When I purchased my very first iPhone last year—the iPhone 4S—one of the first things I did was get Infinity Blade from the Apple Store. I heard it was the premier benchmark for Apple's new device, but I got a lot more than just that. I was baffled by how close it was to a console experience, and while its touchscreen limitations were a downer, the extremely affordable price point more than made up for it.
I'm not the only person who has experienced this, not by a long shot. As a matter of fact, Infinity Blade has generated $30 million dollars in total revenue, and its successor, Infinity Blade 2, is experiencing similar results.
CEO of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, mentioned at this year's GDC Taipei just how profound an impact Infinity Blade has had on both consumers and developers alike. He also mentioned something that might pinch a few nerves… he stated:
The most profitable game we've ever made, in terms of man years invested versus revenue, is actually Infinity Blade. It's more profitable than Gears of War.
In effect we can look at this as a good thing or bad thing. On one hand console games require such deep investment that they should deserve to reap larger rewards, especially a series as good as Gears of War with its outstanding critical reception and millions of units sold. On the other hand, the mobile market is known for being convenient and affordable, so it's almost no wonder that millions of consumers have clicked the buy button without thinking twice.
Some might argue that mobile gaming is the future, but I'm not worried in the slightest. Mobile gaming has its perks, and it can have its moments of glory, but nothing can replace the full experience of being at a couch or desk shooting Nazi zombies with a 7.1 surround sound system. Well, at least not yet.
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