A while ago, I found this "discussion" with some fancy Apple troll who thought that it was "glib" to suggest that EA would lose revenue from not releasing Plants vs. Zombies 2 on PC and only on Mobile platforms.
The topic of the gaming industry as a whole and how the PC industry fits in it these days crosses my path too often, and I'd really like to get a concrete opinion..
So, I thought I would ask here.
Here are some excerpts from what this particular guy said..
PC Guy: "Well, if EA don't release PvZ 2 on the PC, they'd stifle a potential revenue stream because people like me wouldn't buy it."
Troll: "what is 'like you' exactly? the minority remnants of a dying PC industry that refuse to play an excellent game franchise on its most popular platform? or a person who can't differentiate between multiple viable revenue models and release target dates? you do realize the game is freemium right? probably not the way you continually blather about buying the game. you also probably don't realize how much more profitable such a business model is on iOS vs any other platform and why that is"
PC Guy: "The PC industry is dying? Is that why Valve's revenue increases 50-100% each year?"
Troll: "I see. So, by your assessment, Valve (a 2.5B software company who ironically utilizes a mobile-like distribution model) is a bellwether of the state of the entire PC sector, as opposed to HPQ, DELL, INTC, AMD, MSFT etc etc.? And we might as well ignore that Android and iOS are growing at 10x the pace of PC (as of 2012); and also that vendors began shipping more smartphone than PCs starting in 2011."
PC Guy: "Software has nothing to do with Hardware on the PC market." etc.
Troll: "Let's correct your drivel:
yes, a 2.5B market cap is 'relatively minuscule' to the [aforementioned] industry kid, quite so. the correlation that escapes you is valve runs on 'PC hardware'. perhaps you thought it was fairy dust?
that's a big top line revenue claim (please cite as I do not believe for a sec steam makes billions per year in top line) but it does not equal net income to which I"m sure is a fraction of your boisterous claim, nevertheless COMPLETELY moot.
'dying' does not equal dead though similar. But yes, any dumba$$ can figure out the PC platform is a much smaller market, smaller by the year. Some [normal people) might call that dying. This is a 'casual game'; casual games do better on mobile platforms. iOS is more profitable for devs than Android. This doesn't not take a genius to deduce, but perhaps someone less butt hurt."
PC Guy: "I will reiterate that hardware sales do NOT correlate directly to software sales. The average person does not need 8gb of ram and a quadcore processor so they aren't upgrading. It doesn't mean they don't still own a PC that they buy software for."
Troll: : "It doesn't have to. There is a correlation nevertheless. no matter how you crumble the cookie, pc for a mainstream 'paying' casual gamer audience (i.e. the target demographic for PvZ) is smaller than it has been for years and is projected to be smaller still; the trend continues: there are fewer and fewer pc gamers (particularly for casual games!) whilst more and more mobile gamers (especially for casual games!), despite the [as of yet unsubstantiated] success of one pc only software company. as anecdotal as valve is, valve is not popcap or EA, and pVz was more successful on mobile.
But let's just say this is a valid refutation to my premise (which it's not). The only thing you've proven really is that frugal consumers who refuse to purchase a popular and highly anticipated sequel on an extremely popular mobile platform will be dearly missed by PopCap/EA. Righhhhht. I state the overtly obvious (i.e. that dead $ will not be missed) and it seems you only follow up with multiple 'does not follow' replies.
Ultimately, the success of pVz2 on mobile vs PC (if released) will tell the tale, and there are 750 million reasons why EA thinks mobile and freemium will be the most profitable, but of course... you know better right..."
PC Guy: "Lots of people actually bought PvZ on multiple platforms"
Troll: "So what? who says many of those same people won't pay for freemium content on iOS where EA presumes to make the sale? the original came out in 2009 for pete's sake. there are millions upon millions more iOS casual gamers since that time inc. those (like me) who played the original on PC (when there was no mobile choice I might add). the die hard stalwarts like you will keep griping (because it's summer and you ostensibly have nothing better to do) yet likely concede to the freemium (or premium) when it's eventually released on Android or PC (if it's released) anyway.
On another note, It's as though you think there's never been a successful title with an exclusive platform launch. Countless successes, where do we begin..."
PC Guy: "Although you don't seem the type to care about alienating part of your user base (not that you would ever have one). So you've proven yourself ignorant in how business works"
Troll: "I like the part where you clarify your own illogical premise (i.e. me a person with a 'user base'). that said, do you think Rockstar alienated (part of) their base when they released GTA on PS as exclusive? ding, ding, ding, it doesn't matter!
Evident by what exactly? The thought that this game is not doomed to failure by simply not targeting its now smallest (and presumably least profitable) platform audience and instead focusing on its largest?"
