“The rise in smartphones is undeniable, and with the accessibility to smartphones we are seeing a rise in more mobile gamers across all segments,” says Amanda Presley-Knox, marketing manager at Cape Town-based gaming developer studio Thoopid. She adds that mobile gaming might not necessarily take the place of console gaming in the future, but that there is enough space in the market for PC, console and mobile games to coexist.
Steven Norris, editor at Gearburn, says that the chance for mobile gaming domination exists. “But that takes time. Right now, the best games graphically on iPad are almost as good as the Xbox 360 or PS3 if you look at Infinity Blade or Modern Warfare,” he says. Norris said that mobile games do, however, fall short in a very important aspect – the control scheme. “Touch controls, replicated on a touch screen are awful. So while mobile games may be able to replicate a console game graphically, it will never be able to touch it based on controls,” Norris says.
However, mobile games bring other benefits to the table. “Mobile games are more affordable, more accessible and cater to a wider audience,” says Presley-Knox. Mobile gaming has allowed people, who would not necessarily call themselves gamers, to also experience the rush of achieving a high score, since most mobile games are designed to be quick and high-achieving. “It’s certainly helped the gaming industry to break out of its ‘only for pimpled geeks’ status,” says Norris.
According to Norris, older players and female gamers make up almost half of all mobile gamers. “47% of mobile gamers in the US are female,” says Norris. He adds that the social features built into most mobile games also make it easier for people to connect with each other during a game.
Richard Quantrill, a product designer at engineering firm Emiline, says that while mobile games have certainly broadened the scope of the gaming audience, it will not take the place of PC or console gaming with regards to hardcore competitive gaming. He highlights the fact that when it comes to the different gaming platforms, the crux of the argument lies in the complete difference of technology and purpose of these devices. “The focus with mobile isn’t necessarily on gaming; it’s across a whole range of different things. At the end of the day a mobile is a communication tool,” says Quantrill, who used to be a competitive gamer. “Gaming stations like an Xbox or PlayStation are dedicated to only gaming, so people who want that experience will go there,” he continues. He adds that even the gap between PC gaming and console gaming is still very big. “Most of the competitive gaming is actually on the computer, social gaming on console and then the light, fluff gaming almost on mobile,” says Quantrill. He also adds that while you do find competitive console gaming, most of the money in the competitive gaming industry goes to computer gaming.
So while mobile phones are not dedicated mobile platforms, they do create an easier way for upcoming gaming developers to break into the gaming industry. “A huge benefit of mobile game development is the ability to create something awesome with smaller teams, which is also less financially restrictive for indie start-ups like Thoopid,” says Presley-Knox.
Locally, the gaming industry, and especially the mobile gaming industry, seems to be focused on smaller indie gaming development companies like Thoopid, Tasty Poison Games and Afroes. “The industry in SA just needs time to catch up with the rest of the developed world. The games coming out of SA are great, but we can’t sink millions of dollars into games like the US and UK can,” says Norris. Presley-Knox agrees, “Mobile gaming is still quite a young industry in South Africa, but the rise in animation and game development is producing talent to make some really innovative games.”
Photo: Eddie Mafa
