Mobile Devices: An Increasingly Popular Platform for Games

About a decade ago, video games were mainly played either on gaming consoles or the computer. Sure, games for mobile phones existed, but they tended to be quite simplistic, such as Pac Man or Solitaire. But now that smart phones are being used by an ever increasing number of people, video game developers are setting their sights on this whole new market. In fact, iPhone Game Development is rapidly increasing. But the iPhone is not the only platform that is being targeted by game companies. Android Game Development is also on the rise.

There are many reasons behind this recent trend. In order to understand it, we need to consider the fact that smart phones are essentially computers, albeit with different platforms and form factors than the “traditional” desktop or laptop PC. As such, they have far greater processing power, memory and displays than mobile phones produced 10 years ago.

There is also the rise in use of the mobile internet which has played a major role in the increase of game development for mobile devices. Internet connectivity makes games more functional and interesting. Players can cooperate, or compete with other players through the internet. Games that are playable through a mobile browser app also present some advantages to video game developers. They can add new content, put in new levels and quests, and fix problems with games without requiring the user to download an update or to install a new version of the game.

It is not only the video game developers that are cashing in on this recent trend. Companies that provide services that can be used by those who create games are also happy with the increase in business. Graphic design firms that provide game art services often get projects assigned to them by game developers who need graphics done for their games or websites. Online marketing firms also help  out by developing a marketing strategy for the new game and help draw more and more users to it.

This market attracts various companies from all over the world. Some are small start up companies that have made mobile games the sole focus of their business. Some others are existing video game companies that have released dozens of different titles for both consoles and PCs and have seen the potential that the mobile gaming market has to offer. We even have individuals who are amateur game designers who participate in iPhone game development or Android game development by creating some fun games just for the challenge of it, without necessarily thinking about how much money they could fetch from their efforts. All of this combined gives consumers plenty of choices as there are now tens of thousands of video games that are playable on mobile platforms and there are certainly many more which are coming soon.