As gamers are frequently being told, consoles are old news and the mobile gaming phenomenon represents a shift in not only spending habits but the method upon which we choose to play our games. Though I’ve always doubted the analysts when they’ve made these grandiose and unreferenced claims, this bit of news has me thinking otherwise.

According to Apple, the app store brought in $10 billion dollars last year, with a one billion of that coming in December alone. Considering that many of these apps are under five dollars (Most only 99 cents, even), it makes it all the more shocking. Throw in the fact that they cost very little to make and are mostly made by garage developers and it seems easy to believe them when they say consoles gaming is on the way out.

Or, rather, it could be the beginning of a 1983-esque game crash for the mobile market. Fast and unprecedented growth usually results in the bubble bursting, and if you ask me I believe the market will implode as more people jump into it seeking easy fortune. Video games went through this during the early 1980s and the internet companies which went from heroes to zeroes in 1999 could also speak of this phenomenon.

My inane ramblings aside, the mobile market is the place to be if you’re a developer looking for fortune and Apple seems to be making money hand over fist. What lies ahead and how it affects traditional consoles remains to be seen.