Comcept/Intercept founder Keiji Inafune is one of the sharpest minds in Japanese game development. Formerly the head of development at Capcom, Inafune has produced dozens of games, including extensive work on the Mega Man and Resident Evil series. Like many fans of Japanese games, I hold Inafune in the highest regard, so it was disappointing to see his recent comments on mobile gaming.
During Tokyo Game Show he told Joystiq:
I think it's very similar between cell phone cameras and professional digital cameras [DSLRs]. You don't use a smartphone camera for an interview, and you don't use a really professional camera to take some small pictures when you're going to work.
I think that's the same thing that happens with game consoles as well. If you want to play a good game, you get a PS3 or Xbox or that kind of thing. You don't stay on your iPhone or on a smartphone game for three or five hours, nobody would do that.
Hmmmm. I'm certain that I spent more than three to five hours in bed over the weekend playing Quarrel Deluxe and Civilization: Revolution on my iPad 2. In Inafune's eyes that makes me nobody. *sniff*
Seriously though, I've known Inafune to be a fairly forward thinking man, so it was surprising to see that he's out of touch with the current state of iPhone and iPad gaming. There are loads of iOS titles that qualify as good to great. There are plenty of iOS games that people play for hours at a time. Don't get me wrong, I still love my home gaming consoles too, but iOS has taken mobile gaming to a new level.
What do you think of Inafune's view on mobile gaming vs. consoles? Do you believe he's out of touch? Or perhaps consoles are too close to his heart for him to be objective?
[Via Joystiq]
29 Comments
I think I have spent well over 50 hours playing Civ Revolutions on iPad. I was so obsessed with it that I beat it on Deity level with every leader.
I would have to agree with him, somewhat. Maybe he is looking at profit margin. I can only think of a handful of mobile games that sell like console games and this is a man of Mega Man and RE status. Maybe he's an elitist and associates all mobile games, great or good, with all of the inferior/lesser mobile games.
BB, nothing on your G2x that you play for hours at a time?
Honestly the only game that I have spent hours on so far is Angry Birds lol. I have a ton of games but I'm saving them for my move from Boston to Denver, yes we are driving.
Please don't game and drive.
No way. I'll just have a few beers then get behind the wheel, that was a joke.
interesting point about profit margins... the thing is that some mobile games, especially freemium ones, can generate very high profit margins from a percentage standpoint. you have to make a lot more of them to make the same AMOUNT of profit, but they're also a lot cheaper/faster to make...
I'll tell you what... if you get Ultimate Mortal Kombat on your phone...
Oh wait... nevermind.
Were you gonna say that big blak would duck you on that MK too?
#bringing inside jokes over from the other site
#Hilarity
I wonder how BB would be able to duck you on a mobile game. Perhaps he'd take the "trolley" to Tijuana again....
BB on the TTT!
Too bad Capcom has started to put out really bad games and make bad decisions. I guess this is a reason why.
Inafune left Capcom last year. Is that a good thing for the company?
@ Steve and Raymond You're both talking about civ on the iPad though, I agree that I wouldn't spend that long on my iPod. I guess an iPad is almost a console like experience.
I have put more than 200 hours on the iPhone and iPad versions of Civ: Rev. It's been my favorite travel game for the last few years. I remember I got into so much during an LAX-NRT flight that it felt like I got on a plane, had some food, and suddenly I was in Japan. That was on the iPhone.
I agree, maybe it's just certain people but I can't play my iPhone for multiple hours when I have a ps3 downstairs
This guy is dead wrong, so wrong in fact that im not even going to bother supporting my statement.
This comment has been moderated.
There are plenty of shovelware titles on consoles too, particularly the Wii.
I think his statement is half right and half wrong. The fact is mobile gaming has always been less powerful from many angles if compared to console or pc gaming. That is still the case today, but it really doesn't mean the mobile games are bad.
