Why doesn’t anyone seem to take mobile gaming seriously? - The Solutions

I share my opinions on the solutions for why nobody seems to take mobile gaming seriously. A extended response to Joe Hindy's post on Android Authority.

[Activemessiah]

Because it's not meant to be taken seriously... same way you go to a circus and you start thinking those clowns are in fact there just find a way to plot your demise. Just play the games and have fun.

Ignore the clowns.

[Roccetarius]

Pretty much this. Mobile is just too limited to be taken seriously, not to mention most of the software is made to rip you off.

[Lamboomington]

@Roccetarius

Mobile is not too limited to deliver great gaming experiences, both with high quality presentation and lots of depth.
Games like Republique, Infinity Blade, Real Racing 3, The Walking Dead (port), XCOM (port) have shown that.

It's just that most mobile games aren't like that. Most games are casual, and the mainstream 'higher quality' mobile games like Modern Combat and Nova are... stupid. Asphalt is too casual and boring after a while.

Mobile is not too limited. The fact that you have working ports of The Walking Dead, XCOM and infinity engine RPGs like Baldur's gate ! The very fact that those ports work great and are well received should tell you that mobile is not too limited for great experiences.

Real Racing 3, played without assists and manual acceleration felt like NFS shift and Gran Tourismo. The amount of detail and depth is phenomenal ! Infact, for racing, phone is brilliant ! The steering is even better than a controller.

Sure, mbiles are far less capable than dedicated gaming consoles or a PC, but that doesn't mean they're useless for games.

[Baka-akaB]

"Games like Republique, Infinity Blade, Real Racing 3, The Walking Dead (port), XCOM (port) have shown that."

No offense but you arent going to convince anyone against mobile gaming , with titles like that that still pale in quality compared to many home consoles and handheld games . Or that are just barely able to mimick , clone or port some of those . And those people arent going to judge them "in retrospect of them being mobile game" ... they wont go "hey not bad for a mobile game!" or "it's a good port" , they just will roll their eyes and still not care , as they strive for more or are used to better.

For most of us , there isnt a single mobile game that can compete against the best consoles/pc titles , that isnt just a port .

There are too many compromises and change needed for most of those games so they could fit its public , the controls and gameplay . or even the distribution model .

Like you said the focus is elsewhere anyway when it comes to mobile gaming

[mixelon]

XCOM and FTL are some of the rare games where touch controls make a lot of sense, and from a certain perspective improve things.

Then there's weird stuff like Minecraft's PE occasionally leapfrogging the console ones features. (They have infinite worlds, realms server support, etc) - sometimes devs make the best of what they have to work with.

[Baka-akaB]

Maybe but those are again ports ... ports from games that some would even argue still works better on their original pc platform .

Where are the defining games of mobile , it's pillar that can stand against consoles or pc gaming ... If stuff like Infinity Blade are it ... it's no wonder it wont be taking seriously .

Just imagine a second if console like the DS and vita only mostly had ports and lesser clones to flaunt , instead of their most popular or well received titles ? Would you think highly of the platform ?

Where are the mobiles original high quality games in the vein of GTA , Halo , Smash bros , Xenoblade , Skyrim , WItcher , Street Fighter , Gears of War , Uncharted , Zelda , Metroid etc ?

It will come eventually , hell stuff like FF moebius sounds promising from afar , but right now ... it's a wasteland for great games appealing to the console and pc crowd , except oldies and too few exceptions

[3-4-5]

* It's like asking why cars that have 15 hp and only go 20 mph aren't taken seriously.

[masterfox]

uh? Is there an actual reason to take mobile gamin seriously?, nothing to see here people moving on...

[Hoffmann]

Because most of the games are more shallow, more simple than even the majority of the Game Boy games from 1989-1993.

Many of them have a gameplay that reminds me at those old lcd games from Tiger Electronics.

[VJGenova]

I do love me some gameboy though. Even some of the tiger games were solid. I also had a mattel football game that was just lights. It was awesome! All those had one thing that most phones don't though. Buttons. I need a d-pad. Angry birds, cut the rope and all those other games are fine and all, but with a legit d-pad and other buttons we could see some nice games in the future. That aside, it's not for me.

Link to the mattel football game image and description:

http://www.modojo.com/featu...

[ShaunCameron]

I used to own and have beaten 2 of those LCD games. Double Dragon and Mega Man 3.

[Hoffmann]

Haha I remember the Double Dragon one

[silvacrest]

Because using on screen controls rather then a traditional controller absolutely sucks balls.

