When the first Gameboy hit shelves back in 1989, few could have imagined how handheld gaming would transform over the next two decades. Even fewer could have imagined that one day we would have devices that merged both a portable telephone and portable gaming device in a package far smaller than that first effort from Nintendo. Since those early days, other companies such as Sony have jumped into the market, and in of 2009 the two gaming giants held a 81 percent share of handheld revenue. Android and iOS shared the rest at 19 percent. This was when smartphone gaming was still young and industry experts first began wondering if the emerging technology would emerge as a top platform for game distribution.
Sine 2009 Android and iOS have begun to take a larger hold of the handheld gaming space. Angry Birds has emerged as a cultural icon and near-console quality titles have appeared in the wake of dual-core processors and advanced screen technology becoming standard. And for the first time ever Android and iOS gaming has overtaken traditional handheld gaming with a 58 percent revenue share, according to Flurry Analytics.
Nintendo has taken the stand that they won’t soon enter into smartphone gaming. Sony has taken a different approach with the release of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play and the Playstation Suite. Given the latest figures, perhaps it is time for Nintendo to reconsider their position.
[via Android and Me]