Session Name: | Will Unconsoles Become the Real Next-Gen Consoles? |
Speaker(s): | Sameer Baroova, Brian Bruning, Michael Schade, Phil Scott |
Company Name(s): | PlayJam, MOGA, Fishlabs, Nvidia |
Track / Format: | Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit |
Overview: | 2013 will probably be the most disruptive year in video game history ever. When the next generation of "classic" consoles for die-hard fans of AAA franchises hits the market later this year, they'll have to stand their ground against fierce competitors. On one hand, the "unconsoles" (Jon Jordan, Pocketgamer) like Ouya and Gamestick are about to enter the market from the low-end segment and on the other hand, game pad peripherals like Moga and Shield have already started to combine console controls with the ubiquity of smartphones as the real video gaming deal for the generation Y that is always on the go. However, there are significant challenges in designing games that work on both touch and gamepad controls - especially when you also have to deal with different resolutions that come into play when you can either experience the game on a device you hold in your hand or on a TV set some meters away from you. Furthermore, the ever-growing number of digital game stores also means that there will be more fragmentation and potentially different business models that developers need to deal with. In the course of this panel, five of the most important players in the mobile space will debate the challenges and opportunities of this disruption and work out how developers can make the most out of this new situation. |