The battle for exclusive games has come to smartphones
BY MAT SMITH APRIL 20TH 2014, AT 10:35:00 PM ET
It's like Sega and Sony all over again. We don't mean the hardware arms race (although that's certainly happening), but how the smartphone world's two top players are now fighting over the most popular games... and their sequels. Gaming is one of the top money-spinning app categories on smartphones and tablets and according to a WSJ report, both Apple and Google are trying to get popular games and their developers on their side. The companies promise headline placement in their respective online stores and prominent ads around the app portal, in exchange for exclusivity, or at least a lead. This was apparently the case for Plants Vs. Zombies 2 last year, where Apple got a two-month lead over the Android version -- and it's not the only one.
The Cut The Rope series followed a similar pattern, while Gameloft, the company behind titles like Asphalt, had apparently discussed the exclusivity angle with Apple, but eventually decided to launch on both Android and iOS at the same time. "We haven't found the case where it makes sense for us," said Gonzague de Vallois, head of sales and marketing. In contrast to the console battles from the last few decades, neither platform has managed to nail down anything resembling a talismanic mascot character or series -- we're not expecting hell to freeze over in this new fight.
Source: Apple, Google Vie to Offer Exclusive Game Apps - WSJ.com
The battle for exclusive games has come to smartphones
