Epic's Mike Capps: Apps Are Killing Us

[exfileme]

It's a scary time in the traditional games business claims Epic Games' Mike Capps.

Epic's Mike Capps: Apps Are Killing Us : Read more

 

[SneakySnake]

price drops on AAA new release games perhaps imminent??

 

[irtehyar]

PC gaming is dead, consoles suck, nobody plays single player games anymore, blah blah blah. Did I cover all the predictable trolling?

 

[Parsian]

One of the problem is bad marketing. Tegra 2 phones are well capable gaming platforms however, as of now, there is no game that can tap into the power. The wireless companies in Vancouver are advertising the Tegra 2 phone as a dual core phone but not as a graphically capable phone. If one buys a phone to play game, and if one tries to sell phone as a gaming platform, one must advertise the product's ability to do good games but also accelerate game selection while advertising them.

 

[dragonsqrrl]

[citation][nom]irtehyar[/nom]PC gaming is dead, consoles suck, nobody plays single player games anymore, blah blah blah. Did I cover all the predictable trolling? [/citation]
Ya, pretty much. Quite impressive, that probably sums up about half the comments that would've been posted (and probably still will be posted), making them even more redundant and unnecessary then they would've otherwise been. Well done sir.

 

[festerovic]

In a down economy, don't read too much into declining sales as a precursor for industry movement. Maybe there just isn't as much disposable income for wants like games, or there hasn't been as much compelling software.

 

[Kryan]

"but Apple surprised everyone with the iPhone and its cheap apps"

Apple: ruining the boundaires between markets and generally just fucking shit up. I vote them as most irritating company. ever.

 

[Anaxamenes]

I think a lot of those app games are going to people who wouldn't normally play console games anyways. They aren't taking away dollars from consoles, they are introducing new players to gaming. What is needed is some good apps that help those new gamers find games they would like on consoles, probably through making a good, short app game that leads into a bigger story.

But it all boils down to making a good game. People buy good games, but it's a lot harder to pony up $60 if you unsure if the game is worth it.

 

[irsoccer05]

There is also the fact that all the people who want a console and have the means to buy it probably have indeed purchased one. Consoles are quite aged at this point so sales are mostly coming from games, rather than hardware at this point.

 

[aevm]

I'm still waiting for Diablo 3. I don't see how Apple is going to change that...

 

[rantoc]

Quality AAA titles seem to make great sales, start there perhaps?

 

[zak_mckraken]

His name is ironic.

 

[Netherscourge]

Isn't EPIC the creators of Infinity Blade's game engine? (Unreal 2 Engine?)

They complain, yet they perpetuate...

 

[Netherscourge]

EDIT - Unreal 3 engine

 

[shoelessinsight]

The high price of games has been a serious complaint among gamers for years, even decades. Only a fraction of the gamer market is willing to pay $60 for a game, and many use the price as an excuse (albeit, a lame one) to pirate the game. But here we are today with the game publishers still acting surprised that people don't like paying $60 for, more often than not, a sloppy and/or unoriginal program.

Is it really such a surprise that people buy more $1-$5 games than $60 titles? Especially so when the cheaper games tend to expand on more original ideas and provide just as many hours of single-player entertainment.

For the most part, I'm happy with this change in direction in the market. We're back in a position where a couple of people can work out of their home and produce fun, entertaining products, without requiring scores of employees and tens of millions of dollars. We're also seeing gaming being adopted by a surge of people who never would have considered it before, which in turn is bringing new social acceptance to gaming of all kinds.

Change happens, and it's not always bad. The gaming style of the last decade isn't going to die, but it's probably going to have to find a smaller niche to fit in, just like old gaming styles of decades prior. And in the future, we get to look forward to even more unique and entertaining ideas.

 

[scook9]

The consumer decides how much a game is worth, not the developer. I would bet if games returned back down to $30 a title their sales would pick up considerably

 

[vk_87]

How about trying new subscription schemes based on rentals?

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Hmmm..... $1.00 vs $60.00. When you are on a tight budget it is a no brainer!!!

 

[jcb82]

[citation][nom]irsoccer05[/nom]There is also the fact that all the people who want a console and have the means to buy it probably have indeed purchased one. Consoles are quite aged at this point so sales are mostly coming from games, rather than hardware at this point.[/citation]

I agree, but the guy from EPIC seems to be saying they've seen declining software sales as well. I think there are some amazing games coming out this year. Off the top of my head, I can't see why gamers like myself (and I assume that the majority of PS3/XB360 gamers are "hardcore") would not be buying software as of late. If I were to buy an game app for my Iphone I would only supplement my current gaming on the console. I can't see the majority of PS3/XB360 gamers replacing their console gaming with cell phone gaming.

 

[house70]

yes, apps are killing gaming industry... The fact that games are overpriced and offer only couple hours of gameplay, and are so buggy that require a patch the very next day after release has nothing to do with it. Let's blame the apps, the weather, pretty much everything else but the developers.
That's why I am playing games that are a few years old over and over again, because of the apps, not because they were great games at that time... and I can not find anything that compelling in today's offerings.
/sarcasm