Angry Birds maker predicts the death of console gaming

Found at Venture Beat

Peter Vesterbacka, whose company Rovio makes the immensely popular Angry Birds game, has a big vision for the future of mobile gaming.

Vesterbacka leads business development for Rovio, and he already outlined some of his vision earlier this week when Rovio announced $42 million in new funding led by Accel Partners. But he was even more expansive today, at a panel I moderated at the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin.

Innovation in gaming has clearly moved into mobile and social, Vesterbacka said, largely because those companies are more "nimble" — it's easy to develop and release new content quickly. In fact, he said as mobile gaming (including games on tablet devices like the iPad) continues to grow, console games are "dying". Vesterbacka scoffed at the traditional model where companies charge $40 to $50 for a game that's difficult to upgrade. (Nokia's Tero Ojanpera, who was also on the panel, countered that there's still a place for consoles, because gamers aren't going to plug tablet devices into their televisions.)

Of course, those $40 and $50 games are more likely to bring substantial revenue than Angry Birds (which is available in a free version and one that costs 99 cents), and that seems more sustainable for companies spending a lot of money building high-quality games using cutting-edge technology.

When it comes to the business model for mobile gaming, Vesterbacka acknowledged, "No one has figured it out yet." But when a game can become as wildly popular as Angry Birds (Rovio just announced that it has crossed 100 million downloads), Vesterbacka said there's clearly a business opportunity. He added that the key for Rovio is to continue experimenting and not become attached to any particular model.

By the way, when people talk about this trend, they often paint it as a competition between casual games like Angry Birds and the hardcore games found on the consoles. Vesterbacka said he's tired of the phrase "casual games". He complained that no one talks about "casual movies", and he argued that an Angry Birds player can be just as involved and addicted as any other gamer — Vesterbacka said he has seen players throw their phone across the room whenthey didn't quite beat a level.

What do you think? Is he right?

While mobile gaming is getting more attention, especially on smartphones, I don't think it will ever get rid of console gaming.

No, consoles will not die. Atleast not anytime soon.

many gamers, whether casual or hardcore, still purchase consoles.

I think cell phone gaming will get a major boost when tegra 3 comes out in 2012. You will have ps3/360 power on your cell phone now that is sick. When you have that kind of power in your pocket and cheap games then why do you need a console ??

You will have devs with millions of phones to make casual games on and with less restrictions for less money.

Yup, and 22 minute tv shows killed off cinema.

/Sarcasm.

I think cell phone gaming will get a major boost when tegra 3 comes out in 2012. You will have ps3/360 on your cell phone now that is sick. When you have that kind of power in your pocket and cheap games then why do you need a console ??

Rude_Bwoii

consoles are dying

Console gaming is dying! :cry: ! Yeah this is about as credible as the people who said PC gaming was dying.

Yeah, like I'm totally going to throw my PS3 and Move controllers out the window because the guys who made Angry Birds say console gaming is dying :roll:

To an extent I agree he is right.... The casual cheapo game market is increase at a very large rate. The iPad, iPhone, Android (Hint: Check Sony's Playstation Suite), Windows Phone 7, etc etc...will increase very greatly. This in effect can cause more developers to convert towards mobile development and could cause Console Gaming to be overshadowed by Mobile Gaming and Casual PC Gaming. Of course, consoles will always have a market but the ratio could be much smaller compared to Mobile/Casual Gaming. (This is, unless consoles turn themselves into casual cheaper boxes, Which We Are Seeing) Hardcore gamers are a niche now and will always be overshadowed by the Casuals =(ShadowDeathX

There is a good chance that the people that bought Angry Birds also buys games for their consoles or PC. Despite all the downloads on either the mobile phones or on PC, there isn't any indication that the mobile and console markets do not share consumers from both userbases. Said people wouldn't be responsible for "hurting" the market.

It's kind of like how people are able to watch movies on their cell phones now (something I find a bit silly). The service is there, but nothing beats watching a movie on the big screen or on a television. You have new ways to do something, but that doesn't mean the original way will phase out.

No, Unless everyone just stops buying Consoles, Consoles are staying.

call of duty enough said the majority of those sles came from consoles

This is all well and good for the time being but when those gamers who game on their phones in the future start expecting better games which in turn will cost the developer more money we will see a similar situation to what were seeing on consoles now, on the mobile market. Prices will go up as the "Middle class" game dies. You have to stand out from the crowd, either with a name, originality or advertising budget.

I would love to see the profit comparisons on a hugely successful console game vs a hugely successful portable game like Angry Birds.

There will always be room for consoles in the market.

Yeah sure. Hahahaa :lol: Console gaming is here to stay.

