Sony and Nintendo once used to be the undisputed leaders in the handheld gaming industry, with Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo’s GameBoy ruling the market.
But Apple and Google have come crashing the party with their respective mobile operating systems.
A report from IDC and App Annie claims that the spending on games in the App store and Google Play in 2012’s fourth quarter was higher than the amount spent on handheld gaming consoles.
Handheld consoles saw a rise in sales during the holiday season, with approximately 60% of the spending coming during the Christmas period.
The ad revenue wasn’t included in the report. Smartphones and tabs have an advantage in that area as game developers rely on advertising, an option which is not viable for handheld consoles.
Korea and Japan led from the front in consumer spending on Google Play in Q4 reports, responsible for 60% of the spending. North America was the leader in consumer spending on iOS, with around 40% of the spending, with Asia-Pacific coming in a close second. Europe had a different story altogether, with the continent contributing 25% of the revenue for handheld consoles, more than for iOS and Google Play.
Sony has acknowledged the emergence of the change in gaming, and plans to release a PlayStation app for iOS and Android, that will turn the devices into second screens for it’s soon-to-be out console PlayStation 4.
Nintendo on the other hand has refused to introduce it’s franchise to the smartphones and tablets, which is further alienating the company from the gaming market.