Video games are bigger than ever. It is with some irony then that they are also their own biggest threat. Yep, their own popularity, or rather mobile games’ popularity, has put an unexpected pressure on video games for the console.
This is because mobile games have evolved at such a rate that they are now true rivals to the home console games which are frantically trying to stay ahead. Smartphones have hit the video games industry hard.
The latest figures show that games’ purchasing accounts for 75% of total app store spending, proving that games are one of the most popular items on smartphones, but what kind of games are people playing? I mean, we’ve come along since Snake haven’t we?
We have indeed.
Since the release of the iPhone in 2007, nine years ago, and beat the then top range Blackberry into history, progress has set a rip roaring speed. Google and Microsoft soon replied with Android and Windows powered machines respectively and the stage was set for modern smartphone mobile gaming.
The technology that the new machines bought with them was, at the time, mind blowing and games designers quickly responded to the challenge of providing games suitable to the touchscreen powers.
The first native iPhone game, Lights Off, was also released in 2007 and was essentially a tilting game that responded to the balance of the phone. Then came the App store which really ramped up the revolution. Games like Super Monkey Ball cost $9.99 back then but today most games are free to download.
Nowadays mobile gaming is truly slick and amazing and can be accessed anywhere and everywhere you can get a suitable signal and sometimes even if you can’t. The power of the engine allows for a sleek play and fast speed, and hi-res graphics and screen provides perfect games that are beautiful to look at and fun to play and easy to use which is why they have emerged as a genuine rival market to video games.
Then along came Angry Birds which, while annoying, was, utterly brilliant and so simple a 4-year old could master it. This title really embraced touchscreen gaming, especially the finger controlled slingshot that by dragging at preferred angles, propels the birds across the screen towards their pig shaped target.
Of course, all these newly acquired powers makes mobiles attractive to other types of games and industries, like gambling. Casino sites, online Poker sites, bookmakers and, now, Fantasy Football for real money have all launched into the mobile gaming space. Immediately recognising that people enjoy poker and casino games and who, in all likelihood have pre-existing browser accounts, would appreciate a mobile app that can be launched on smartphones or tablets. The standout thing with mobile casino gaming was that it filled a niche in the market for anyone who had the gambling itch and couldn’t wait to get home to play. With mobile gaming, they didn’t have to.
Just like other mobile games, there has been a noticeable evolution in gambling apps which were at first pretty clunky, raw and basic and offered only a very limited number of functions. Back then, in order to place anything more complicated than a straight forward single on an outcome, punters were expected to find their way back to their chosen room’s main website. Now things have changed massively with any number of new additions like cashing in or out of an accumulator, requesting specials and odds spinning to name a few.
Bookmaking apps often offer live score updates or even live streams of high profile sporting events as well as news, blogs and betting tips, lots of casino games and poker tournaments and lotto and bingo too, all from one user account. Plus, many offer welcome and loyalty bonuses to entice custom, meaning that there is added value to be enjoyed too. However with many sites out there picking the one that suits you can be difficult, not only when you do pick the site, picking the right game with the right bonuses can be even more baffling. For guidance on these factors and how to get started this mobile orientated guide is very helpful. Check out the top tips so you have an advantage over other players.
To cite one example of how mobile gaming is driving industries forward, earlier this year PokerStars, the world’s biggest online poker room, announced a new, at the time, soft, launch of Duel by PokerStars. According to the press release, this will be a poker game and app specifically designed for smartphones, which allows users to play long distance, one-on-one poker without time restraints. Also, see online slots, which use the touchscreen to play the game, as does Roulette. Use your touch screen to spin the wheel or reel.
The progress made by the mobile gaming industry over past nine years has been crazy but genius. Equally crazy is how we take for granted things that once amazed us such is the staggering capability of the modern day mobile games and the things we choose to do with them.
The industry is continually changing in a rapid pace.