Analyst: 'DS and PSP have peaked'

DFC Intelligence analyst David Cole has claimed that Apple will dominate the handheld games market as DS and PSP software sales have peaked.

In an interview with Edge, the industry expert predicted that mobile game sales will reach $11.7 billion (£7 billion) by 2014, with Apple accounting for 24% of this.

"The dedicated portable game systems from companies like Nintendo and Sony are still expected to lead the market, but it appears growth for these devices has peaked," he said. "The platforms from Apple are expected to be responsible for the bulk of market growth over the next few years."

A recent DFC study on handheld gaming revealed that the App Store is the most popular method of making purchases. However, of the 8,000 study participants, around 15% owned an iPhone or iPod touch, while 29% were Nintendo DS owners.

69% of European respondents admitted to playing games on their mobile phone, with 36% having purchased an app in the last year.