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The iPhone's success is scaring Sony, Nintendo?

According to Trip Hawkins, the founder of Electronic Arts, both Sony and Nintendo are beginning to get "freaked out" by the raging success of the Apple iPhone as a gaming platform.

"The iPhone for us was a spectacularly pleasant surprise," says Hawkins speaking of his success through the App store with his new gaming company. "We had no idea it was going to be as good for us as it turned out to be...



"It's by far our most effective platform. We make as much money with these games on one device as we do putting a game on 100 different cell phone platforms."

Continuing, Hawkins adds: "Between the iPod Touch and the iPhone, I think the platform is freaking out Sony and Nintendo. Apple has sold 30 million units so far and it has created tremendous awareness. It has taken ground all over the world. But it has only penetrated one half of one percent of its total market."

Hawkins' new company, Digital Chocolate, has produced a few titles for the iPhone, and the top four sellers have 10 million downloads in under 100 days.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Apr 2009 1:15

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• 13 comments

• limelight

  Thats some serious cash.

  16.4.2009 09:31 #1

• DXR88

  its not a gaming device its a bloody phone for Christ sakes.

  16.4.2009 09:41 #2

• 5fdpfan

  Call me stupid or whatver, but I don't understand why Sony and Nintendo sweatin the Iphone? It's phone first and foremost, secondly, it's not like any of the games avalible for it are anywhere near as sophisticated in terms of graphics and overall gameplay as the ones for their respective consoles. Is it just a matter of Apple selling something that's making so much more profit than what Sonly and Nintendo are? I'm confused as to why they allegedly give a crap but oh well. Maybe this will motivate them to do something cool in the furure. Who knows.

  16.4.2009 11:14 #3

• SProdigy

  Originally posted by 5fdpfan: Call me stupid or whatver, but I don't understand why Sony and Nintendo sweatin the Iphone? It's phone first and foremost, secondly, it's not like any of the games avalible for it are anywhere near as sophisticated in terms of graphics and overall gameplay as the ones for their respective consoles. Is it just a matter of Apple selling something that's making so much more profit than what Sonly and Nintendo are? I'm confused as to why they allegedly give a crap but oh well. Maybe this will motivate them to do something cool in the furure. Who knows.It's still a slice of "their" pie, that's why Sony and Nintendo are freaking out. They're scratching their heads wondering if any of that money should be in their pockets instead of Apple's.
  
  I could imagine Sony would be freaked out, especially since they have their hands in everything from gaming consoles to cellphones. If they would focus on one great product like Apple did with the iPhone, they would be successful.
  
  Instead, they drove the Walkman brand into the ground, and when was the last time Ericcson was relevant in the mobile phone realm?

  16.4.2009 11:57 #4

• DXR88

  the Iphone is not a great product its subpar, only great thing about is its hype.
  
  then again, i guess it has to with taste.

  16.4.2009 12:02 #5

• ThePastor

  The Iphone/touch has a superior touch-screen and interface. It's new and no one can touch it and Apple has done very well with leveraging that.
  That being said, the service and hardware blows and so it's a matter of time before someone steals their technology and mimics their UI enough to compete on a large scale. (hmmm, a little deja-vu???)
  
  Don't both of those devices have built in obsolensence in the inability to replace the battery? So give 'em another year.
  
  The winning platform will be open, even if it's not as elegant as the Iphone. Windows Mobile might blow right now but it's open and so has the best chance for the future. IMO.

  16.4.2009 12:38 #6

• Mik3h

  Originally posted by DXR88: its not a gaming device its a bloody phone for Christ sakes.
  There are hundreds of games for the iPhone. It also has homebrew emulators with support for the N64, SNES/NES, Sega, and even the PSX.
  

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  16.4.2009 13:39 #7

• TheJoxter

  How would some dip at EA have any idea whether Sony or Nintendo are freaked out? This is just some guy saying his revenue is higher than expected so he thinks that might bother two gaming giants.

  16.4.2009 15:30 #8

• Morreale

  The phone is like $300 with a minumum $60 a month plan... What kind of kid has that cash?
  
  I'm pretty sure that it's safe to say that Sony and Nintendo aren't even moved by the iPhone. I'm sure Apple would be though if Sony came out with a PSPhone, it would blow everything out of the water :D

  16.4.2009 15:56 #9

• DXR88

  Quote:Originally posted by DXR88: its not a gaming device its a bloody phone for Christ sakes.
  There are hundreds of games for the iPhone. It also has homebrew emulators with support for the N64, SNES/NES, Sega, and even the PSX.the Primary function is a Phone hence its name Iphone, and not Igame Iemulator, or Iwannabephone

  16.4.2009 17:51 #10

• trevermah

  This seems good for Apple. Things can pretty much only go up from here. Developers will be getting better, games will get better, and still just as cheap. Keep them coming for all platforms. I'll keep buying.

  16.4.2009 21:16 #11

• cmcjk

  Originally posted by Morreale: The phone is like $300 with a minumum $60 a month plan... What kind of kid has that cash?
  I not from the US but I thought the iphone was £199 over there, also how long has it been since "kids" were the major gaming market.
  
  I don't know about Sony but if I were Nintendo I might be concerned as the hardware on an iphone and a DS are fairly comparible, even down to the touch screen interface. Nintendo are worried that many iPhone owners may now not buy a DS and that many people in th market for a phone and a cheap hand held gaming console may kill two birds with one stone.
  
  I find all these comments along the lines of "...its a phone not a gaming device" show a great deal of naivity. Any device that does not forfill more than one function these days is dead in the water. Sony sold millions of PS2's to people who wanted a DVD player (including me), and the main thing going for the PS3 over the Xbox360 is the addition of the Blue-ray player.

  17.4.2009 06:16 #12

• DXR88

  Quote:I find all these comments along the lines of "...its a phone not a gaming device" show a great deal of naivity. Any device that does not forfill more than one function these days is dead in the water. Sony sold millions of PS2's to people who wanted a DVD player (including me), and the main thing going for the PS3 over the Xbox360 is the addition of the Blue-ray player.
  tell that to all the people that still make cell phones.there not dead in water granted they may make an mp3 player built in and if i wanted all this other stuff i would buy a PDA.
  
  regardless of what you want it to be its a phone that can do alot of other stuff. just like the PS3 its a Gaming device that can do multimedia.(or so it was at its inception.)
  
  
  then again i was never the person that liked the all in one idea.

  17.4.2009 13:36 #13