mrklaw said:
You're assuming that because the device is portable, people only play out and about? That's naive.
No, its realistic. Not only because playing a large action game on a phone is unpractical, but also because you can't develop the same experience you get on a home console and sell them for $2,99 which is a very large factor in the popularity boom of the mobile game market.
I know (I am a developer) what type of games you can make for 2,99 and make a living off and those are in no way comparable to the games you play on dedicated handhelds.
This mobile market is a bubble, it will explode.
As soon as those consumers (those who want more then scrabble or angry birds, which is a pretty small market in the big pie chart of mobile users*) realize that they can't get the same experience they get when playing on a home console or a dedicated gaming handheld, Nintendo and Sony will be there to pick them up with cheaper home and handheld consoles and games at a price point that's sustainable for developers and affordable to consumers. (in the $15/20 range)
*because those who don't care, wouldn't have bought gaming handheld anyway. those are moms and dads who like the small distraction. its like browsing, checking the news. So its unfair in calculating them in this equation. are they a large part of the users, yes, the biggest, do they buy games on their phones? nope. Why would they when they download free ones.