I don't know if you guys consider this funny, sad, or just meh but I thought I'd post and ask for clarification
The topic of the gaming industry as a whole and how the PC industry fits in it these days crosses my path too often, and I'd really like to get a concrete opinion..
So, I thought I would ask here.
Here are some excerpts from what this particular guy said..
PC Guy: "Well, if EA don't release PvZ 2 on the PC, they'd stifle a potential revenue stream because people like me wouldn't buy it."
Troll: "what is 'like you' exactly? the minority remnants of a dying PC industry that refuse to play an excellent game franchise on its most popular platform? or a person who can't differentiate between multiple viable revenue models and release target dates? you do realize the game is freemium right? probably not the way you continually blather about buying the game. you also probably don't realize how much more profitable such a business model is on iOS vs any other platform and why that is"
PC Guy: "The PC industry is dying? Is that why Valve's revenue increases 50-100% each year?"
Troll: "I see. So, by your assessment, Valve (a 2.5B software company who ironically utilizes a mobile-like distribution model) is a bellwether of the state of the entire PC sector, as opposed to HPQ, DELL, INTC, AMD, MSFT etc etc.? And we might as well ignore that Android and iOS are growing at 10x the pace of PC (as of 2012); and also that vendors began shipping more smartphone than PCs starting in 2011."
PC Guy: "Software has nothing to do with Hardware on the PC market." etc.
Troll: "Let's correct your drivel:
yes, a 2.5B market cap is 'relatively minuscule' to the [aforementioned] industry kid, quite so. the correlation that escapes you is valve runs on 'PC hardware'. perhaps you thought it was fairy dust?
that's a big top line revenue claim (please cite as I do not believe for a sec steam makes billions per year in top line) but it does not equal net income to which I"m sure is a fraction of your boisterous claim, nevertheless COMPLETELY moot.
'dying' does not equal dead though similar. But yes, any dumba$$ can figure out the PC platform is a much smaller market, smaller by the year. Some [normal people) might call that dying. This is a 'casual game'; casual games do better on mobile platforms. iOS is more profitable for devs than Android. This doesn't not take a genius to deduce, but perhaps someone less butt hurt."
PC Guy: "I will reiterate that hardware sales do NOT correlate directly to software sales. The average person does not need 8gb of ram and a quadcore processor so they aren't upgrading. It doesn't mean they don't still own a PC that they buy software for."
Troll: : "It doesn't have to. There is a correlation nevertheless. no matter how you crumble the cookie, pc for a mainstream 'paying' casual gamer audience (i.e. the target demographic for PvZ) is smaller than it has been for years and is projected to be smaller still; the trend continues: there are fewer and fewer pc gamers (particularly for casual games!) whilst more and more mobile gamers (especially for casual games!), despite the [as of yet unsubstantiated] success of one pc only software company. as anecdotal as valve is, valve is not popcap or EA, and pVz was more successful on mobile.
But let's just say this is a valid refutation to my premise (which it's not). The only thing you've proven really is that frugal consumers who refuse to purchase a popular and highly anticipated sequel on an extremely popular mobile platform will be dearly missed by PopCap/EA. Righhhhht. I state the overtly obvious (i.e. that dead $ will not be missed) and it seems you only follow up with multiple 'does not follow' replies.
Ultimately, the success of pVz2 on mobile vs PC (if released) will tell the tale, and there are 750 million reasons why EA thinks mobile and freemium will be the most profitable, but of course... you know better right..."
PC Guy: "Lots of people actually bought PvZ on multiple platforms"
Troll: "So what? who says many of those same people won't pay for freemium content on iOS where EA presumes to make the sale? the original came out in 2009 for pete's sake. there are millions upon millions more iOS casual gamers since that time inc. those (like me) who played the original on PC (when there was no mobile choice I might add). the die hard stalwarts like you will keep griping (because it's summer and you ostensibly have nothing better to do) yet likely concede to the freemium (or premium) when it's eventually released on Android or PC (if it's released) anyway.
On another note, It's as though you think there's never been a successful title with an exclusive platform launch. Countless successes, where do we begin..."
PC Guy: "Although you don't seem the type to care about alienating part of your user base (not that you would ever have one). So you've proven yourself ignorant in how business works"
Troll: "I like the part where you clarify your own illogical premise (i.e. me a person with a 'user base'). that said, do you think Rockstar alienated (part of) their base when they released GTA on PS as exclusive? ding, ding, ding, it doesn't matter!
Evident by what exactly? The thought that this game is not doomed to failure by simply not targeting its now smallest (and presumably least profitable) platform audience and instead focusing on its largest?"
I don't know if you guys consider this funny, sad, or just meh but I thought I'd post and ask for clarification