Sony’s launch of the PSPgo and its Minis store today will inevitably invoke comparisons with Apple’s iPod touch and the App Store.

But Sony and Nintendo’s handheld consoles will also be competing with forthcoming Android-based smartphones, where the next version of the Google OS will focus on improving 3D gaming performance, as well as from new Windows Mobile devices.

Leading iPhone game publisher Gameloft has 11 titles ready for the launch next week of Skymarket, the Windows Mobile “App Store”.  An interview after the jump with Gonzague de Vallois, Gameloft’s head of publishing, on the challenge facing Sony and Nintendo.

Is the proliferation of App Stores from Apple, Blackberry, Palm, Android, Microsoft etc making it easier or harder for game developers/publishers - you’ve been used to having to adapt games to every type of phone, but do the App Stores imply greater standardisation?

It’s definitely making it easier, especially for the smaller publisher. The influx of app stores enables the smaller development houses to get their games published without as much  formality. Take for example, the iPhone : one platform, 50m users, one store that is dominating the whole market. All these app stores certainly do provide a standardisation for the mobile space. However, as the number of stores continue to grow (App Store, Marketplace, Samsung A store, RIM App World, Ovistore) so does the fragmentation.

Is the hardware on cell phones now the equal of dedicated game consoles (motion sensing, processing, graphics etc), how does the gaming experience compare?

Some of the hardware that is out there today is definitely competitive to what is offered on handheld consoles.  For others, there is still a lot of room for growth. PSP and Nintendo DS have always been strong players in the handheld gaming market, but iPhone / Ipod Touch  came out of left field and has pretty much shaken up the whole ecosystem from the ground up. From the distribution model to revenue share to changing the perception of what it means to game on the go,  iPhone has  truly changed the mobile landscape for the better.  You have sharper graphics, innovative use of motion sensor/touch and faster processing times – all these elements  that a few years back could only be found while playing a console in your home.

Another way to look at it is to examine the many traditional console companies who are now offering downloadable games. You have WiiWare, PSN and XBLA [Xbox Live Arcade]. On the handheld side, you have Nintendo, who launched DSiWare this year. And of course, PSPgo is another big player that will make its mark in the downloadable games space. We’ve supported all these systems from the beginning of launch and will continue to do so in the years to come as we fully believe that is where gaming is shifting towards.

How much will Gameloft be supporting Skymarket? How does Gameloft view pricing issues - iPhone games at $6.99/$9.99 seem cheap compared to DS/PSP games? Is the experience the same - for example, is there more depth to a PSP game?

We plan to fully support Windows Mobile 6.5 Skymarket. We have 11 games planned at launch and have selected our best-selling titles such as Asphalt 4, Real Soccer 2010 and Oregon Trail for day one .  We plan to be quite aggressive with games for Skymarket.

All the app stores that exist are still relatively new. iTunes App Store is the most established and they have been around for only a little over a year. I think we are still learning and adapting when it comes to pricing. Whether the games are priced at $6.99 or $3.99, it is significantly cheaper than paying $30 for a physical handheld game or $50 for a boxed console game. Digitally distributed games are advanced,  innovative and most importantly affordable.

For $6.99 , you can get a very rich gaming experience on the iPhone for a game like Blades of Fury that is very competitive with what is offered on a traditional console. The advanced graphics coupled with affordability will most certainly be what clinches the deal for gamers who are not yet convinced. Likewise, in digital retail, on an open platform , consumers set the price as they decide how much they are ready to pay for each game. We also have to keep in mind that the perceived value of digital goods is always much lower than boxed goods.

Tags: android, apple, Gameloft, iphone, Nintendo, PSP, Skymarket, Sony, Windows Mobile

October 1, 2009 7:36pm in Games, Hardware, Mobile, Software | Comment