iPhone beats Wii, DS, PSP: 'fastest hardware growth in consumer tech history'
by Christopher Grant 
{ Oct 23rd 2009 at 2:30PM } 
Couple Meeker's research with DFC Intelligence analyst David Cole's assertion that the iPhone and iPod Touch devices will be the "primary drivers of mobile game market sales over the coming years" and you've got what those of us in the biz call "consensus."
Still think it's not a real gaming platform?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BxGT @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:37PM
Is that really a fair comparison, i mean the iphone is a phone first and the itouch is an mp3 player first.Thats what thier sold as.Its like comparing a veggie burger to a hamburger, not the same,
BigD145 @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:40PM
Might as well add "netbooks" and ebooks.
Freedom Town @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:49PM
"Still think it's not a real gaming platform?"
Yes. Because it isn't. A line graph and a "study" aren't going to change that fact
pax copia @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:01PM
I am sick of the Apple spin machine.
The ipod brand is popular indeed, however there are actually many media players that are more popular than many ipods. For example the psp is the second most popular media player (seriously) and there are in fact a lot more psps in use than there are ipodtouchs. If anyone has a hard time understanding Apple's use of the term ipod see shuffle, nano, classic and all the prior variants. they are in no way equals in the way a psp is to a psp. Same can be said for their iphone, they are not all equals especially with a ipodtouch as it doesn't even have a camera.
GewurztraminerX @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:05PM
Exactly. iTouch should be lumped with the iPod, not the iPhone.
But hey, if we're going to combine them, why not combine Wii and DS for no reason and really have skewed stats?
ejordan @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:09PM
I agree with freedom town. I'm sure if you graph the adoption rate of Beanie Babies in the 90s you'd see a similar spike.
Umm... the sales of Beanie Babies has as much to do with video games as the iphone does. Novelty at best.
D dogg @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:19PM
I disagree, Doom: Resurrection and Geo Defense: Swarm are absolutely fun as hell on the system. I'm not a fan of the virtual pad and buttons type of games but the games that focus on the touch interface are awesome and very fun to play.
Even some of the RPG's are pretty good.
D dogg @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:22PM
GewurztraminerX:
Why would they "lump" the iTouch with the iPod? Two different interfaces. iPhone and iTouch have the SAME interface and guts for gaming for the most part.
Does the DS have a remote for the input device and is it as powerful as two Gamecubes duct tapped together? C'mon people, use your fucking heads here...
GewurztraminerX @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:42PM
"Why would they 'lump' the iTouch with the iPod?"
@ D dogg:
I suggested that merely because the device in question is called an iPod Touch. So, yeah, iPod Touch + iPod seems to make sense because they are both called iPods.
But yes, they are different. I was reiterating and agreeing to BxGT's original comment.
Shagittarius @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:51PM
Oh yeah? Coffee tables outsold all those devices in the same period. Since you can play games on coffee tables it must be the bestselling games platform.
holyice7 @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:51PM
It's really like trying to find the differences between the DSi and the DS Lite. One has a fancy camera, and the other has slightly different features, but they serve the same purpose.
It just wouldn't have looked as impressive if they'd left them separate.
Still, the Apple crap falls under consumer electronics. Pure gaming devices are still serving a 'niche' demographic, even if the products themselves are adopting more cameras and clocks than ever before in order to appeal to wider user bases. The iPhone would always remain a gimped gaming platform compared to a Game Boy or a PSP, and no savvy consumer would be swayed otherwise.
D dogg @ Oct 23rd 2009 4:03PM
GewurztraminerX:
What I mean when I say "think" is accentuated by this comment: "i mean the iphone is a phone first and the itouch is an mp3 player first"
That's marketing. It doesn't matter WHAT the system is 1st, 4th or even 100th. If 5 million people own it AND it's a viable games platform... why would a company NOT develop for it?
Xbox 360 is for games 1st but I find myself using it more for Netflix than I do games... OH NOES!!
;)
Spartan [Planeteer | Power of Sunshine & Lollipops] @ Oct 23rd 2009 5:43PM
Hold up.
iPhone + iTouch?
That's not fair.
If your gona be fair then lets have
DS + Gameboy.
eldee @ Oct 23rd 2009 7:29PM
#1) Apple didn't make this chart, TechCrunch did.
