2012 Portable Gaming Charts Indicate Mobile Games Already Surpass 3DS, Vita

Leviathyn.com says: "App Annie and the IDC (International Data Corporation) have recently released their 2012 Portable Gaming Report. Showing all manner of numbers and other fancy statistical goodies, there’s plenty of predictably shocking facts you can shake your head at. Among the top spots, Nintendo, the Android OS and Pokemon sit comfortably well. Also, the Asian-Pacific market REALLY loves their Google Play games."

[fluffydelusions]

$0.99 toilet games you play in 5 minute spurts vs full on portable games...I wish people would just stop with this comparison.

[infestedandy]

The quality can't be compared, you're right, but it's still interesting to see the numbers and how the industry is fully changing.

[rezzah]

Statistics never reveal the entire story.

[Anon1974]

It just never ceases to amaze me how quickly people on this site are to dismiss mobile gaming as nothing more than "0.99 bs". When you can get games like The Walking Dead, Bastion, Civilization, Baldur's Gate, Grand Theft Auto, etc on mobile devices, isn't it time to give the "toilet games" nonsense a rest? Sure there's a lot of time wasters on mobile, but don't act like that's the only thing mobile gaming has to offer because it's a lie and you all know it. If choose to use another platform, more power to you, but you don't need to create falsehoods and sweeping generalizations to support your position. Just say that's your preference and leave it at that.

Personally, when I'm on the go I like to grab my Vita. It's the best mobile gaming device going in my opinion, but I wouldn't dismiss the great content out there on mobile over the years simply because I prefer my Vita. I'm still very capable of enjoying a few rounds of Angry Birds Star Wars (fantastic game, by the way) or helping my 3 year old play some Cut the Rope, or even spending some time with Game Dev Story on the ole Galaxy S2.

People who choose to ignore mobile gaming are no better than the PC snobs who insist they'd rather poke out their own eyes than play a console game. There's plenty of great gaming experiences to be had on mobile. If you don't like the time wasters, don't play them, but don't pretend that's all mobile has to offer.

[AtomicGerbil]

I think for the most part the problem is not that mobile games seem to sell in substantial numbers, it's that every brain dead journalist sees it as the arrival of the four horsemen for dedicated consoles.

Unfortunately while the internet is awash with uninformed journalists who only look at numbers instead of the whole picture, a hornets nest of passionate and sometimes irrational gamers will speak out.

[IMightBeRetarded]

While there are good mobile games, they just aren't comparable to the games you can get on dedicated handheld gaming devices. And they don't have buttons which has always been a major downside.

[Anon1974]

No one is comparing the quality of mobile games with other devices. That's what bugs me. Personally, I didn't feel Wii games compared to what I was playing on the PS3/360, but I didn't for a second write off all Wii games for that reason. They're just different. Of course there was still some excellent gaming to be had on the Wii, just as there is on mobile, just as there is on dedicated mobile game devices. I just can't stand the notion that there's nothing decent on mobile. Now I might be a tad biased due to the fact that I make mobile games for a living, but I'm not wrong because I don't tar and feather an entire slate of games just because of the device you can play them on. That's just ridiculous to me.

And as for the lack of buttons, touch screens are different and there's nothing wrong with that. People need to get that through their heads. If you're playing a game meant for the touchscreen and you find yourself going "I wish I had buttons" the developer didn't do a very good job. I can't stand games that just try to shoehorn in buttons or d-pads on screen. It just reminds people that they're not using a controller. If a game is made properly, you don't even notice the input. I can't imagine using anything but a touchscreen for a game like Angry birds or Fruit Ninja. You play a game like Mass Effect Infiltrator and the controls are so smooth you never miss buttons. It just depends on the game. Tap the screen, tap a button, if it's done properly, there's no difference. We're doing things with our latest game that simply couldn't be done without a touch screen. It'd be unplayable with a regular controller. You'd need either a touchscreen or at the very least a mouse and even then you still need the ability to rotate your device to play the game properly. It all depends on the game and how they use the inputs they have to work with.

[Mounce]

Yo man, Angry Birds sold 500 Billion times so it's like.

Mobile Games clearly surpass the gaming industry as a whole for both console and handhelds.

Mobile Games clearly just are the PINNACLE of Gaming, all the cool kids play it.

[/mass sarcasm]

I don't see awesome fucking games like MGS Peacewalker on the iPad. The most Hardcore game that Mobiles have is Infinity Blade.....and I'd still say that game should bloody go on the Vita.

[IMightBeRetarded]

I honestly don't get the appeal of infinity blade. Sure it had good graphics, but that's really about it. Everything else about it was just meh.

[Mounce]

To me I like it, simply because it had an RPG edge of strategy/reaction time and collecting better equipment. Idunno, it looks interesting, guess I'd only know if it was a Spam-drag-fest more than 'Fun' if I had a chance to play it on something that wasn't an i-device.

[Kingthrash360]

99 cent bs....

[Wintersun616]

IDC if they're speeding by when measuring sales. Vita and 3DS are far superior for many obvious reasons. It's stupid to compare them like apples and apples.

[admiralvic]

Most (if not all) phones in the past 4 years can play games on some level.
A good percent / most people own a smart phone.
You can get a phone that can play games for free with contract.
Mobile games have plenty of titles in the free to .99 range.
...

Portable games are beating dedicated systems? You don't say...

[Yodagamer]

I think the top 5 games on each market shows the quality gap between mobile vs. Dedicated. Plus when mobile games come over to dedicated handhelds at the same price they have sold better. Gunman Clive is a great example and outsold both the android and ios versions.

[Hicken]

Not this crap again.

C'mon, Leviathyn. You're better than this. Your articles are better than this. Your writers are better than this.

[infestedandy]

What's the issue? They're just charts that some company provided. I don't think it reflects on any kind of website at all, it's just facts.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

I would never choose mobiles games over handheld consoles.

[profgerbik]

No shit, been saying this forever. I can't stand it..

[AdvanceWarsSgt]

I can't say for certain if Sony will remain in the handheld business, but by the looks of it Nintendo isn't going anywhere anytime soon. They'd drop out of making consoles before they ever dropped out of making handhelds.

[SirBradders]

For me personally there was a time for mobile games but after a wile there is this feeling of repetition and paying to win. For instance most games adopt a free model now to cash grab with slow refill times on something or other, i use dungeon hunter as an example (although many others follow suite) 1 and 2 was a paid game with a story etc and know in game store... and then 3 comes out its free but arena based with no story and an in game store which is a blatent cash grab rip off and 2 fingers up to the dedicated fans from the developers behalf. Dont get me wrong there have been some great games on mobile devices really innovatove but truly when it comes down to it a good 95%+ of mobile games are made with ripping the consumer off in mind, mainly kids i think and take advantage of the addictive personality of humans. The world is fueled by greed which will be our undoing eventually simple as.