Smartphone Games Here To Stay
Once upon a time, a phone was meant just for connecting with others through a good old voice connection. Everything changed with the release of smartphones — “intelligent” mobile devices capable of handling the most hardcore applications, from simple word processors to full-fledged games. And thus mobile games popped up on the market. In 2012 alone, over 100 million Americans played a game on their smartphone. The industry continues to change and transform, but a few observations can be made based on the data currently available.
Apple Domination
For instance, it turns out that Apple dominates the smartphone game market. Why? Mainly because of the iPhone, an unbelievably powerful mobile device that features a fast processor, a clear touch screen display and a dedicated graphics chip. These factors, as well as iOS’s flexibility, make it much easier for programmers to code their games for Apple devices versus those containing the Android or Windows Mobile operating system.
However, the market is changing. While iOS devices like the iPhone still hold major sway, other operating systems are slowly catching up. For now, though, games usually almost always start out on Apple phones. Only if the game succeeds in that market will the programmers take the time to port it to another OS.
Droid Ascendancy
Android phones are catching up especially fast because they offer something Apple doesn’t — big, beautiful screens. In fact, the entire iPhone 5C phone fits within just the screen of the HTC One Max. This makes Android phones like the HTC especially competitive, because the fact is that not everybody wants to squint to play what should be a fun and simple game.
The only area in which Google is lacking a tad is usability. Truthfully, Apple’s Game Center is just easier to use and navigate that Google’s Play Game Services. However, Google just released a bevy of tools to help make life easier for developers and consumers alike. Plus, more and more Android phones keep getting released on the market.
Windows Mobile
The Windows Mobile operating system functions through the Xbox Live platform. As a result, it has a lot of features available like matchmaking, leaderboards and achievements. While these are terrific features, the problem is that very few games have been developed for this operating system, or at least in comparison to the number of games that have been developed for iOS and Android devices.
The irony is that Windows phones are more than capable of handling hardcore games. They offer extraordinarily fast processors and top-of-the-line GPUs. At this point, however, it’s up to both game developers and consumers to jump onboard the Windows Mobile ship.
Untold Future
For now, Apple without a doubt dominates the mobile game market. Android is not too far behind, while Windows Mobile has light years to go before it catches up. The thing to remember is that the market can change at anytime. However, the big question to consider is who will dominate the market next year — Apple or Google!? Thank you for reading our article about the State of Smartphones and Games.