#2) If you haven't played a game on an iPhone, you don't really have any room to criticize since you don't even know what you're missing. Some of these iphone vs ipod touch arguments are proof alone of that- they're the exact same thing! one just has a phone app! Seriously, go play with both and you'll see what I mean.
and finally
#3) I am going to bookmark this comment thread and refer back to it when all of you regulars end up converting. It's inevitable, the iphone is an extremely powerful piece of portable gaming hardware, and it hasn't even been fully utilized yet. Wait and watch, you WILL see.
Rabish12 @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:37PM
I like how Apple keeps making these charts hoping people are stupid enough to think they mean that the iPhone and iPod Touch have become the dominant gaming platforms without realizing that most people who buy them don't actually buy them for gaming, and probably don't even buy games for them.
Christ-ian @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:40PM
The carts actually came from a Morgan Stanley analyst. RTFA.
Christ-ian @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:40PM
DAMMIT. ......charts*
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:41PM
I like how people jump to conclusions all the time here on Joystiq and NEVER read the full story. Apple didn't create that chart sweetie.
BxGT @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:47PM
Captian planet is either gay or a woman, both would blow my mind.
Rabish12 @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:50PM
I facepalmed at myself. My bad. Jumped to conclusions because the last three charts I saw like this came from Apple (then again, the last three charts had an explicit claim that Apple was dominating the portable games market, not just the implication of it). Either way, it's hardly a fair comparison - they're comparing a cell phone and a portable video/music player with three gaming devices. And besides that, claiming the fastest hardware user growth in consumer tech history when you've only compared it to three other products seems somewhat suspect. What about consumer tech outside of video game consoles, portable media players, and cell phones? There's NOTHING outside of those in the entire history of consumer technology that can approach even the PSP?
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Oct 23rd 2009 4:23PM
BxGT, you're...ahhh fuck it. You're just not worth it.
sk8monroe81 (PSN--XBL) @ Oct 23rd 2009 10:10PM
morgan stanley got paid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
time to cash our checks...
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:37PM
I'm curious to see the gender breakdown of iPhone/iPod Touch sales.
Cody @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:46PM
Why for?
Prestidigitator @ Oct 23rd 2009 6:40PM
Cody, see comment by bxgt above.
Ryan @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:38PM
Um, iPhone + iTouch = Win?
Is, is that fair? Are we saying that fair now?
Are they putting the DS, DS Lite, DSi in the same pile? What about the PSP Phat, PSP Slim, PSP Slim 2, PSP Go?
JerJer @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:59PM
i really hate that people call it "iTouch"
Steve @ Oct 24th 2009 6:09PM
*sigh* why is this so freakin' hard for people to understand? The iPhone and iPod Touch are basically THE SAME DEVICE! The only real difference is one has a phone application and the necessary hardware to support it. They both run the same OS, have the same basic hardware and, wait for it.... run the same software! The reason that they're lumped in together is it's a single platform launched at (almost) the same time whereas the DSLite and DSi had, what, almost three years between them? It's basically the same as counting Xbox Core and Premium systems together as Xbox 360 sales - same basic hardware, couple of functional differences but the software will run on both of 'em.
While we're on the subject of the iPhone... why the snobbery from the hardcore gaming brigade that populate sites such as this? I keep seeing a massive ammount of bile and scorn thrown at the platform and yet here we have a genuine hardware bargain (32Gb, touch screen, bluetooth, wireless, powerful graphics and CPU and all in a real portable form factor for the price of a PSP Go) with a huge and, more importantly, cheap line of games that has some genuinely great titles available and a whole slew of good ones (and bear in mind the development community has only had about 18 months with the SDK at this point). Is it a portable version of a home console like the PSP? Nope, not at all. But as a portable platform it's damn near perfect and I'm amazed that so many seem desperate to make it go away.
David Black @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:38PM
One of these is not like the other....
Hint: Only one of them is a cell phone.....
Ryan @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:40PM
I know youre hinting at the iPhone, but technically so is the Blackberry. And really, if you want to be anal about it, theyre both sort of SmarthPhones, I guess.
David Black @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:51PM
@Ryan
You do make a good point, except the Blackberry was introduced in the late 90's as a two way pager. It wasn't until a few years later that it became a "phone" with the introduction of voice.
jayeffaar @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:40PM
I can't deny that it seems to be making money for apple but I still can't figure out who would enjoy playing games by tilting a phone and putting their greasy fingers all over the screen. Not me, that's for sure.
