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Apple is dominant in portable gaming, but a new device is coming. Brianna wu looks at how Apple needs to step up its game
The 2007 release of the iPhone is probably the most seminal event in technology history. It devastated camera sales and portable music devices, and sent the game industry into a tailspin. As Apple monopolized the casual game market, Wii sales plummeted and Microsoft and Sony were forced to concentrate on hardcore gamers. Nintendo’s 3DS and Wii U stumbled hard out of the gate, sharing the casual market with increasingly ubiquitous Apple devices. Enter 2016 and the release of the Nintendo Switch - the first truly post-iPhone console. It’s a sexy concept - a thin tablet that can be placed in a dock to play on your television, or thrown in a bag to play on the go. The controllers are versatile, and can be snapped on the sides to play games like Zelda - or unsnapped to play multiplayer games with friends. Most Nintendo hardware has a cheap, toy-like feel - but the Switch understands it’s competing with iPads and iPhones.
Even though sales of games on iPhone are slowing, the tablet market is still strong. Last year, games sales on mobile eclipsed consoles. Nintendo knows this, which is why its newest console aims directly at that market. We don’t know what the price will be for Nintendo Switch, but it’s all but certain it will be cheaper than a PS4 or Xbox One; for the price of an entry level iPad, gamers will have an entertainment device that can be used as a tablet and an Apple TV. As with their past consoles, it’s a good bet that steaming services like Netflix will be available.
From a hardware perspective, the Nintendo Switch is made with a very popular Android architecture: Tegra. While it’s unlikely the Switch will be built to natively run Android games, it’s not out of the question.
Fortunately, there’s a lot Apple can do to cement their position as the mobile game leader. Somehow, Apple still doesn’t have a mascot in 2016. Nintendo has Mario, Sega has Sonic, Apple needs a character that speaks to their values. Apple also needs their own high-profile first-party games, free of In-App Purchases. Without these exclusive offerings, Apple’s gaming ecosystem will continue to be a series of ephemeral experiences.
Apple also need to work with developers to improve controller support on Apple TV games. One of the biggest draws of the Nintendo Switch is the mobility from couch to coffee shop. On iOS, features
Apple can’t expect its mobile domination to go unchallenged – it must be ready to fight
such as iCloud and Continuity are already built to compete, but Apple doesn’t have game experiences that draw you in. Chances are, this would also boost iPad sales.
There’s no company that makes accessible games like Nintendo. Yet, despite having better games, they’ve been losing to Apple hardware for almost 10 years. In 2017, Apple can’t expect its mobile domination to go unchallenged - they better show up ready to fight. Brianna Wu is the head of development at Giant Spacekat, developer of Revolution 60 on iPhone and iPad, and is a regular speaker at industry events, as well as host on the podcasts Isometric and Rocket.