Because mobile games are often inferior to even PSP games, never mind home consoles.

When the most popular mobile games range from angry birds to candy crush, console gamers will have no interest.

High quality mobile games are often ports of console games, GTA, XCOM etc.

Microtransactions are a plague, especially on mobile games

Thats just from the top of my head, im sure there's more.

[chrisx]

Any1 who asks such a question, doesn't need to be taken seriously

[Lamboomington]

How seriously is seriously ?

Most games on mobile are not serious or 'hardcore' at all. Some are more hardcore in that they high quality presentation and have depth to them.

Infinity Blade was a perfect example for me. It was like Diablo in a way. I could not get enough of that game. To me, that game was a hardcore game more or less.

Real Racing 3 was another one. Amazing visuals, brilliant and sim-like gameplay, different cars with different handling, high skill ceiling. Lots of depth ! (when played with assists off AND manual acceleration)
Didn't spend any real money, but played for 200+ hours

This is all coming from a 'hardcore' PC gamer.

[Aloren]

Got plenty of good games that are perfectly enjoyable on android devices. Shadowrun, KOTOR, The wolf among us, Limbo, Worms, Shadowgun, NBA Jam, Fieldrunners, Monument valley... People don't take it seriously because they decided they shouldn't take it seriously without even trying. I guess that's not so surprising. Lots of people did the same with other devices, like the wii U.

[PlayableGamez]

Those are not even mobile games. Those are awesome console/pc games that were ported over to mobile.

[LifeInNZ]

I dont get your point. You sayimg you can't take mobile gaming seriously because it features pc/console ports? That makes no sense.

[mixelon]

I'd argue things like telltale games were designed with mobile and the other platforms equally in mind..

[Aloren]

Nonsense. Those are games I play on my mobile. That's all I need to call them mobile games.

[Spotie]

I think people don't take it seriously because there haven't been any reasons to do so.

Almost by design, mobile isn't a serious platform. It's aimed almost entirely at the casual market, and while they may be hardcore into, say, Farmville, they're not serious gamers.

Compare the level of detail, skill, dedication, etc. required to be at the top of any game or genre on any platform, and you'll notice there's a difference between mobile and everything else.

Granted, this may not always be the case, just as handhelds and even consoles and PC were not always like that. But, right now, the most serious thing about mobile is how much money can be made from a relatively small amount of initial investment on the part of developers and publishers.

[Simco876]

I think it's micro transactions. When someone can spend 5K on Clash of Clans (friend did...and yes he is/was stupid), then you can't take that stuff seriously.

Unless you're the developer...then you are laughing to the bank

[MilkMan]

Cause it sucks hairy b@lls.

[spicelicka]

Probably because all the games that should be taken seriously have horrible touch screen controls. Any 3d games just don't work well with touchscreen, they're frustrating.

[LifeInNZ]

I agree...which is why I invested in a Bluetooth controller that works with my tablet. Playing Geometry Wars 3 on a beautiful 8.4" AMOLED display whilst waiting for the kids is mobile gaming heaven IMO.

[LifeInNZ]

Emulation, controller support, wide variety of genre's, visuals and gameplay mechanics that improve year on year. What's not to like! Not like I can take my PS4 or XB1 with me.

[Jag-T1000]

Because they are toilet games. You know, games you play while you're on the john.

[pandehz]

Mobile gaming to me is mini games or bite sized games like clash, candy, etc.

I don't play them much either but they make a lot of sense on a small screen. Try playing a sniper on Battlefield 4 on a phone.

Yup your finger is bigger than that mountain.

[SliceOfTruth888]

Even though there are great games on the DS/Vita i dont even take those seriously. When i want to game i do so on my big tv, with my amazing sound system and leave this world.

[TeamLeaptrade]

There is quality mobile games, but it's not compared to what we get from console, PC or even mobile gaming devices. I think it mainly comes down to how many poor quality games/apps that are released. It doesn't help when most of what's out there really isn't worth it.

[Perjoss]

Playing on a touch screen is just not the same as playing with a controller or a keyboard and mouse.

[Swiftfox]

"You shouldn't take them seriously." I remember a time when people were saying such things about all gaming. Mobile is just another platform, and its real issue is being the newest one.

The majority of those playing on mobile are not normally those who play games, and are not as well educated in gaming culture as console or PC players. The result is an increase of shovel-ware as parents and customers are falling into the same traps parents used to from the 90's and 2000's--which is bad for gaming as a whole. Education and time will see the platform becoming just as valued and respected as consoles and PC.

