Why Are Mobile Video Games Getting so Popular?

Computers Articles | July 7, 2011

A log of video game developers, big and small are getting into mobile video game development. What are the reasons behind this and what does it mean for the industry as a whole?

If you have read any recent news in the video game development industry, you will see that iPhone Game Developmentis on the rise. But it is not only video games for the iPhone that are becoming more popular. Games for other mobile operating systems such as the BlackBerry OS and the Android OS are being produced too. Here are some of the reasons behind this:

· Increased use of smart phones

More and more people are using smart phones. While previously, they were a tool for serious businessmen to get in touch with their clients and colleagues, they are now being used by all segments of the population, including young people. Of course, it is not a secret that younger people are more likely to be interested in video games, which has created a huge new market for games.

· Increased money making opportunities and lower overhead costs on mobile platforms

Selling games for smart phones is easier than selling them for the PC and much easier than selling them for gaming consoles. Why? Because the distribution costs are much lower, due to the fact that the games are not shipped on physical medium, but rather downloaded directly to the phone. This is one of the reasons why many game developers are getting into Android Game Development. Also, there are increased payment options available on these platforms. Users can pay for games using a credit card or have them charged to their mobile phone account directly. Since games for mobile phones tend to be cheaper and usually cost in the $0.99 to $5 range, they also make great impulse buys. This has also caused certain small, previously unknown gaming companies to emerge, as the amount of investment required to create a mobile game is much lower than what it would cost to develop a PC or console game from A to Z.

Will This Affect the Sales of PC Games?

According to many experts in the industry it is too early to tell. However, all indicators are pointing towards no. PC and console games are a whole different platform and are not expected to be affected by the increase in mobile gaming. Few users will stop playing video games on their PC even though they can now play an increased amount of them on their smart phones. Furthermore, the gaming experience is quite different. Games on smart phone platforms have much simpler graphics, according to game art servicesfirms. The screen size is also much smaller, which would make it quite awkward to play certain kinds of games such as first person shooters. So gaming companies do not have to worry about mobile games driving people away from PC games, as PC games will always have their fans. However, gaming companies can capitalize on the increase in mobile gaming by developing games for mobile platforms.

Article Tags: Video Games, Gaming Companies

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gina Kraft is a video and mobile game enthusiast. Gina is very interested in game development. She thinks that game testers are very important to the industry and that all video game publishers should invest in game quality assurance.