By Nigel Hilton
The overwhelming opinion, especially in the gaming community, is that mobile gaming is a waste of time; the games are no good and many are so bad that they’re only played by bored housewives and little kids. Basically, its value is totally dismissed, and some pretty unfair assumptions are made about it to the point that mobile gaming rarely gets any coverage at all.
Of course, there ARE lots of bad games available on mobile platforms, but that’s true of PC and console gaming too! However, what is also true, but a great many people aren’t willing to concede, is that there are some pretty good titles available in the mobile apps stores too. Sure, they’re a bit different than PC and console games most of the time, but at the end of the day, a good game is a good game.
Still not convinced? Here are some things that might change your mind:
You Must Accept that Mobile Gaming is Different
Of course, you’re going to dismiss mobile gaming if you hold it to the same standard as your favored method of gaming, whether that be PC or console because they are not the same. Mobile gaming, by its very nature – smaller devices, touchscreen, different hardware- combined with the fact that a wider range of the population have cell phones and tablets than consoles, means that mobile games will be a little different, and yes, many of them will be filler for people to play on for a few minutes when they’re standing in line at the bank or whatever. However, just because there are some low-quality titles out there, doesn’t mean you should dismiss the medium as a whole.
There is Something for Everyone
Contrary to popular opinion, mobile gaming isn’t all about simple side-scrollers and Candy Crush style-time sucks – there are as many different genres of mobile game as there are PC games. Yes, it might take you a while to separate the wheat from the chaff, but isn’t that true of the Steam store or your local video game store too? From MMOs like Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire to great mystery/puzzle-based titles like Layton’s Mystery Journey and the ever popular Minecraft – whatever you’re into there’s a mobile game for you. You just have to be willing to give them a chance.
They’re Extremely Portable
Of course, there are a few consoles, like the recently released Nintendo Switch that allow you to take your gaming on the go, but no device is quite so convenient as your phone or tablet, which you likely carry with you everywhere and can do a whole host of other things like make calls, enable you to work, draw, play etc. all in one tiny little package. If you’re the kind of person who likes to be able to play anywhere and everywhere, you really should give mobile gaming a chance.
They are Good for Killing Time
In a similar vein, mobile games are good at killing time. Despite as I said above, some people dismissing them all as trash that is created solely to make money and keep people occupied while they stand in line, this is a definite benefit of mobile gaming. Whenever You get bored and away from your PC, you can whip out your phone and play something for a few minutes and play something, and it doesn’t have to be Angry Birds or Candy Crush – no it could be Ragnarok Online, Age of Empires, Minecraft or any number of other interesting titles.
The Medium is Only Going to Improve
With augmented reality, virtual reality, ever improving mobile hardware and the increasing popularity of mobile gaming amongst ordinary people, you can bet your bottom dollar that mobile gaming is only going one way – up.
It Increases Reaction Times
If you are a dedicated PC or console gamer, then you might find in switching it up a bit and playing a fast-paced mobile game, which allows you to use your hands even more in ways you might not be used to will improve your reaction times, so that you can play more effectively on all platforms.
You Have the Device So Why Not Use iI?
Chances are you have at least one mobile device, so why not use it to play a game or two now and again? Even if you think they’re mostly trash, you can play chess, Scrabble, and all kinds of fun games that aren’t too taxing and which will give you a break from the more serious gaming you do.
To the app store!
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