iAds: Because Bigger is Better, Right?

Apple is taking mobile marketing to a new level (of annoyance). In his press conference to discuss the iPhone's new OS, Steve Jobs described iAds, in-app ads guaranteed to make me want to play less games on my iPhone. For those of you iPhone users out there, you are probably familiar with the small, unobtrusive ads that border many apps. Apple is looking to change the game by making ads full-screen and forcing users to interact with them (via a short game, a questionnaire, or the like) before continuing on to the app they are trying to access. One of the beautiful things about gaming on the iPhone is how casual the process is; you can suddenly find yourself in a 5-minute line and immediately pick up your iPhone to play through 3 rounds of Trafficjam. Add in obligatory interactive ads and the ratio of irritation to gaming bliss increases dramatically. I don't want to rearrange furniture in a Target ad, I want to rearrange blocks to get the red block out! Which sounds similar but damn it, gaming will be on my terms or not at all. Until AdBlock comes out with an iPhone version (which of course will never happen as Apple would have to actively decide to shoot itself in the foot), I have a feeling that consumers will be losing some of the "casual" part of the iPhone's casual gaming apps.

Nintendo to unveil DS2 at E3?

Per engadget, Nintendo may be announcing the Nintendo DS2 at E3 this year. They are speculating that the newest in the line of handheld systems could be available by the holiday season this year as several developers have stated they will have games ready for it by the end of the year. This is coming right on the heels of the DSi XL and would be the 11th major handheld system developed and manufactured by Nintendo for distribution in the US since the original in 1989:

1. Game Boy
2. Game Boy Pocket
3. Game Boy Color
4. Game Boy Advance
5. Game Boy Advance SP
6. Game Boy Micro
7. Nintendo DS
8. Nintendo DS Lite
9. Nintendo DSi
10. Nintendo DSi XL
11. Nintendo DS2

Considering the strong growth in the handheld market, it is clear why Nintendo has such a fast turnaround on developing new systems. Unfortunately, it looks like the iPhone is whittling away at the need for a gaming-exclusive handheld device; Nintendo's DS sales have dropped 15% in the last year while the iPod Touch and iPhone game sales have doubled. As Nintendo undoubtedly knows from the success of the Wii, accessibility has become key to selling games, and for the millions of people already carrying an iPhone/iPod Touch in their pockets regularly, downloading and playing a game are just a touch away. The question for consumers lies in whether it is better to have a separate, more powerful handheld gaming device, or a less powerful but more diverse one (over 21,000 titles vs. DS' ~3,700) in a multi-function device. I would bet that for hardcore gamers and children, the choice will continue to be a gaming-exclusive console, with casual gamers flocking to the ease of gaming on their phones and MP3 players. There is room in this growing market for everyone (for the time being).

Android Market gaming revenue increases 50% in February

Mobile gaming sales have proven to be on the rise and Google's Android Market is beginning to reap some of the benefits. Although still light years behind the iPhone's dominating 99.4% market share app store, Android Market's revenue growth of 50% from January to February could signal a positive trend for the service. With 1200 new games added to the Android Market in 2010 alone, it appears that developers are finally taking advantage of the only open and free mobile platform. The hope, of course, is that the ease and speed of game development for Android will encourage increased game output to the market, enticing mobile gamers to make the switch to mobile phones using the Android platform. It will take some time to get the installed base of Android phones to the critical point where game development and sales can really take off, but as Android's smartphone market share increases and devs become more frustrated with Apple's app approval process and turn instead to game development for Android Market, more consumers can be expected to jump ship to Android phones and Android Market mobile gaming.

Valve announces Steam for Mac

Parent company Valve has officially announced that starting in May, their popular gaming service Steam will be available for Mac users. In addition, those gamers who own the PC versions of Valve games but want to play on their Macs will be able to re-download games they have purchased onto their Macs for free. Thank you Valve for having a clue about what consumers really want. It's also a smart business move - with computer game sales at roughly $1 trillion, and the Mac market share at about 10% and increasing each year, the installed base has reached a point where it makes sense financially to port titles to the Mac. Valve's move is likely to inspire other developers to follow suit. Apple fanboys must be thrilled with this news, and gamers who have previously hesitated to make the switch from PC to Mac due to gaming limitations may start rethinking their positions and investing in shiny new Apples as more developers jump on board.