Dubai: Mobile gaming apps may be growing by leaps and bounds but old-school consoles and software are still preferred methods for hardcore gamers to get their fix, experts say.
A new report by technology research firm Gartner Inc estimates that global spending on the gaming ecosystem will almost double in five years from $67 billion (Dh246 billion) in 2010 to $112 billion in 2015.
While recognising that gaming apps sales on mobile devices are increasing 27 per cent a year, Gartner said that the consoles and game discs are still growing four per cent annually.
Domination
The "gaming software component will represent $44.7 billion in 2011, and it will continue to dominate the overall gaming market in the next five years as it absorbs almost two-thirds of consumers' gaming budgets."
By comparison, global online gaming this year is expected to reach $11.8 billion in revenues.
"This large market size means that many consumers embrace gaming as a core piece of their entertainment budget will continue to play as long as game publishers deliver compelling and fun games," said Fabrizio Biscotti, research director at Gartner.
Gaming consoles such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 continue to hold their own against the new multi-channel experience now possible through handheld devices and a multitude of mobile gaming applications from app stores across many brands.
It would appear that consumers want the best of both worlds in terms of a permanent console at home as well as apps on the fly, said Brian Blau, Gartner research director.
"Users have become multichannel-oriented by choice and expected vendors to continue to deliver quality content and experiences by extending their gaming possibilities across multiple platforms," Blau said. "If today's mobile technology does not evolve quickly enough, the gaming industry set to see the rate of innovation severely decline. Alternatively, it will provide opportunities in technology and content genres that we can't foresee today."
Affirmation that PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles are still a must for some hardcore gamers who prefer to buy gaming DVDs at their local electronics store over mobile games is shoring up continued capital investment in new games by large game developer corporations.
David Reeves, who once served as chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd until 2009 and oversaw the launch of the first PlayStation console, has now moved over to Capcom, COO at CE Europe, the company's European subsidiary.
One of the oldest and classic game developers, Capcom is known as the creators of Streetfighter and Resident Evil and, not content to rest on its laurels, is set to release several new games such as Asura's Wrath, Dragon's Dogma and Streetfighter vs. Tekken by year's end.
In an interview with Gulf News, Reeves said as a game developer "you have to start to develop a game 18 months before launch. You have to pick one platform because you just don't have the money to launch on all platforms".
Tentative releases
For Capcom's tentative game releases, Reeves said his company will sell game software discs for both the Xbox 360 as well as the PS3 with full confidence that the consoles will be around for some time.
"From a Capcom point of view, the priority is still very much to produce games," he said, noting that broadband speeds in some parts of the world are still not fast enough to download purchased online games.
