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Mobile has disrupted console, but what's next? says Ben Cousins

#freeyourplay We're half-way through the current cycle

Mobile has disrupted console, but what's next? says Ben Cousins
It's almost mid-summer in Finland and that's time for national celebration.

Even more so for Supercell, which this time last year hadn't even released its first mobile games.

Twelve months on, however, and it's vying with Japanese publisher GungHo and UK/Swedish outfit King for the crown of being the most profitable mobile company in the world.

A good opportunity, then, for a 600-strong celebration; something Supercell combined with some learning via in its Free Your Play 2013 "congress".

Held in an old ship building space in Helsinki, it was hosted by Kristian Segerstrale, who's now joined Supercell's board of directors.

"Helsinki (and some other places) are like Florence during the Renaissance. We are re-invening everything," Segerstrale said.

"There has never been a more exciting time in the games industry. 2013 - this is the year."

"The amount of scale, of revenue, of profits is amazing."

C-c-c-changes

As a conference, Free Your Play 2013 kicked off with Ben Cousins, ex of Sony and EA, now heading up DeNA's Scattered studio in Stockholm.

Taking an historical look the rise and fall and rise of video games, Cousins considered the disruption from arcades to consoles; of course highlighting how interest - and money - shifted between them.

Of course, his point is that mobile gaming has now disrupted the console business.

"The console-mobile transition will follow disruptive patterns," Cousins explained.

"Mobile games have created a huge new audience for gaming, fueled by greater accessibility."

And leaving the audience with a question, he asked "What will come along and disrupt mobile?"; pointing perhaps to the potential of wearable computing.


Contributing Editor

A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.