reading08 — Mobile Games

The rise of mobile gaming has largely been fueled by the growth in casual gaming and social gaming. Do you view this as a positive or negative phenonemon, especially considering that mobile gaming is now surpassing the traditional PC and console markets in terms of revenue? Moreover, how do you feel about the associated business models (ie. free-to-play and micro-transactions) that come with mobile gaming and casual gaming? Is this a democratization of gaming or a debasing of this form of entertainment?

With the addition of mobile gaming in our society, we have more people who claim that they “play” video games. They are extremely accessible, both in price/availability and in the sheer amount of talent or attention that someone needs to play them. Where in the past you had to go to an arcade and spend money on each attempt at a game, now anyone can download a free game on their phone and play endlessly. Personally, I see this as a positive phenomenon. More people are able to enjoy the fun of video games! It might not be the pure form of video games that some people identify with, but the larger the community, the better in my opinion. It could be problematic that traditional PC and console markets are getting overcome in revenue production, but I do not believe that the success of a subset of video games will ever eliminate another portion. For example, just because television shows or streaming services are up and coming and can make more money than the film industry, there is not been a sharp decline in the movies that are being produced.

Additionally, mobile gaming can be seen as a way of supplementing the entertainment of console and PC gaming. Fortnite, 2018’s hottest game, recently came out with a mobile version of their game that allows people on mobile to ability to play with PC and console players. We are becoming more networked, more connected, and the video game community is growing and benefiting from it.

While all of this can be looked at positively, I will admit that Mobile Gaming is not all perfect. I do not love the way that they earn their money. Micro-transactions, whether they are speed-ups, level-ups, or an integrated part of the game like Battlefront II, can be detrimental to my enjoyment of a game. Candy Crush or games like Haypi Kingdom (a personal favorite when I was younger), take advantage of impatient people that can spend tons of money to turn the game from a challenging/strategic competition into a slot machine that plays closer to the lottery than a video game. Especially when you consider that some games just sell you “packs” of cards/upgrades that are completely random, putting money into these games is not much different than gambling.

Finally, I would like to highlight one of my favorite games nowadays. It is simple, straightforward, and easy, and has never cost me any money. It’s Euchre. I have been able to play this game and other games like it (i.e. Spades) for years by myself or connected with others and I find it very enjoyable. Additionally, the only micro-transaction possible is paying $1 to get rid of ads. While it is not a novel game, I very much enjoy the fact that there are always simple and fun games out there that are free to play.