Mobiles Can Win Without Consoles Losing
Noticed how some journalists and bloggers like to drum up gaming controversy by preaching that mobile gaming is phasing out consoles? Bull-cocky! It really grinds my gears. I could argue their collective attack by boasting Sony’s and Microsoft’s latest sales figures but that wouldn’t be much fun and wouldn’t really prove my point anyway. And even though so many more tablets and smartphones are sold than consoles, mobile gaming is not killing the console. Phones and tablets are used by pretty much everybody. Consoles are mainly for gamers. But there are a lot of gamers.
Mobiles versus consoles - the two are not mutually exclusive products! Not to mention they appeal to separate, albeit overlapping markets. For example, I wouldn’t choose to play Samurais vs. Zombies when my PS4 is right in front of me with Assassin’s Creed in the drive. But on a train, in a queue or on the toilet then sure. After all, I can’t take my console and TV with me on my daily commute into the city. Besides, whoever said they don’t have a phone because they chose to get an Xbox instead (and vice versa)?
But that’s from the perspective of a hardcore gamer, like myself. We love to immerse ourselves, into the early hours, in a heart-poundingly tense narrative on a journey through a fantasy world. We also like to shoot stuff. Consoles are generally home-centric entertainment systems, while mobile games are filler. Having said that, there are actually some excellent mobile titles out there, such as Infinity Blade, Temple Run and Rayman Jungle Run.
My dad wouldn’t dream of immersing himself in an RPG set in a world ravaged by nuclear apocalypse following an alternate timeline where transistors had never been invented. But then, he was never going to buy a console anyway. So games being available on a device which he already uses all the time - perfect. Also, mobile games are far more accessible to the wider market. Generally, a PS3 game’s RRP is around £40, whereas mobile games are often around £1-3 or even free. And it being so accessible and popular makes it very financially attractive to game developers. However, consoles are getting a lot cheaper too, not to mention the calibre of free games being offered on PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live.
Different genres can work in favour of either one. Platformers make great mobile games. FPSs make great console games. Racing sort of works well on both. But it’s important to keep in mind, mobile gaming is younger than console gaming. The industry has moved far beyond Snake; mobile games are getting better fast. The lack of buttons and small screens forces developers to innovate. My favourite example being Infinity Blade, which abolishes traditional controls in favour of gameplay cleverly adapted to the mobile platform. Not to mention, advances in mobile hardware allowing for astounding graphics.
I play this on the train with my earphones in. Just got to remember to plug the other end into my iPad. That was embarrassing.
Additionally, a lot of people struggle to get to grips with touchscreen mechanics as an input for games. Having a physical controller can really add to the gaming experience. Consequently, using touchscreen controls can feel a bit lacklustre by comparison.
It’s also very difficult to sit back, relax and play a mobile game. If you’ve ever tried, like me, you may have noticed the blood leaving your hands as pins and needles sets in after some minutes. You try to power through but it feels too weird and you have to put it down! By contrast, you can hold a controller wherever you like
Nevertheless, I love both. They exist in harmony, not in competition.
