Smartphone gaming is not regular gaming – for most gamers, the kind of games on Android are behind and under the more traditional videogames of consoles and personal computers. There are many phone games that bridge the gap, however, be through graphics, story, gameplay or the more holistic result. But as a whole, smartphones are geared towards simpler and more casual games – which is not entirely a bad thing, as people do enjoy these kind of titles.
However, power users face a dilemma: they buy these expensive and powerful phones that are capable of great-looking 3D graphics and immersive experiences, but as of now there aren’t many titles that fit those standards. People still play mobile games seriously – at the XDA office, we love playing The Witcher: Battle Arena during breaks on slow days. Mobile games don’t have to be equal to console titles, but we still love full-featured releases such as KOTOR and other old classics.
Our debate for the day has little to do with the Android OS itself: we want to discuss whether gaming companies’ incursion into mobile gaming is better for both mobile platforms and the companies themselves. Many are already jumping into the Android wagon. So we ask you: Could the future see mobile platforms become hubs of hardcore gaming? Do you think gaming companies jumping into Android is good for all parties? Would/do their mobile projects diminish or dilute the quality of older classics and newer gems? Do you think “serious” gaming is possible with mobile hardware now, or in the future?
The Hardware
Mobile hardware is, at this point, powerful enough for all sorts of brilliant experiences. Phone graphics have gone a long way, and the fact that you are carrying the device with you virtually all day is a great benefit to those on the go. Moreover, the high-resolution display and the powerful GPUs capable of outputting content in said resolutions are benefits that previous handheld consoles could never accomplish. Current handhelds like the Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita still don’t come close to the most powerful exponents in the Android space. The fact that you can put those pixels on a screen via OTG, Chromecast or other screen mirroring services and soon USB Type-C is something that puts mobile platforms in a privileged spot over traditional gaming consoles. Finally, video game streaming services like that of Nvidia can render the hardware gap obsolete.
The main problems with mobile hardware are not bound to the processor or screen, however. Battery life, for example, is already a serious concern for those that do not do phone gaming. Moreover, heat and throttling are also concerns that would prevent long and sustained sessions. But the biggest issue many people find right now is the touchscreen controls. Luckily, bluetooth controllers are easy to find, and we assume that if serious gaming becomes mainstream on Android, we wouldn’t have issues with them in hand. But the platform is inherently flawed at providing seamless controls for many genres without additional input. Finally, VR is also growing in the mobile space, and this combined with serious gaming can make for very amazing experiences – on the go!
The Companies
Many companies do release full-featured games on Android, but as it stands, they don’t develop them for the platform. What we see are typically new ports from old gems, such as the previously mentioned KOTOR, or Stranger’s Wrath, Grim Fandango, and more. Many genres do not work at all on the platform due to the controls, and developing a serious game takes serious time and money that might not be compensated through app sales. After all, most users are not used to paying over $5 for an app, much less the traditional $40 and up that handheld/home console and PC games go for. But the sheer volume of users could pay off with intelligent pricing or (sadly) alternative pricing models. Nintendo already made it clear that they want to release some of their IPs on
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