fine for dialing a number but sucks for gaming input where handhelds TEND to have buttons on both sides because you hold the device with both hands. So, how are you going to create a phone that is both a high quality phone worthy of its high pri

  • by Roogna ( 9643 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @03:38PM (#30986434)

    If you're a company and you're putting out a product, which of these two product markets would you rather be? The Wii (iPhone according to the Ovi Orion article), or the XBox (their supposedly spiffy idea). Hmm... Massively huge gigantic market selling at a profit or Middling market that started out selling as a loss leader. Choices, choices, choices.

    Perhaps that simple market comparison itself right there is why no one has bothered again with a "gaming" phone. Heck, even comparing portable gaming units. Which would you want to sell, the DS with it's again, gigantic huge massive casual market? Or the PSP with it's middling "hardcore" market? Now the true gamers most likely have both, I know my household does. But the casual gamer, of which there are a great many more? They've got the DS if they've got one at all.

    • Xbox is FAR more profitable then Wii overall. Wii owners attach rate is horrible, not to mention the Live Marketplacestore does alot more volume. Wii is popular and made a slight profit on every unit sold, but they arent generating the long tail cash like the LIVE is.
      • by samkass ( 174571 ) on Monday February 01, 2010 @04:17PM (#30987126) Homepage Journal

        Xbox is FAR more profitable then Wii overall. Wii owners attach rate is horrible, not to mention the Live Marketplacestore does alot more volume. Wii is popular and made a slight profit on every unit sold, but they arent generating the long tail cash like the LIVE is.

        So you're saying that Microsoft has been lying in its quarterly and annual reports to the SEC that show that unit losing millions of dollars since inception?

  • As if we don't have enough self-absorbed dipshits fiddling with their phones at inappropriate times NOW!

  • But I know what you mean.

    Don’t worry. Soon mobile phones and handheld consoles will merge (e.g. PSP + N900 style), just like cameras, GPS navigation, music player, USB stick, etc, etc, etc.
    I give it 5 years, tops, until they become good.

    Remember that Nokia already did make the N-Gage. Which was not great, but a start. (The start is never great. Just as the first iPhone was a true p.o.s. in everything except the cool multi-touch UI.) The point is that it has (already) started, and needs a bit of time to mature, finds its customers, etc.

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