Re: iPhone Could Transform Social Gaming

Gates VP — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:30:10 -0000

OK, Rolando is definitely a very cool game. I'd honestly love to see it on a large touch screen like the HP Touchsmart.

However, I think you may be working in an "echo chamber" with this statement. I think we are only one step away from many of these games transforming social gaming.
Useful numbers: Since its launch in 2004, the DS has sold more than 35 million units worldwide, compared to the PSP's 25 million. In the US alone, total DS sales stand at over 15 million.

Apple has crossed the 6M units marker and they'll probably sell more than 10 M the end of the year. But that doesn't even match the DS for market penetration. And the price point on the DS is several hundreds more.

If you want to "transform social gaming", you need way more than 10 or even 20 million units. All of your friends may be using iPhones, but this is not the case for most people. 6 M US units means that 1.8% of the population own iPhones. Right now, 30% of Canadians have Facebook accounts, that's enough penetration to be transformative. But 1.8%, isn't going to cut it.

At best we're looking at tools like the smart phones in general being able to "extend the reach of existing social gaming". If Social Gaming is going to make big changes, it will be across devices. RIM sold 5.8 M Blackberry devices in the first quarter of 2008. That's as many Blackberries in 3 months as iPhones all time. Recent news has the Blackberry winning the US market.

Thanks for the great videos though!

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Re: iPhone Could Transform Social Gaming