QUOTE | “The real issue is by 2019 whether Sony and Microsoft will still be relevant in the game space.” - Analyst David Cole, talking about his company’s new global industry report which lowers their forecast for consoles and raises it for PC and mobile games.
Elsewhere in the business of video games this past week ...
QUOTE | “Games are simply becoming the most important and dominant form of entertainment. It has gone mainstream, been adopted by every type of audience, over every conceivable form of interest.” - Salóme Guðmundsdóttir, organizer of Helsinki’s Slush event, talking about why investors are pouring money into gaming.
QUOTE | “It doesn’t make business sense to me why you don’t take the $50 million or $60 million that one AAA game costs you and distribute that between 10 titles or 20 titles... and maybe you have one Markus Persson in there who’s going to make that next big hit.” - Developer Thomas Mahler of Moon Studios, talking about what’s next after their hit with Ori and the Blind Forest.
QUOTE | “We think we are the future of competitive gaming.” - Gary Gattis, CEO of Spacetime Studios, talking about the company’s new mobile MOBA Call of Champions, which they are designing with advice from pro gamers.
QUOTE | “The social games segment appears to be in a free fall, dropping almost 10 percent in revenues.” - Joost van Dreunen, CEO of SuperData, reporting on the $1.01 billion in US digital game revenues in March.
QUOTE | “The app economy is the most competitive marketplace that’s ever existed.” - Rovio VP of user acquisition Eric Seufert, talking about the difficulties in getting players for new mobile games.
STAT | 52% – Amount of US game revenue in 2014 that derived from digital sales, according to the ESA; this marked the first year where total digital game sales passed up physical game sales.
QUOTE | “If you’re not a player in Asia right now you are by definition a regional player.” - Greg Ballard, WBIE’s senior vice president of Digital Games, talking about the the increasing importance of Asia in the games industry.
STAT | 21% – Amount that US retail console hardware sales dropped in March compared to March 2014, according to NPD; Nintendo noted that 3DS sales are up 80% in Q1 2015 while Wii U sales are up 20% over the first quarter of 2014.
QUOTE | “It’s usually an unnerving process to observe impartial players experience your game’s design.” - Graham McAllister of Player Research, talking about how deliberate practice can improve game development.