They may be selling apps they call "games" on it, but they're not comparable with the games on real portable consoles.
David Black @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:40PM
One of them is guaranteed to give you the shits?
David Black @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:41PM
Damn! That was in response to BxGT
BlackBeltJones @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:42PM
I'd be interested to see how browser flash games do agains the iPhone since that seems to be the closest analog to iPhone games.
MowDownJoe @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:42PM
Chris Grant is an Apple fanboy, confirmed!
Go write for Engadget instead of here, please. You've said it yourself, you barely even play video games.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:05PM
dear Lord Engadget is more of an Apple Blog than TUAW is...
Phoenix @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:15PM
Well, they might be fans of Apple, but I don't usually see much bias for it. I see them take jabs at Apple a lot as well.
And hell yesterday they seemed pretty smitten with the Windows 7 launch. :p
Duke @ Oct 23rd 2009 3:23PM
What are you pitching a fit over? Would you deny that the iPhone has sold damn well and been adopted very fast? It doesn't make any difference to the game companies so relax.
When I get on the train every morning I see that most the people have an iPhone, ipod touch or a blackberry out - not DS's or PSP's. It isn't fanboyism that's to blame, its just the way the market went.
David Black @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:42PM
So which one of them is made of dead animal flesh that is oh-so-delicious?
David Black @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:43PM
That's it. I give up. I'm done commenting for today.
CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:43PM
I don't understand why you would compare the four. The iphone is the cheapest and is a phone. Most people see having a phone as a necessity, so yea, sales are going to be ridiculously high for one with such appeal and a low price. Why compare it to game consoles?
J @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:43PM
"Still think it's not a real gaming platform?"
Yeah. Much like a spoon can be used as a shovel...
CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:50PM
The thing is, real gaming platforms have games good enough to be "system sellers"
The DS has a huge number of awesome games like Pokemon and Metroid Prime Hunters, the PSP has goddamn God of War. The iphone has a bunch of ports and minigames that for the most part don't work well with the phones limited tilt and touch controls. When they start making serious games for the iphone that rival some of the better games on the DS and PSP, then maybe it will be a "real" gaming platform.
Preston @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:48PM
Since when do people buy an iPhone to play games? This comparison is hilariously dishonest.
Duke @ Oct 23rd 2009 5:21PM
I think it may sway some phone purchasers to get it other than another phone, but I doubt anyone buys it alone to play games on.
Kinsey @ Oct 23rd 2009 7:16PM
I was planning on getting an iPhone this November, but it definitely isn't for the games, I actually don't even plan on paying for apps except maybe the TomTom thing which is why I was thinking fo going for an iPhone.
If anything this chart is deterring me from buying an iPhone and maybe go with a blackberry instead.
David Black @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:50PM
@Ryan
You do make a good point, except the Blackberry was introduced in the late 90's as a two way pager. It wasn't until a few years later that it became a "phone" with the introduction of voice.
rikthagreat @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:52PM
the spoon can be used as a shovel? geez why didnt i think of that!
Archon (PSN: Archonik, XBL: DarkARHN) @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:52PM
That makes me so sad :/
Seems like next generation will be all Wii's and iPhone 5-minute-games.
Wow, is this where the world is heading?
Will we see less and less proper innovation and even more silly gimmicks just because kids with 2 second attention span will buy it?
Please, don't let that happen. If everyone goes Nintendo way to please Soccer moms who will buy anything, we can tell bye-bye to progress and technological advancements.
At least Apple gives you ok hardware (iPhone owner myself) and I have nothing against the App Store concept, or even its execution. It's just that the great apps are covered by zillions fart buttons and 'teh funniest jokez'. Also, the lack of tactile buttons is hurting most of the games out there.
It's not a shame that a non-gaming device beats dedicated devices, but the fact that other companies will follow going the more casual/quickbuck way instead of focusing on core gamers and fully featured games.
I wonder if it'll lead to a second videogame crisis.
More expenisve game development + less gamers willing to pay for them (casual shift) + soccer moms buying cheap crap = trouble...
Or maybe I'm just reading to much into this?
Please don't downvote if you don't agree with my opinion. That's one topic I'd like to hear being discussed from your perspective. (You can still downvote if you think I'm talking out of my ass, though)