Game Devs Migrating Toward iPhone, Away From Wii 143
A new report by Game Developer Research reveals that the number of developers working on games for the iPhone continues to rise, roughly doubling in number from last year. At the same time, the amount of work done on games for Nintendo's Wii dropped significantly:
"Just over 70 percent of developers said they were developing at least one game for PC or Mac (including browser and social games), rising slightly from last year; 41 percent reported working on console games. Within that latter group, Xbox 360 was the most popular system with 69 percent of console developers targeting it, followed by 61 percent for PlayStation 3. While those console figures stayed within a few percent of last year's results, the change in Wii adoption was much more significant: reported developer support for the system dropped from 42 percent to 30 percent of console developers, supporting numerous publishers' claims of a recent softening of the Wii market."
Re:False assumption? (Score:1, Interesting)
Just going by the people I know with these devices, I'd say people with Iphones
probably have much more disposable income than owners of dsIs.
Also, the Iphone has sold about twice as many units as the dsI.
Seventh Gen losing steam (Score:2, Interesting)
Four years is around the time it took for the 5th and 6th generations to lose steam. Difference is next-gen no longer impresses anyone.
People just want smaller, quieter, lower power.
Re:False assumption? (Score:4, Interesting)
Well, it's not completely wrong. :) ).
We did some video games on Nintendo DS, it was easier for us to get a Wii (because we didn't have to do all the paperwork again and Nintendo knew us already) so we tried that.
But it didn't work so well. If you don't sell more than 2000 or 3000 games on WiiWare, you don't get any money (and... we got nothing yet
We tried a game on DSi (DSiWare) and our engine was already cross-platform so we ported it on the iPhone.
I don't know if every studio like us did the same thing, but the Wii is dead. We don't know yet if the iPhone will be a viable platform for us, our game isn't out yet.
Good point, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
I largely agree with your statement, but I would imagine that there is are least *some* developers jumping ship from Wii (or, more likely, DS/DSi) to iPhone/iPod. And they're probably making games for the older consumers that Nintendo has been courting in recent years.
For all the talk of Apple's restrictive policies, Nintendo's stance towards developers is almost draconian by comparison. Development kits for Nintendo hardware run into the thousands of $$$ -- assuming Nintendo even sells you a devkit, which they won't unless you're an established developer or you're being published by someone with a known track record. And unlike Apple which takes 30% off the top, Nintendo's cut is largely determined on a case-by-case basis (EA probably gets a much more lucrative deal than a small publisher.
Re:False assumption? (Score:3, Interesting)
Exactly... if you program something for the iPhone, and Apple approves it, it's on the store. On the big 3 consoles, even if you're an amateur studio who gets their game published on there, you're still semi-pro - I guess a bit less so on XBLA since they're pretty open.
I wouldn't be surprised if the raw number of developers was even 10x higher on iPhone - it's somewhere between computer and console in terms of available software. Now if companies like Capcom, Konami, Square-Enix, Sega, Namco, etc started dropping their other projects in favour of the iPhone, then it would be a story.
PC party games (Score:3, Interesting)
If your game is high quality, you need to hit Steam.
Top sellers on Wii include Carnival Games, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart, and similar party favorites. These video games allow up to four players to join in without having to own a separate console, monitor, and copy of the game per player. The PC app store Steam, on the other hand, is limited by the comparatively small median monitor of a PC, where it's difficult for four players holding gamepads to see the screen. True, it is fairly easy to connect a PC to the VGA or HDMI input on an HDTV, thereby forming a "home theater PC". But I get an impression from other Slashdot users that the number of HTPC owners is nowhere near enough to support a major-label development budget.
Re:False assumption? (Score:3, Interesting)
It wouldn't surprise me if some of them said "learn to code for the iphone in a week, have something we can ship in 8".
My college has decided to focus its game development program on the iPhone, because they think it's the hot salable property. Just wait for the flood in 3, 2, 1...
Re:One person does not a market make. (Score:3, Interesting)
If your game gets on steam, and it's good, you're guaranteed 5 digit sales.
On a 6 digit budget game?
Some steam games sell 6 or 7 digits.
Guaranteed 5 digits is pretty good. The iPhone has a guaranteed 2 digits, and the Wii only ~4. :P
And why does this software have such a limitation? Based on everything I've read in other Slashdot comments, it's because there aren't enough customers in the PC gaming market who have the appropriate hardware. Major-label PC games aimed at the median PC gamer are designed for the median PC monitor, which is smaller than the median console monitor. This in turn is because the median PC gamer is less of a hardcore enthusiast than someone like you who runs dual head 1080p-class monitors. One person does not a market make.
There are plenty of customers out there. What publishers don't grasp, is we're not all on their schedule. People upgrade at different times. Although there's a big burst on release, you could get a steady stream of sales for years after release, especially if you drop the price every once and a while.
I know people with computers that will only play older games like Far Cry. When they see a deal like this week's on Steam, they pick it up. Places like GOG.com are a heaven for them.