Just about everyone these days owns an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy or another mobile device that is capable of downloading arcade apps for some on-the-go fun. As I scroll down Facebook's endless abyss that is the news feed, it seems as though people who play Angry Birds, Temple Run, Plants vs. Zombies and other apps like it are willing to post photo's of their high score on Angry Birds or Run on Subway Surfers. This doesn't annoy me at all, what annoys me is that these people have the audacity to call themselves avid 'gamers'.
I personally own a iPhone, and yes I do play games on it, I'm not against that. But what I do find quite disturbing is the fact that games like Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies have now found their way onto the shelves next to titles like Skyrim, Mass Effect, Borderlans and so forth. Angry Birds has been remastered for a HD, console experience and sells at a full retail price of $39.99 on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The justification for this hefty price tag is that it is the "ultimate collectors edition". What a load of crap. At the end of the day all you're doing is flinging birds at a bloody pig.
Rovio's Executive Vice President of Games Petri Järvilehto had this to say about Angry Birds on console. "There have been so many fans asking to be able to play the game on their home console with their friends and family, and so far we haven't been able to offer anything to them," I'm sorry Mr. Jihad, but, anybody who was begging to play Angry Birds on their console with their friends and family is an idiot. When people who own a console get together to play a game, they party up on Modern Warfare or Battlefield 3 or some Tekken, not Angry Birds. Mr. Jihad further claimed that he believes that there are many console owners "…who appreciate a great casual game play experience." He's not wrong there, the problem with this statement is that a casual game play experience on a console is a quick round of Team Death match.
Personally if I am seeking a casual arcade game, I will pick up my iPhone, go to the app store and download a free app or purchase Angry Birds for $1. I'm not going to venture to my local game store, purchase a slingshot game for $40 and go home and play it on my $300 console that has the ability to run Skyrim, Arkham City or Crysis. Is this what the future holds for video games? Games and apps may be a good laugh on your android or iOS device, but they certainly do not have a place among consoles. I think games like Angry Birds and its peers need to be left where they belong, on their handheld devices.
If people aren't satisfied with the experience on their iPhone, they can go buy a god-damn iPad or iMac or whatever they're into, just keep your money soaked hands away from consoles, because those of us, who own a console, appreciate games that offer more than just a "casual game play experience". And for $40, the only Angry Birds will be the ones us gamers will be flicking at the developer.