We all know that the iPad has been nothing short of a phenomenal consumer success. In terms of sales and mindshare, Apple dominates the tablet market with a product that’s barely 18 months old. When the iPad was first introduced, the highly-portable device was automatically seen as the perfect gaming device— with big names in the App Store, like Angry Birds, creating iPad-optimized versions of their popular gaming titles.
Now, the CEO of Electronic Arts has chimed in and confirmed that EA’s fasting growing platform is not a traditional console- but instead the iPad.
Speaking with IndustryGamers, EA CEO John Riccitiello shared his opinion that consoles are no longer the “dominant force” in the gaming world. Instead, the success of the gaming experience is heavily based on a device’s mobility— something the iPad accomplishes very well.
“Consoles used to be 80% of the industry as recently as 2000. Consoles today are 40% of the game industry, so what do we really have?
I think that the pattern against which Nintendo is no longer resonating is over anyway. We have a new hardware platform and we’re putting out software every 90 days. Our fastest growing platform is the iPad right now and that didn’t exist 18 months ago.”
With 50% less revenue coming from consoles in the last 11 years, an obvious focus has been placed on the mobile space. No other tablet is touching the iPad in sales right now, and the App Store’s success is largely based on the plethora of games that are available (just ask your local Tiny Wings addict).
With the iPad 2’s A5 processor, more robust gaming experiences, like Infinity Blade, are starting to be offered at much more affordable prices than what the console market can offer. As Apple continues to boost internal specs on the iPhone and iPad, App Store games will begin to be on par with featured titles on consoles like the PS3 and Xbox.
What do you think about the iPad’s growing dominance in the mobile gaming market? Do you see other competitors, like Nintendo’s Wii U, standing a chance?
[via The Loop]
