Mobile phones were first introduced to the world in 1973. Since that time, the devices have changed significantly, including changes in their design to the actual functionalities. Today’s phones are popular not only for their communications capabilities but as a primary gaming device as well.
It wasn’t until the end of the ’90s that gaming became an option for mobile phones. Nokia led the trend with the release of the popular video game, Snake. The title came preloaded on all of its phones with the Symbian operating system, increasing its popularity by making it more accessible to players. On the back of the game’s popularity, Nokia tried to create its own handheld game system known as N-Gage five years later. However, its attempt failed as the first model was riddled with technical issues and simply couldn’t compete with the popular Nintendo Game Boy Advance. While the idea was a good one, the technology simply hadn’t developed enough yet to make it workable.
Later, a new class of phones was developed, known as smartphones, which have become the norm in recent years. These phones featured much more capabilities than previous phones. In fact, some likened them to pocket-sized computers. With improved specification and functionality, smartphones opened a new avenue for gaming. For example, the implementation of the touch screen allowed developers to create more interactive games/apps such as Candy Crush or Angry Birds, which attracts not only hardcore gamers but a more casual audience, as well.
This didn’t mean that keen gamers were left behind, however, as enhanced specs allowed games with HD graphics to be available on the go for the first time. The availability of strong mobile internet connections also widened the variety of games to play: there are now MMO games available on the smartphone, which allows simultaneous multiplayer on par with its PC and console counterparts. Additionally many online casinos saw the potential in this industry and made mobile casino available on smartphones.
Today, it’s regarded that gaming on smartphones has surpassed that of console gaming. To further cater to this demographic, accessories have also been developed to help enhance the mobile gaming experience. For instance, there have been many different styles of game controllers and joystick attachments put on the market to make it even easier to game on a phone. To take advantage of the sound features, add-on speakers are also favoured by some gamers.
Given how much mobile phones have evolved in terms of video games, it isn’t surprising to believe that the future holds even more advanced gaming applications.