He's dead wrong when he talks about hours of playing. People play on what they have with them at the time, so for most people, mobile or social games are more available than console games (ok, I don't play facebook games, but some people at my office actually play Farmville for what seems 8 hours straight). Obviously many hardcore gamers aren't gonna trade a PS3 or Xbox 360 session for an iPhone game. But companies like Sega, EA and SquareEnix are making excelent games for iOS, along with many indie or not so famous companies, to a point where a non-hardcore gamer may ask himself: "Do I need a PS3?"
I don't necessarily agree with this. I myself own a PS3 and a 4th gen iTouch. I actually play more games on my iTouch than on the console. It's been weeks since I've played any console games yet I'm on my iTouch every single day, usually for hours. I wish some of the games had more to them but honestly it's a better concept: bulky console that requires a TV and you have to keep track of all the discs VS. a portable device you can have hundreds of games on that can be taken everywhere, needs no TV and you can do many tasks a computer can do. I'd think that one is a no-brainer. Maybe the graphics aren't as good and the games don't have as much content but the portability factor and fun factor of many of the games makes iOS my choice for everyday gaming. Sorry Inafune but you've got this all wrong.
He said:
-"You don't use a smartphone camera for an interview, and you don't use a really professional camera to take some small pictures when you're going to work."-
But... wouldn't it at least be totally awesome to have the quality of a DSLR in your phone or tablet? I think that argument also relates to gaming. Wouldn't it be totally awesome to be able to rock Gears3 or Black Ops (proper versions) anywhere you want?
OF COURSE IT WOULD!!!!
But... the tech just isn't there yet, so we get as close as we can for now because the competitive nature of the market demands it. The same way it does, did, and will with cameras.
I make to many faces and curse a lot while I'm gaming, I don't think I would ever like to seriously game in public.
Well I think he's wrong. As I've got a ps3,360 and iPod and I spend more time playing games on my iPod than either of the consoles. Although it might be down to the games as I enjoy retro games and 2d racers.
i have the ps3 from three years,,,, i was an hardcore playstation player... some nice time spent with god of war 3 and.. stop... only shooting games now.. (and you have to pay at last 65-70 euros for it) where are the quality games? at the e3 , gamecon, ecc. there aren't any good game showing... so? just trashed 450 euro for a ps3... or xbox360 the games are the same on both now..,
I personally don't agree with what he's saying. There are, indeed, too many shovelware titles in the iOS market to sift through easily. Also, it's true that you won't find a great number of games on par with other dedicated systems in terms of depth and overall quality. However, and a fan of Apple I am not (even close), there are indeed a good number of games that have value in their market. While I'm not the type to play Angry Birds all day long, that's not the only type of game on the iOS market. There are plenty of larger, more in-depth titles for Apple's famed devices.
Why did this generalization come about, you ask? Here's what I think; in the beginning, before Apple stormed the market, phone gaming was in a terrible position. Games drain the phone's battery to the point that they aren't worth it, and even then the games weren't all that great either. In comes Apple introducing the iOS; at first, they must stick to the simpler, less needy games that aren't too flashy or large in order to stick to the hardware's capabilities. But as the hardware progressed, the system got better and better game-wise. Every once in a while, a cheaper, less in-depth game comes along that steals the spotlight (Angry Birds, I'm looking at you) from the bigger titles. People tend to quote these titles instead of bigger, more console-like titles when talking about games on the iTouch/iPhone systems, and this gives the company a more casual reputation for being the quick fix with cheaply made shovelware.
Solution? Try out some bigger games and titles instead. When somebody asks about Apple's games, don't immediately say "ANGRY BIRDS! ARRRRRGH!"
Please.
Sharp answer Lunias! Thanks for dropping by.
I agree with Inafune 100%. I have tons of great games on my iPhone, and I probably do spend more time on them than I do playing PS3 games.
But iPhone games aren't the games I look forward to. iPhone games aren't the games I read interviews about or watch trailers for. iPhone games aren't the games my friends and I spend months anticipating and speculating about. And I can't imagine the day when they would be.
is there a way to contact keiji inafune? i think nintendo and wayforward would be more than happy to have him on the team
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