Based on the question we were posed in class yesterday about what other kinds of video games we would want to study in this course, I think it would be interesting to study mobile games. By this I mean games like Candy Crush or Angry Birds, which are but two examples of smartphone games that have gained immense popularity and billions of downloads. Candy Crush itself has been downloaded over 2.7 billion times. This massively overshadows the best-selling videogame of all time, Minecraft, which can only boast of 238 million copies sold. So, why do mobile games seem to be more popular than other kinds of video games?
I think there are three main factors which increase the appeal of mobile games – price, accessibility, and difficulty. First, mobile games are typically free to play. Some games come with a minor price tag, but even the paid mobile games typically only sell for $5 or less – much cheaper than many console games. A few mobile games have additional levels which cost money, or offer in-app purchases that give money or temporary buffs, but a lot of mobile games let you start and progress through a few levels without ever having to spend a cent. This makes mobile games especially appealing for children and teens who no longer need to beg their parents for video game money, someone looking for a free way to pass some time, or anyone unsure if they like games enough to invest in a console. Mobile games therefore provide an appealing source of entertainment for anyone falling into these broad categories.
Mobile games are also very accessible, in terms of their ability to be played wherever and whenever. Many smartphone owners keep their phones on them at all times, which means their mobile games can be played as fast as it takes for them to take out and unlock their phone. Even 5 minutes of downtime between two meetings is enough time for someone to play a level or two. This can’t be said of console games, which require turning on the device and waiting for everything to load, not to mention having to be in the physical location of the console. Admittedly some consoles are designed to be played on-the-go – the Nintendo DS comes to mind – but it’s far more likely for someone to have their phone in their pocket than to randomly be carrying their DS around at work. The ease of accessing mobile games therefore give it another sense of appeal to people who go out and about during the day.
Besides catering to non-gamers in terms of price, mobile games also frequently appeal to those unskilled or inexperienced in video games by having a very low level of difficulty. Most mobile games start with in-depth tutorials and very easy levels. A few games admittedly have a steep difficulty curve, but even those tend to afford the player the chance to get into the game without too much trouble, through initially easy levels. Another factor of many mobile games is that the difficulty is low enough that one can progress just through dedicating time, even if they have a relatively low level of skill. This is the case particularly with idle games, an immensely popular form of mobile game which requires little-to-no skill and through which one can progress so long as they remember to check the game and upgrade every once in a while.
Because of the cheap or free price tag, ease of accessibility, and low level of skill typically required, one tends to find a much more diverse community of players for mobile games as opposed to console games. I know people both my age and in their 60’s who are equally invested in Candy Crush. Mobile games attract people of all backgrounds, all skill backgrounds, all levels of interest in video games, and unites them into one mobile gamer community. This seems to be a pretty unique phenomenon when compared to the kinds of video games we studied in this course, and for that reason I think it would have been a really interesting topic to examine in this class.
I also find the popularity of mobile games really interesting, particularly when considering the concept of microtransactions (also something I would have like to study in the course if we had more time). You mention the accessibility of mobile games because of low cost, and I completely agree, however, it is rather hard to find a mobile game which does not include microtransactions of some type, and these are normally pay-to-win. I think it would be interesting to see if mobile games used microtransactions more (or if users were more willing to purchase virtual items in mobile games) than in games such as AAA titles, and therefore how this would affect game profits and appeal to game creators.
On top of standalone mobile games, it’s interesting to consider mobile games borne from existing games adapted to the mobile scene, such as Hearthstone, Teamfight Tactics, or Bloons Tower Defence 6. These are games that are highly popular on PCs, but aquired a new fanbase by extending to another platform. What is the difference between someone who loves the game on their phone vs on their PC?
I think mobile games are also interesting because many of them feature leaderboards where you can compare you high scores against friends’. Take Game Center for example, Apple’s social gaming network. I’m not super familiar with how it works, but as I understand it, this service easily integrates multiplayer matchmaking and leaderboards, all in a central location. Interpersonal relationships and competition is so integral to many mobile games that Apple has this toolkit for developers.
I agree that mobile games are definitely something worth looking into as a class. I’m surprised Clash of Clans or Clash Royale weren’t mentioned, two games that are very dear to my heart and which I still play. I’ve played my share of mobile games throughout my life, and I remember always trying to find a new one to obsess over with my cousin back in the day with one of those being Clash of Clans which I’ve been playing on and off since 2013. I find it incredible that such a game could keep my attention and get me to always return to it when I’m feeling bored. I also played Clash Royale when it first came out and managed to spend countless hours playing in high school by myself, with my friends, and even with one of my teachers. I think there is definitely something to be said about the social aspect of mobile games and it’s accessbility that allows for this length of enjoyment. And it makes me very happy that my 11th grade Chemistry Teacher, a mother of two, can enjoy a video game such as I do for which we could bond over. In fact not only is she good at the game but she has poured more hours than even myself. Though in my opinion mobile games have a potential that has yet to be fully realized, making them something that to me is worth studying.
I think you make a really convincing argument for why mobile games are so popular, and as someone who plays a lot of mobile games, this was a really affirming read, haha. Another thing I wanted to add in terms of accessibility and price for mobile games is that they require no additional hardware beyond that which most people already have—that is, a smartphone, or even a tablet. PC games require really nice PC’s which can by up to thousands of dollars, as well as strong and fast Internet connection. Consoles, while sometimes more financially accessible than PC’s, are additional hardware beyond just buying the game that may serve as a barrier to entry for some players. While a smartphone is no inexpensive investment, in this day in age it has become a social expectation in ways that gaming PC’s and consoles are not, so it’s something that people already have, and all they have left is to get the game, not the hardware.
I also think that in terms of difficulty, mobile games are mechanically less difficult because they usually involve touchscreen, which is a really intuitive platform and also an interface which, again, many people these days are already used to. Since the interface is less difficult to learn than maybe a console controller or a specific set/combination of keys on a keyboard, it is more accessible to those with less video gaming intuition. I also think that having such a simple interface makes mobile games more accessible for those with fine motor impairments. I’ve noticed a lot of older adults like mobile games, and I wonder if it could be because of the relative lack of accessibility constraints.