Directly from the imagination of American analysts, I have for you today a prediction that you probably don't expect to hear in 2012. Considering the popularity of iDevices and the fact that consoles have lost a good part of their fans in recent years, American analysts estimates that iOS will become the biggest platform for gaming. Everything is based on the number of Game Center users that could exceed 200 million by the end of this year.
Apple cites the number of games, downloads and payments to developers as evidence of ecosystem health and growth. The figure of Game Center accounts is yet another indicator. It shows growth in and of itself, but it also has the side effect of offering comparative measurement of performance. That measurement compares favorably with other game platforms.
Based exclusively on the idea of the number of Game Center accounts and the number of active iDevices, Asymco estimates that by the end of 2012 there should be 200 million users connected to Game Center. The number is high, but it's not hard to imagine considering that there are clearly around 200 million iDevices in use right now, and the release iPhone 5 will contribute to a substantial increase in the number of active terminals.
If the iDevies will turn iOS into the biggest platform for gaming, this does not mean that we will have available games as good as those for PC/consoles.
