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The world of gaming is made up of many different types of people, all with varying interests and skill levels, so it’s no wonder that opinions differ greatly about the industry. Some people dedicate their entire lives to video games, and occasionally those people can be quite critical of the more casual fans who don’t share their level of reflexes or overall knowledge of the gaming industry. At the same time, some of those casual fans might be critical of those who easily sink around 10 hours or more each day playing video games. Usually, though, these criticisms are reserved for the minority on both sides; however, being such a popular entertainment industry, there are countless more criticisms that gamers have, and those can be shared by both “hardcore” and casual fans alike. One of these criticisms has been that of mobile gaming. But could that critical perception of mobile games be changing?
What Is Mobile Gaming?
First of all, let’s take a look at exactly what classifies something as a mobile game. The simple act of being able to play a game wherever you are is generally not what someone would mean by a mobile game. After all, you can easily load up your Steam account on your laptop and play just about any game on the market, whether it’s a competitive MOBA or a battle royale game. However, that doesn’t mean those games are automatically classed as mobile games. Similarly, many people wouldn’t class games designed for handheld consoles to be classed as mobile games either, even though they function in a similar way. Mobile games are simply classified based on the fact that they are designed for and played on either iOS or Android mobile devices. There are plenty of new mobile games being released regularly, all varying in genre and style, just like with other gaming platforms.
Where Did Mobile Gaming Start?
If you lived through the nineties, there’s a strong possibility that you had a mobile phone with a few games on it. The first-ever mobile phone game was a variant of Tetris, and these blocky, pixelated games continued to be developed for newer devices. Well-known games such as Snake on the Nokia 3310, as well as different puzzle games. Over the years, developers created new variations of these old favorites as well as the occasional innovative new game, yet it was never something that truly gripped the gaming community, and they simply served as gimmicks to pass the time. If someone wanted to play video games, the chances are they were going to play on a dedicated console such as the Nintendo 64 or the Game Boy. It wasn’t until the iPhone was invented in 2007 that mobile gaming started to become notable.
Online Browser Gaming
Certain games that can be played via a browser and therefore can be played using a mobile device wherever you are, have always been popular and serve as a great way to pass the time. Whether someone would consider those to fall into the category of “gaming” is another matter which people regularly debate. However, puzzle games such as the worldwide phenomenon that is the New York Times’ Wordle, and the many variations that have been created since, are played in absolute abundance across the planet. As well as puzzle games, you have the ever-popular online casino sites, which offer the opportunity for people to enjoy fun table games like poker with other players and online slot games. To see just how many of these games there are and compare welcome bonuses, you can visit the casino comparison site, onlinecasinos.co.uk.
The Criticisms Of Mobile Games
The general criticism of mobile games is that they are simply not as gripping or feature-rich as games that are created for a specific gaming console. Most game developers are usually focused on making video games for the next Nintendo or PlayStation console. As well as this, the technical restrictions smartphones have had to deal with compared to handheld gaming consoles over the past few decades mean that many mobile games feel outdated when played. These technical restrictions often make people turn their noses up at these games. At the end of the day, why would we choose to play something that feels outdated when we have quality AAA titles available on our console or PC? This overall lack of interest from gamers also caused some developers to search for new ways to make extra profits from those who enjoy mobile games. In-app purchases started to become synonymous with any mobile game, while in some ways hurt the reputation of this industry even more as it just became a way for some developers to churn out sub-par games and apps in an attempt to make some quick cash.
AAA Titles For Mobile
As technology advances, we are now seeing many mobile games created that are visually appealing and intuitive to play. This has led to some well-renowned franchise games being created for iOS and Android devices in recent years, including Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Minecraft, to name just a few. As well as hardware advancements, we also have much better connectivity today, especially with the advent of 5G and superfast Wi-Fi connections, providing high levels of uninterrupted data transfer. This has made competitive games a viable option for mobiles too. For example, shooters like PUBG Mobile have gained huge popularity, surpassing the player numbers found on the original PC version. Although, it’s generally agreed that the mobile version of the game is still considered a more casual option than the PC version due to aim-assistance and other quality of life features in the game.
The Future Of Mobile Games
With the increase in popularity of these games, combined with the possibility for developers to make a lot of money through in-app purchases, we are only going to see more games being developed for this medium. The future of mobile gaming does look quite bright, and there are no signs of the industry slowing down anytime soon, similar to the wider gaming industry. While they will never be for everyone, it’s fair to say that the mobile gaming industry, with the help of advancements in tech, is becoming much more respected by gamers than it has been in the past and is definitely worth keeping an eye on in the years to come.