To an extent I agree he is right.... The casual cheapo game market is increase at a very large rate. The iPad, iPhone, Android (Hint: Check Sony's Playstation Suite), Windows Phone 7, etc etc...will increase very greatly. This in effect can cause more developers to convert towards mobile development and could cause Console Gaming to be overshadowed by Mobile Gaming and Casual PC Gaming. Of course, consoles will always have a market but the ratio could be much smaller compared to Mobile/Casual Gaming. (This is, unless consoles turn themselves into casual cheaper boxes, Which We Are Seeing) Hardcore gamers are a niche now and will always be overshadowed by the Casuals =(ShadowDeathX

sort of dazed out when he talking about mobile casual games gonna phase out the consoles.

k... no.

If ANYTHING, i expect a gaming crash to happen sooner from the immense amount of shovelware on the IOS and mobile phone games faster then whatever bs the consoles or PC is trying out.

Remember Sega's story, and even the downfall of the industry from the Atari days?

It's all fine and good if one wants to be a legit Indie developer but from my perspective for every one indie developer, there are 10 who look like they just want to cash in on whatever is working or selling at the time.

At least with the AAA developers can stand on their legs for most of them having good mechanic and nice looking games, even if they're not all that innovative.

Not to mention, the core will still be there, the same cannot be said for the casual market.

Consoles aren't going anywhere, although they may just transform into smaller, more versatile units and be considered handhelds or transportable hubs as a consequence, but there is an experience wrought on consoles + PC that handhelds aren't meant to offer or compare with.

Maybe I'll take his opinion more seriously when he can make a game with half decent physics...

Sounds like he is just bragging.

Sounds like he is just bragging.

AmayaPapaya

When Nintendo ditches consoles to focus soley on handhelds, I'll believe it. Untill then I see at least another gen of consoles coming out...

in other headlines: meteorite predicts death of all video gaming.

/speculation

If cell phone GPU can do xbox 720 graphics and output to TV and support joysticks, then of course will happen, in 10-20 years maybe

He has no NO idea what he is talking about. He hardly even understands the fact there are different markets for games. Jesus how do these people get so far in life with comments like that. So a 5Min stupid block game is going to keep me satisfied more than the Latest Witcher game. Give me a break i mean really what a Tool.

He has no NO idea what he is talking about. He hardly even understands the fact there are different markets for games. Jesus how do these people get so far in life with comments like that. So a 5Min stupid block game is going to keep me satisfied more than the Latest Witcher game. Give me a break i mean really what a Tool.

jwsoul

Everybody has a cell phone and uses it alot so much so that home phones are not needed anymore. I see many comments here about casual crappy games but the tegra 3 will put cell phones beyond current console in terms of power. So you will be able to play your games on the go. Then come home and use hdmi and play the games on your hdtv. The devs will have the power and as seen with the sony playstaion phone it is not hard to turn your cell phone into a hardcore gaming device. Look out 3ds and NGP portable gaming is about to change big time.

Consoles won't die but I think they won't be as important in the future. I see cell phones also killiing slowly netbooks. The atrix 4g is only the start of the do all cell phone. I can already watch movies and tv shows on my cell phone many markets are going to be affected by cell phones not just games.

[QUOTE="jwsoul"]

He has no NO idea what he is talking about. He hardly even understands the fact there are different markets for games. Jesus how do these people get so far in life with comments like that. So a 5Min stupid block game is going to keep me satisfied more than the Latest Witcher game. Give me a break i mean really what a Tool.

Vinegar_Strokes

An uninformed person can easily spot another uninformed person.

Seriously though, by the way Vesterbacka talks I honestly think your average GS user understands the industry better than him.

I saw him on tv yesterday, he was complaining about all those apps not being profitable. He just mad tho.

Console gaming is dying! :cry: ! Yeah this is about as credible as the people who said PC gaming was dying.

Espada12

Oh, wait this is another one of those "I made a popular game now I'm a visonary" kind of predictions.

These things always turn out to be true.

"He complained that no one talks about "casual movies"

No, they just call them other things like chick flicks, action movies and grindhouse films, etc.

This dude needs to get his head out of his butt.

He complained that no one talks about "casual movies"

Namgis

Yes they do, they do all the time. So he's never talked about movies, with anyone?

I think he's very simply incorrect, if only because the two can easily coexist. A lot of people have smartphones these days, so the install base for a casual game that costs next to nothing is obviously going to be huge. If anything, apps can form a serious threat to the handheld market. But as far as 'real' gaming goes, I don't think there's one serious gamer out there who's thinking about getting his entire fix from $1 iPhone apps. There's a reason why games on PC and consoles are priced as they are.

So in short, no, apps won't kill console gaming, just like Facebook games, flash games and handhelds didn't kill console gaming.

Oh, wait this is another one of those "I made a popular game now I'm a visonary" kind of predictions.

These things always turn out to be true.

consoles are dying

sillaris

[QUOTE="sillaris"]

consoles are dying