[Baka-akaB]

I dont really agree ...the problem lies with the intent of game publishers .

Back in the 80-90s enough made truly high quality game with the outmost "craftmanship" to be taken seriously as a source of entertainement . They strived to provide cult titles that defined their platforms .

Until that intend is there on mobile , in spades , it remains usually mimickery at best , or a focus into another market . I'm running in circles , but for the negative folks like myself ... it's nice , but it doesnt matter if it can run a X-com or Baldur gate or emulate games i've played tons of time already , well enough for a nostalgic bout .

I'll just ask instead " Mobile gaming where is you own baldur ? Where are new ip or sequels to push new boundaries ? Because all other platform already do tend to address that .

[Swiftfox]

Again your method of thinking could be taken and applied directly to gaming past. For instance the Atari era which saw the gaming market crash because of shovel-ware and poor design.

Fast forward to the height of the Xbox, GameCube, and PS2 popularity--shovel ware and poor design were again an issue, but because the console audience had, more or less, grown up with gaming so quality was praised while shoddiness was punished.

Now shovel-ware has found a new home in the wild west of mobile gaming, and yes I expect a heavy crash if certain steps aren't taken. There's a lot of trash because there's a ripe, uneducated market for trash there. A fix starts in educating people what is good and what is trash on the platform, coupled with game makers willing to embrace the platform and design great experiences for it.

We're coming to an all digital age where servers miles away will be delivering the highest fidelity experiences straight onto our mobile devices. There will be a radical shift of how and were we play the biggest and best games. Shouldn't we now start to recognize mobile as a valid platform and take steps to ensure the success of gaming? Cause at the end of the day, we should care about games--not the platforms. I still stand by the validity of mobile platforms, and encourage everyone to do the same.

[Baka-akaB]

The crux of my argument lies precisely with the lack of good enough games , hence the refusal of the platform .

Again when publishers truly apply themselves to making the platform worth playing on its own with good titles that makes the platform choice unimportant and irrelevant , then the platform will not be as decried .

The xbox , ps2 , GC , were defined by its essential cults and genre defining titles , not the flurry of crap that was still available on those .

The atari from you example was always taken seriously on the gaming front , because of its good games which made history . The it was abused and mismanaged later into a crash is another matter .

I don't believe for a second that the mobile platform is , for now and so far , comparable to those in its effort to have a good library .

And i'm not saying that it wont happen , i actually believe otherwise . But right now , it's not a viable gaming platform for those that crave the same quality in games than on consoles .

[FlexLuger]

Because mobile gaming is not serious.

[ShaunCameron]

Its library consists of arcade games and mini games which makes perfect sense for a platform whose hardware isn't big enough to support anything bigger.

[KryptoniteTail]

The controls, the pricing schemes, and all that. It's not a viable platform until a gaming company makes a good gaming phone. Imagine a GOOD N-Gage, it will appen if these people running companies have half a brain.

[FreddyFazbear]

Wrong Question!, Wrong Question gets wrong answers - Master Gregory

[KingOfArcadia]

Well, most mobile games are like the 80's arcade games - no real story, no sense of progression, not designed to play for more than a few minutes at a time. Why would you take that seriously?

[skyrimer]

People bashing mobile gaming, then adoring indie games that usually come from or have ports on mobile like all Telltale games, Bastion, Limbo, Transistor, xcom, Frozen Synapse, Deponia, Shadowrun, Legend of Grimrock, Broken Age, Geometry Wars, This war of Mine, Valiant Hearts, VVVVVVV, Don't Starve, Costume Quest, and long long etc.

So yeah, touch controls don't work... for certain genres like shooters, but they are perfectly fine for strategy games, turn based rpg games, adventure games, puzzle games or card games among others.

I suggest you check Monument Valley, Fallout Shelter, Hitman Go, Badland, Gabriel Knight Sins of the Fathers, Knock Knock, Five Nights at Freddys, Joe Denver Lone Wolf, Neverending Nightmares, The Room games and so many others.

There're quality games on mobile, the problem is that they're gems among thousands of cheap f2p trash games that are released daily that aren't worth a second, but don't think that's all there is.

And also it's emulation paradise, try Dreamcast Reicast, Saturn UoYabause, PSP's PPSSPP, Nintendo DS Drastic, and everything older just works.

[Elronza]

I disagree with most of the comments on here as there are tons of high quality mobile games and at very good prices,so many in fact that the handheld console business has suffered.