Filed under: Gaming, Multimedia, Apple, iPhone, App Store, SDK, iPod touch
Game developers on iPhone outnumber DS and PSP two-to-one
Game Developer Research has published its 2009/10 survey of video game developers, and the results are pretty impressive for the still relatively fledgling iPhone platform: The number of developers who are working on mobile games increased by 12 percent, and there are actually twice as many developers working on iPhone games as are working on the Nintendo DS and Sony's PSP handheld consoles.That's a pretty amazing number, though it's not quite a surprise when you consider it. First of all, Nintendo DS and PSP publishing takes a much larger investment than Apple's $100 developer fee and an SDK download. Second, while the DS and the PSP are certainly selling a lot of games, they're not actually releasing nearly as many as the hundreds of thousands of apps on the App Store. Finally, new DS and PSP games sell for $30 or $40, while new App Store games sell much closer to 99 cents. So the fact that there are lots more people moving to the much more open and accessible platform isn't really that surprising.
But a figure like that does show just how much Apple's handheld platform has changed the mobile gaming environment. I would argue that there's still a place for handhelds like the DS and PSP -- devices essentially meant to play games rather than check email or browse the Internet. Even with the iPad coming, Apple still isn't actually focusing on games, though the iPod touch is probably closest to that idea. Whether Apple focuses on gaming or not, there's no question that there's a huge new player in the mobile gaming space. Sooner rather than later, Nintendo and Sony may have to sweeten their deals to keep premium developers on their platform.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Farris said 7:13PM on 2-08-2010
The only REAL explanation for this is that Apple has essentially allowed homebrew programs and games to be legitimately installed on the iPhone. Back when I had my PSP (purchased about 2 weeks after it's release), I remember doing the hack on it to allow homebrew to be installed. The problem is that homebrew content was all spread out, I was always afraid that the programs I downloaded would brick it, and the programs were either sub-par or sucky ports (like DOOM or Pac-Man).
By putting the App Store in place when they saw the hacking community get ahold of the iPhone, Apple succeeded in doing what Sony could not: Monetizing the HUGE hacker database that is out there. Look how many apps are out there that started out as Jailbreak only (Qik, video recording apps, games, etc).
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Farris said 7:14PM on 2-08-2010
(PS, I haven't ever really played with homebrew on a DS, so I can't speak about it, but I imagine it's the same way... Big N ignoring homebrew.)
Dale said 8:47PM on 2-08-2010
The only way to get homebrew onto the DS is pretty much the R4 and similar carts that Nintendo vigorously pursues in the legal system. Till the DSi, the system didn't have a way for a user to put data on it.
Gordon said 9:22PM on 2-08-2010
This is not very surpising. This article is comparing 2 closed development programs with Apple's open development program, and it is little surprise that the iPhone has more game developers.
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Sinecure Industries said 8:59AM on 2-09-2010
Yeah, no kidding. A much better statistic would be developers that release more than one game or a game with any sort of production value
iMeow said 12:48PM on 2-09-2010
Open?! Ha, that's hilarious.
Polarbear said 11:13PM on 2-08-2010
I would totally make software for the Nintendo DS or PSP if they had the kind of developer program Apple has.
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Nick said 12:42AM on 2-09-2010
More developers means more games, not better games. The high startup cost for getting an official PSP or DS devkit provides a level of quality control (though Imagine: Rock Starz still managed to get on the DS). The fact that anyone can make an iPhone game is both a blessing and a curse - the App Store will help some dude who's really talented make it big, but you'll also have 100 different versions of Breakout.
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Nkhan.P said 8:30AM on 2-10-2010
Psp and ds games are selling for 30$-40$ whereas iphone games for >10$. i.e why iphone is lacking AAA games
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charliex said 1:44AM on 2-09-2010
The definition of quality over quantity.
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Tatonka said 3:53AM on 2-09-2010
Talk about comparing apples with oranges.
I hate to break it to you guys, but the iPhone/iPod is not a serious gaming device nor will it ever be. It is great for playing some quick game while on the bus or on the china (lets face it, that is where most the action is going on). It is called casual gaming. The games available in the app store are mostly crap and even those from big names like EA and such are not comparable to their PSP counterparts.
People already mentioned the higher costs to start developing for the PSP/DS and that is a good thing. Unlike the app store you have some sort of quality control implicitly in place.
If you buy a PSP/DS game for 20-60$ you have expectation how long "game time" you receive for your dollar. And those number are very different for the iPod.
And lastly the hardware. The touchscreen alone is useless for many games which need precise timing and accurate detection. There is nothing worse than loosing a game because the stupid thing didn't recognize your input. On top of that the battery life of the iPhone is ridiculous compared to the PSP/DS .. you better bring a juice pack if you plan on playing during a transatlantic flight.
/rant
sorry about that, but I really think it is silly that people/fanboys keep pointing to the higher number of apps/developers/updates/whatever the appstore has over other place. It is such a useless comparison.
T.
PS: I love my iPhone for gaming, but would really like to see some premium content come the plattform. The only game worth a ton of time I bought was Madden10, which you can basically for ever. Besides that, few games had more than an hour game time and none more than two hours. When you compare .. there really is no comparison.
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iBearTouch said 7:32AM on 2-09-2010
I too would suggest the writers of TUAW to cool their jets on this one. The games that I have chosen to keep on my iPod Touch are amusing, but nowhere as engrossing as some of the Nintendo DS(i) titles. ie. I am not going to sit at my Touch and play until the batteries run dry. I have been known to play hours with some of the Nintendo DS titles though.
I am more interested in some of the other apps (utilities, social networking, music, news readers, GPS mapping stuff and photo apps, for example). I find myself spending AS MUCH time playing around with these as any of the gaming apps...
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Zhang said 8:41AM on 2-12-2010
apps =/= games. apples and oranges. gamers and gaming devs will obviously go and stick to the devices made solely for gaming.
that being said, the iphone platform isn't at all bad - it's another outlet for creative devs to produce innovative works. devs already well-known for their console works have dabbled in the iphone platform.
it doesn't surprise me that game developers on iphone outnumber handheld consoles, but then again anyone with a few bucks and an internet connection can become a "game developer" for the iphone. what the iphone has going for it however, is not the games but the apps (ie. useful stuff).
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