http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/Various/Activision+news/news.asp?c=30589 http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/activation-takes-different-approach-to-mobile-gaming/?ref=technology
For you maybe, but not necessarily for everyone. I don't like most casual games and yet my iPhone is my preference when it comes to handheld gaming (of all the platforms that are currently available). The more hardcore games might not be as popular, but they're still being released all the time. Just take a look at the upcoming games from Gameloft, EA, Madfinger, Fishlabs and various other developers.
This is nonsense. Let's be serious. If Activision put appropriate resources into making a solid CoD experience for iOS, they wouldn't be number 400,001. We've already seen how a great game + proper marketing through Apple and sites like TA can drive sale tremendously; Infinity Blade's sales immediately come to mind. As for iOS not being for anything more than casual games, that's just a flippant reply. You're entitled to your opinion, and I'm sure it'll boil down to some rambling argument about "hardcore" games; except, ask 10 people what's a hardcore game and you'll get 10 different answers. If you don't feel it's hardcore enough, that's fine. For me, it is...and I've been playing games BEFORE the first video game came out! So...Activision...get your head in the game...or not. But if you are going to be in the game, do a great job and you'll be rewarded with great sales. 'nuff said! --DotComCTO
It's always about the money. Call of Duty for the iOS, if it existed, should be able to sell at a multi-platform competitive price. Likely between 19.99-34.99, depending on the exact effort that went into the developmental cycle. When the vast majority of those 400,000 apps are either selling for 99c-2.99, or are freemium titles, why would most iOS owners shell out fair market value for Call of Duty? Some probably would, but most wouldn't. That's really what they mean by crowded out. Premium apps are getting crowded out of the marketplace by an overwhelming flood of Crapps.
That's the root of the issue. As long as games have to be a buck to sell, we will continue to get nothing more than 100 versions of Angry Birds, puzzle games and garbage freemium titles along with bland Gameloft titles and the occasional watered down big franchise game.
Thing is, Infinity Blade sold 10 million, and had to do several 99 cent sales to do so. Even though that's very profitable, that's chump change to Activision, which is a billion dollar company. While the Call of Duty name is big enough to have it at the top of the charts for a couple of weeks, it's just as likely to get knocked out by a quirky Chillingo game, or some indie game that comes out of nowhere like Tiny Wings. I imagine Activision wants to figure out a way to maintain an overwhelming profile in the Appstore for the longterm, and that probably means waiting until it's proven that Appstore customers will break out of the 99 cent mentality and pay more for premium games.
I'm willing to bet within a year Activision changes its tune. ...not that I care of course. Like I said, the app store and IOS gaming will do just fine without umpteen COD games.
What the guy is really saying is that they may already have missed the boat. Especially because of Gameloft's successful 'remakes' of established hardcore games to iOS.
if they made a quality port and sold it for 19.99 in the app store and added a better DRM to prevent it from being cracked they'd make millions.
honestly, a legit COD experience would sell waaayyyy more than the nazi zombies or infinity blade. People are so obsessed with COD that the name modern warfare alone will make it be on the top of the charts for probably at least 2 months and hover in the top 30 for the next, idek how long. At ten dollars. if it was legitly awesome, then I'd expect it to stay at number one for a very long time and in the top 5 even longer. At ten bucks (or more, but I think ten would sell the best as people are willing to pay for one or two big names, but the cheapos would flame if it was 15 would be an insane amount of money. 100's of millions. maybe even billions. And if they release a new, better one every year....
I doubt it. Especually the part where it would stay number one for a long time for ten dollars. The last game I remember being number one at that price was the Sims 3 and that was a very long time ago. I agree with Activision on this. It is far more profitable for them to focus on non-ios devices than to actually create a full fledged game. The only way we would probably see a full game is if the ds versions were ported over.
Hi, The cheapest Infinity Blade has been is $2.99 U.S., all things go on sale. If Activision waits, I only see them having a harder time making their products stand out. David
bro... everybody knows COD. People are addicted like crazy to that shit. Non-gamers know what cod is. It's so big, it would sell like crazy. If it was really the same standard as always, I have no doubt it would stay #1 for a long while. and when it drops, I bet it would drop and still be in the top 5 or top 10.....
