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Maybe iPads Won't Hurt Portable Game Sales That Much After All?
Even here in the GI offices amongst some fairly hardcore gamers, it's pretty common to hear some bellyaching about how the rise of the iPad and other tablet devices is sure to cut into the portable game market. Some new research suggests that may not be the case, though.
IndustryGamers has the data courtesy of Resolve Market Research. According to new polling, tablet sales are having less of an effect on portable console sales than last year. In 2010, 38 percent of those polled said they would not buy a portable gaming console after purchasing a tablet. In 2011, that number dropped to a slightly less frightening 26 percent.
Likewise, the number of people who said they would not buy a gaming console after buying a tablet dropped from 27 percent in 2010 to 14 percent in 2011. In fact, the only devices more likely to not be purchased due to tablets are e-book readers and laptop computers. Nearly half of those polled said they play games even more across platforms after having purchased a tablet device.
Polls can only tell us so much, but this could be good news for Sony and Nintendo, both of which have new portable gaming devices entering the market. For those in the audience who own an iPad or other tablet or plan to buy one, has it made you less interested in the 3DS or Vita?
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