In this blog post, we will look at whether the success of mobile games is due to portability or touch-based intuitive controls.
It has long been common to see people of all ages playing games on their mobile phones wherever they go. Mobile games have been popular since the advent of smartphones. They have become so popular that anyone with a smartphone has played mobile games. As a result, the mobile game market has been growing steadily. As the spread of smartphones has accelerated, mobile games have become an indispensable part of everyday life, going beyond simple leisure activities. This has led to people enjoying games while on the move or in short breaks, which has contributed to the explosive growth of the mobile gaming market.
In fact, mobile games are becoming increasingly more popular than PC online games, and the reasons for their popularity can be found as follows. First, it has the advantage of being portable. Due to the nature of computers, which are difficult to carry around, the places where you can play PC games are limited. However, since you can carry your phone with you at any time, it has the advantage of being able to play games anywhere. In addition, the nature of mobile games, which are not restricted by time or place, has been well suited to the busy lifestyles of modern people. One of the reasons why mobile games appeal to the public is that they can be enjoyed even in short periods of time, such as on the way to and from work or during waiting times. In addition, with the development of data communication, it has become possible to use the Internet on a mobile phone even outside. Mobile games have also become more than just games that can be played alone, and they have the ability to play games like online games even outside through a communication network.
Second, it is relatively easier for developers to make mobile games. PC game development technologies such as physics engines and graphics have continued to evolve over time, and consumers of games have also become more discerning due to these advanced technologies. As a result, latecomers to game development find it increasingly difficult to keep up with the technological gap, and the cost of developing technologies to catch up with the gap is bound to increase. On the other hand, mobile games are easier to develop because the barriers to entry are lower than for PC games. This has opened up new opportunities, especially for independent developers. With a market that is open to success with creative ideas and limited resources, a variety of genres and styles of games have emerged. The relatively low development costs and high returns have led to increased investment in mobile games.
Third, mobile games also have the advantage in terms of accessibility. It is easier to install a game application on a mobile phone than to install a game on a computer. And with the advent of social games, which are a form of interaction with friends, it is easier to obtain information about games through friends. The popularity of these social games is advantageous in that they provide an expanded experience through interaction and competition with friends, rather than simply being a solitary pleasure. The tension and fun that arise from cooperating or competing with friends in the game are important factors that make users log in to the game more often.
In general, the reasons for the success of mobile games can be seen as described above. However, these perspectives are mostly from the perspective of the marketability of mobile games. Here, we would like to look at these perspectives and the characteristics of mobile games that are different from these perspectives. Among them, we would like to approach the operation of mobile games, especially smartphones.
Video games before PCs relied on a single controller to control the game. All the controls were done with just a few buttons. Of course, this was enough to control the game, but there was a limit to the movement that could be made as the game screen showed. Then, as personal computers (PCs) became popular, PC games started to gain popularity, which were controlled with a mouse and keyboard. They were able to move the screen as they wanted. In particular, the mouse played a major role in intuitively moving around the screen and operating it. Nevertheless, people playing games still feel uncomfortable. People want to move the game themselves, but they still feel that something is missing. In the meantime, devices based on touch recognition, most notably smartphones, have emerged. Now, you can even touch the screen directly to control the game. Smartphones go one step further from the conventional control method, providing intuitive and immediate responses. With the ability to move characters with just one finger or execute complex commands with simple hand movements, users can enjoy a more intuitive and immersive gaming experience. This way, a new way of controlling the game is emerging that allows you to control it yourself. Mobile games are in the limelight because they can satisfy the desire to make the game move on its own.
The Nintendo DS was first introduced in Japan in 2004 and became a worldwide sensation. The success of the Nintendo DS is attributed to a number of factors, including aggressive marketing, but one of them is the touch-based control system, which was rare at the time. At the time, there were very few devices that supported touch, so almost all games had to be operated using only the fixed buttons. However, the Nintendo DS introduced a touch control method, allowing users to play games by touching the screen directly, which was a novel control method at the time. This allowed the company to instill in consumers the perception that it was different from existing game consoles. Users were attracted to the game because it allowed them to control the characters more intuitively, such as by moving the characters by simply touching the game screen. The success of the Nintendo DS had a major impact on the way other game consoles and smartphones were operated. As the touch control method became more than just a novelty and established itself as the basic control method for games, a new standard was formed throughout the gaming industry. As touch recognition technology has advanced, smartphones and mobile games have also adopted and improved this advanced touch-based control method. This has made it possible to move the game as you want, and consumers have paid more attention to mobile games as a result.
As a human being, you have the desire to be more free. You also have the desire to be what you want to be. These basic human needs can be easily satisfied through games. The feeling of being in control of everything, even in a virtual world, provides a sense of satisfaction that is difficult to achieve in reality. If a game can stimulate and fulfill such inner desires, it can be considered a successful game. I think that mobile games have been successful because they can stimulate the instinct to be free through touch.
