These new versions are more powerful and show multimedia capacities
as well as a tactile interface.
Their content keep in the line of domestic versions although
sometimes they try to innovate, either using 3D effect or
the use of the camera to create augmented-reality environments.
3DS is targeted for a more childish and casual audience; and Vita,
to an older, more traditional one.
Digital download gets integrated in the business model.
In the last 5 years, mobile devices have consolidated themselves as a
video games platform.
Hardware has increased its power with each devices iteration,
but at a contents level we still see a dominance of the simple
or casual games.
This platform has helped many independent developers
to get into the industry due to the huge users group
that have this device and to the fact that it is very affordable to publish content in them.
There has also been a video games saturation as there exist a lot
of similar games.
The starting impact has been stabilized and the different business models
have been adapted.
Digital download is still the base and there have appeared models with more weight on
small fees or purchases from applications, such as Freemium model.
In computers,
during these last years they have kept the same line as in the last decade.
Currently it's the platform in which there is more variety in the
video games catalog: social network games, casual games,
independent games or the greatest super productions with the newest technology.
At a technical level, they offer much higher performance compared
to domestic consoles, as they are already over high definition.
The offer is wide and it is adapted to various users.
Video games almost can't be played without their social component in the web,
which is almost a part of the game's own experience.
Digital download websites make aggressive pricing policies,
with great discounts and compilations,
and there are many exploitation models depending on the game's nature.
As a summary and conclusions, we can say the following:
video games industry goes on mostly motivated by technological
innovations.
Usually they bring a computational or graphic power increase.
Also there are some times when their innovation is focused on the control
interface, either if it is the commandment or the player's body.
But there are also occasions in which the industry evolution
won't validate its power increase.
An example is the fact of how mobile devices and other
platforms such as computers have given place to video games with technologies
and aesthetics which were considered outclassed and old-fashioned,
such as 2D games, getting a great commercial success.
However, it's true that since the arrival of 3D and polygonal graphics,
video games evolution has been more focused on the visual part
and less on the playable one.
This way, the playable experience's weight
has been directed to audiovisual realism and multi-player games.
Finally, the great change during the last years
has been digital distribution and the new business models which,
among others, can alter video games' contents,
such as the model of many DLCs or downloadable contents.