Hands-On With Samsung Galaxy S4 Game Arcade

At New York City's Radio City Music Hall, Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 and showed off its new game arcade in this exclusive hands-on demo video.

[creHEARTive]

I may be saying goodbye to my iPhone.

[LOGICWINS]

Hook this bad boy up to your TV via HDMI and your phone basically doubles as an OUYA console =D

Its things like this that discourage people from picking up $399-$499 consoles. Will you get games that look like Uncharted 3...no not yet? Will people care when they're only spending $0-$10 on a game? Nope.

Casuals eat this kind of thing up. The fact that I can get Need for Speed for $5 and take it anywhere I go is just incredible. What I lose in gameplay depth is made up for by portability/affordability.

Of course those that live in the N4G bubble will press the disagree button, but those who live in reality understand why so many will flock to this.

[admiralvic]

I think most people UNDERSTAND it, but that doesn't mean they agree with it. A lot of "core" gamers want the casual nonsense OUT of our community and would be glad to see these people leave.

[LOGICWINS]

LOL, you make it sound like a disease. No ones forcing you to adopt casual gaming. Its not hurting anyone accept for console makers who are losing sales because consumers are satisfied with free mobile gaming.

All I'm saying its that its here to stay and its only going to get bigger. Thats not to say that console gaming will "die" though. Console gaming will still make enough money to guarantee new consoles every 6-7 years..but it will never match the popularity of mobile gaming.

Of course people will disagree with me, thats fine. But mobile gaming will eventually engulf the console/PC market. Its ALREADY happening with Gaikai and the NVIDIA Shield. We're starting to see that these companies want a piece of the mobile gaming pie. You can't possibly ignore whats going on here.

There are a BILLION smartphone owners out there

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1...

Thats too big of an audience to ignore going into the future. Sony was very smart with buying Gaikai. The rewards they will reap will be massive!

[Rainstorm81]

You miss the point ....casuals enjoy the ease of touch tilt shake gameplay....I don't think adding a controller is for casuals, it's to entice gamers to have the S4 as their all purpose device.

I don't think Casuals want to play NFS angry birds or Subway Surfers with a controller......I know quite a few and their barrier to entry for consoles is the controller

Edit.
BTW technically you can do this now with a S3 and Dual-shock 3

[LOGICWINS]

"I can see those devices carving out a market for themselves but the console experience is too advanced and offers too much."

Yes, fully agree. But theres a catch-22 to that. If you want an advanced form of gaming, your going to have to pay that premium $399-$499 price.

Wouldn't you say that its more tempting for most to just buy a $39.99 Bluetooth controller for their phone, hook up the phone to your widescreen HDTV via an included HDMI cable and start playing budget Android/PS3 games?

"BTW technically you can do this now with a S3 and Dual-shock 3"

Yes, but eventually PS3 games will be playable on these devices. All you need to do is bring your phone/controller in your backpack and essentially you have a mobile PS3.

Casuals might not want to play Angry Birds on their controller, but what about Killzone 2 or Uncharted 2?

[admiralvic]

"Yes, fully agree. But theres a catch-22 to that. If you want an advanced form of gaming, your going to have to pay that premium $399-$499 price.

Wouldn't you say that its more tempting for most to just buy a $39.99 Bluetooth controller for their phone, hook up the phone to your widescreen HDTV via an included HDMI cable and start playing budget Android/PS3 games?"

I think you're over simplifying some things and downplaying other things.

Assuming the S4 follows in the footsteps of the S1 - 3, you're looking at a phone that will cost $200 with contract or 499+ (according to one I read, the price will be $629.99) without . So in reality you're comparing a super device that cost 200 - 630 + 40 for a controller to a system that will cost $400 out of the box. You also assume that the casual market wants to deal with this stuff...

1 bundled system with simple instructions.

VS

1 phone + not every phone has HDMI (ala iPhone), so possibly an adaptor ($10+) + getting games + having the interest to get it all working + bluetooth controller $40) = too much work for the average person.

[LOGICWINS]

Respectfully, I think your the one oversimplifying things now. The scenario you point out makes it seem as if consumers want EITHER a console OR a smartphone that plays games, when in reality, many would say that they want BOTH(or a combination of both into one device).

Many people out there are paying for a smartphone contract regardless of if they have a console or not.

What about the guy who just spent $299 on a 1.9GHZ phone with 8 cores? You really think he will want to spend another $299 for a separate gaming machine when he can play old PS3 games on his phone at a budget price?

"1 phone + not every phone has HDMI (ala iPhone), so possibly an adaptor ($10+) + getting games + having the interest to get it all working + bluetooth controller $40) = too much work for the average person."

I'll give you that HDMI point, but thats rapidly changing. Even mid tier crap phones like the LG Thrill that I've had for a year has an HDMI output with an included HDMI cable.

[BattleAxe]

I'm up for a new phone in October, so i will either be buying the S4 or the Xperia ZL. I only hope that Sony comes out with a controller like this for their phones.

[LOGICWINS]

If what they're doing with Gaikai pans out, then they will...but wouldn't doing that cannibalize Vita?

I do want a Vita, but when I consider the prospect of playing PS3 games on my phone with Gaikai, I lose interest in it.

[tubers]

If the PSV gets an international treatment of price cut (to around $ 199.99), it still has its own market.

No contracts and much more affordable.

Better to cannibalize your own products as well than others taking advantage of your lesser options for offerings.

[LOGICWINS]

"No contracts and much more affordable."

But with or without a Vita, your paying for a contract(unless you buy prepaid or live in the Stoneage)

And I agree, the revenue Sony will make off Gaikai by offering it on all devices(Android, ios, tablets, laptops) will totally outweigh any losses they take on the Vita.

[tubers]

What contract? AFAIK Gaikai isn't exclusive to 3G/4G and is also available via Wifi.

Just look at the iPhone, iPod/Touch and iPad Mini offerings.

They all have their respective market and pricing tier and all are viable choices.

Regardless, it's better for Sony to cannibalize on themselves than lose profit.

[LOGICWINS]

No no, I was talking about smartphone contracts.

[tubers]

Sony:

1. Xperia Z (or future models)
2. x2 PSV design side controller accessory
3. ???
4. Profit

?

Maybe if this Sammy "S-Box" takes off, Sony might think about it.

P.S. If only Xperia Play had PSN access.

[YoungPlex]

Sure glad I didn't upgrade just yet, will be getting this day 1!

[badkolo]

the controller like this allows for games to finally be games, its the touch crap control that force them to change the game to make it playeable and those games suck other then for the few like angry birds, jet pack, basic controlled games, but this pad can allow for actual games to be made and more accepted once you give us real control and keep the screen for full viewing and using touch only for minor things just like the vita does, essentially this makes it a portable console

[gamerlive]

Cool demo.