I can't stand it anymore. I see people (who should know it better) hanging their faces into the press saying how our industry is changing this year and that everything will be different from now on.
First: this has been true since I am in the industry, thats 25 years (I joined 1987). Welcome to the ride. Thats most likely why we think the games industry is coolest (it never gets boring).
Second: we are in transition years. This means that the old console sales are declining and the new one isn't here yet. This causes a double negative effect on publishers: their revenue is lower and their investment into the next generation is very high. Of course they play conservative and fire people where they can to safe costs.
If you're interested into some of this industry cycle attributes read my very old (but most downloaded & copied) talk "The five year cycle of the games industry"
Does online change the industry? Of course, but online is here since 1997, so don't act surprised please.
Does iOS change the industry? Sure, new device, awesome reach, new revenue paths. But did iOS hurt the consoles? No, but yes for handhelds. iOS expands our market, it doesn't cannibalize much.
