Why Are Mobile Phone Games So Popular Now?
With the rise in popularity and use of smartphones, it’s no surprise that mobile phone games are also becoming more popular. Where once the average smartphone user was the executive-type businessperson, now the average user is in their teens or twenties and, most often, is using their smartphone to stay in touch with their network of friends.
With the demographic change to younger, more casual users, mobile phone games are also starting to take a more prominent place in the industry. This spells great opportunities for small software and gaming companies, and for students taking game development courses and game design courses, as the industry is just taking off and the opportunities are virtually endless.
Universal use and convenience of smartphones
A driving factor behind the growing popularity of mobile games is the smartphones’ increasing popularity among people of video-game age. The extreme portability and connectivity capabilities of smartphones mean that gamers can play anywhere and with anyone else who has a smartphone, freeing them of the physical limitations of a desktop computer and cumbersome landline connections. Couple this with rapid improvements in mobile graphics and speed, and you have the perfect conditions for play-as-you-go games.
Fewer development costs
For small-time game developers, this is great news, because it levels the playing field for small and up-and-coming video game companies. Mobile games require far fewer overhead and development costs than their older desktop brethren, as they can be downloaded directly to the user’s phone, negating the need for packaging, promotion and shipping. In addition, the scale of mobile games, being limited to a phone’s screen size, resolution and processing power, means that coding for these games is far less complicated and involved.
Ideal for less serious gamers
Not everyone wants fancy games that cost hundreds of dollars and that require a lot of commitment to play. Since mobile games often cost a dollar or less and can be downloaded in a pinch, even people who aren’t avid gamers can still enjoy a quick game during a break from work, or when they’re sitting on the bus. Additionally, the less serious gamers will appreciate the chance to try out a variety of simple games as opposed to getting stuck into one long, multi-level, time-consuming game.
User-friendly nature of mobile games
In general, mobile phone games strike a decent balance between simplicity and creativity. Essentially, the nature of the playing medium dictates that a mobile game must be simple, and yet with such a large variety of games, each one still needs to be high quality and creative. This means that non-regular gamers, or those who simply aren’t very good at playing computer games, can still enjoy a good-quality game without getting frustrated. Mobile phone games don’t just reach out to the technologically savvy youth, but also to technically challenged adults who simply want a fun, user-friendly game to play once in a while.
Mobile phone games are here and they’re here to stay. People love these simple games because they are inexpensive, have a range of complexity and can be played from anywhere. Whether you are a regular gamer or technologically incapable, there is a mobile phone game out there that is suited to you.
