Samsung, Google and Apple to Enter the Video Game Market
Sony PSP
Samsung's Gaming Pad
Trivial Fact
Google generated an estimated $8 Billion revenue in 2012 from mobile searches on Android phones.
OUYA Gaming Console
Video Games are the Next Generation
Three big companies are entering the video game market. Samsung has already shared its video game system, which relies on the processing power of already existing Samsung devices. Other technology behemoths Google and Apple are in a mad dash to crank out their own proprietary consoles.
What will this mean for the big three that already dominate the market?
Probably that they are about to have a lot more competition.
Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have the majority of the video game market share with their respective consoles, but it is about to get a lot more crowded in the near future.
Did OUYA Pave the Way?
Let's not forget OUYA - the little guy - among behemoth video game systems.
This "little engine that could" sold out of its video game consoles in late June 2013 after being on sale for just hours on Amazon, while Target and Best Buy still had inventory that was flying off of the shelves. Amazon sells OUYA for $99.99.
OUYA is an open-platform console that runs on a version of the Google OS.
OUYA (pictured on the right) started out as a Kickstarter project that was fully funded at $8.6 million, breaking Kickstarter records with the substantial dollar amount of funds raised.
Samsung Makes the First Move
Samsung will be the first of the new players to make the jump into video games with the launch of their games controller in the Summer of 2013. This Android-based console will allow a hook up to portable Samsung devices (up to 6.3 inches). It connects to Samsung devices via the NFC and Bluetooth functionality.
Samsung has a video game dock that has an HDMI port so more serious gamers can connect the smaller device to the dock, which will be connected to a TV or monitor.
Digital Trends thought it looked very similar to the already existing X-box controller.
Apple and Google Not Far Behind
Tools Journal shared in this article that Apple has already started adding support in iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 for third-party video games controllers.
App developers may not be overly excited to create controller-specific games (because it would limit their audience of consumers) but Apple would want App developers to create the ability to support third-party controllers.
Companies Logitech and Moga have officially signed on to build controllers that work with Apple devices. These companies were specifically mentioned in Apple's keynote at their WWDC event on June 10, 2013.
Google is Still "Hush Hush" on Their Secret Video Game Project
The Wall Street Journal shared in this article that Google is rabidly working on an Android-powered system after realizing that Android software is growing faster in popularity than proprietary software sold by Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft.
Google's Android launch in Fall or Winter of 2013 will have to compete with the new systems being launch by Sony (PS4) and Microsoft (One). Nintendo's next generation system - the WiiU - has already launched, and is seeing dismal success.
Market Research company PwC indicated that $24.9 Billion was spent on video games worldwide in 2012. Google plans on steering some of those green bills in their direction.
The Wall Street Journal article thinks that Google's decision to enter the Android video game market was heavily influenced by the mild success of the OUYA video game system.
Google's video game hardware would come from the Google X hardware lab in association with its Motorola hardware division. To date, Samsung has been one of Google's largest hardware partners. This new rivalry in the video game market may impact the future business dealings between Google and Samsung.
Google is Making a Video Game Console
Sources
- Gross, Doug. "Report: Google's making a video game console." CNN.
- Shaughnessy, Haydn. "Sorry Google and Apple: Samsung Unveiled Games Console First." Forbes.com.
© 2013 zeke2100
Comments
AUTHORJohn,
I grew up on NES and Sega Genesis. My grandmother kept them in a safe place and I still have them to this day. Then I played Super Nintendo during the middle school years. I then moved on to the original Sony Playstation in middle school, and sometime after the N64.
I played a lot of Goldeneye 64 with friends, but the game that will always be my favorite for the N64 is Super Smash Bros. On the Sony Playstation, I loved playing Twisted Metal, as I am a huge car combat fan. I loved Rock N' Roll Racing on the Sega Genesis/Super Nintendo.
I also had an Xbox for long time. I played Halo 1 and 2 pretty hardcore. By the time Halo 3 came around, I was out of college and married.
Because I didn't have a lot of entertainment cash laying around, I decided not to buy an Xbox 360, ending my long run of consoles.
Since then, I have played Marvel Avengers Alliance on Facebook and free to download iPhone games. I am currently playing Metal Storm Aces and Marvel Avengers Alliance and have wrote several Hubs on Marvel Avenger Alliance.
I also was loyal to Age of Empires II, III, and IV, and Age of Empires Online for PC. I played WoW for several months while in college, but had to stop because it was too time consuming, and I found myself on way too much.
I used to own a Nintendo Wii, and I was an avid player of the XBOX 360 (though I still own one), but my main focus now is the PS3 simply because there's more games of genres I like, rather than sports and shooters which the 360 boasts. I've been a gamer for many years and my enthusiasm for classic consoles goes right back to their dawn, so if I were to say "the OUYA might cause a video game crash", I at least know what I'm talking about. And thanks for your kind words too - will you be buying any of these consoles, and do you think they'll be able to put the hurt on current video gaming companies? ^^
- AUTHOR
Thank you for sharing your perspective on the rapidly changing video game landscape. By the way, do you own an Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii or a PS3?
Great article, certainly raised my awareness on the matter. I think Samsung being such a big technology company might stand a chance just like Sony did, only their technological empire isn't as expansive. I doubt OUYA will be able to compete with the bigger titles and even if they do, there's very little they can bring to the table that will make heads turn, mostly because it's an Indie console. I've nothing against Indie games but their community is still relatively minor and won't be enough to dissuade console gamers to make a transition this early.
I'm hoping Android or Google aren't stupid enough to act competitive because they're far too late - gaming is simply too mainstream for the public now and people have already got their eyes set on newer consoles. My guess is that if they release these consoles after the X1 and the PS4, they're not going to do as well as they could.
But still I wish them all the very best and I sincerely hope they can pull through. We're already in an economic crisis and there's far too little money to be spent on video games nowadays as the prices for both games and consoles is increasing. Gamestick will be coming out in July, very similar to OUYA (but UK exclusive), so before we start thinking how OUYA will fair against the X1 and PS4, let's look realistically at its competition.
Voted up, useful, interesting and awesome.
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