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Hate mobile gaming?
- Thread starter dragonzdogma
- Start date
I wouldn't say I hate them, but I'm definitely not a fan in general. I have been playing some 2048, played Flappy Bird and Angry Birds, usually keep a chess game around.
The thing I don't like is that they're not like the games I grew up with. It's pretty much as simple as that. At a young age I got introduced to games, and as I got older became fond of them. A game to me, will always be a physical product, made for use with a device intended only or very primarily for playing games. I liked that. As things change, turns out I'm no longer 'with it'. I'm old fashioned, I like the ideal of a game that I remember. I'm not big on the idea of general purpose machines that also play games. It suggests that games aren't important. And besides that, the console/handheld and the idea of its library is part of the fun for me.
I don't like mobile games. I also don't like online requirements, downloadable games, patches, DLC, free to play models (that involve ads or possible payments). It's not really that these things are bad. It's more that I'm a grumpy (metaphorically) old man who's set in my ways. And that's fine, I kinda look forward to seeing video games as I know and enjoy them decline... it will give me plenty of time to catch up and collect with older generations of games. Even with that attitude though, it's hard to see bits and pieces of it happen. When classic IPs or developers go with mobile, of course that's initially disappointing. Because for me, that's wasted potential. The eventual Shenmue 3 for iPhone announcement will make me wince hard.
It is kind of annoying how often traditional game players aggresively push the opinion that mobile games are wrong and you're a bad person if you like that. I fall into doing it sometimes too, as a knee jerk reaction to things. The goal though, should probably be to respect other peoples opinions, and avoid discussion topics involving things we hate.
There's also the fact that touch only controls aren't the best for plenty of games... trying to play Mega Man or Sonic on some friend's phone left a bad taste in my mouth. That practical concern isn't really applicable for well-designed mobile games though.
The thing I don't like is that they're not like the games I grew up with. It's pretty much as simple as that. At a young age I got introduced to games, and as I got older became fond of them. A game to me, will always be a physical product, made for use with a device intended only or very primarily for playing games. I liked that. As things change, turns out I'm no longer 'with it'. I'm old fashioned, I like the ideal of a game that I remember. I'm not big on the idea of general purpose machines that also play games. It suggests that games aren't important. And besides that, the console/handheld and the idea of its library is part of the fun for me.
I don't like mobile games. I also don't like online requirements, downloadable games, patches, DLC, free to play models (that involve ads or possible payments). It's not really that these things are bad. It's more that I'm a grumpy (metaphorically) old man who's set in my ways. And that's fine, I kinda look forward to seeing video games as I know and enjoy them decline... it will give me plenty of time to catch up and collect with older generations of games. Even with that attitude though, it's hard to see bits and pieces of it happen. When classic IPs or developers go with mobile, of course that's initially disappointing. Because for me, that's wasted potential. The eventual Shenmue 3 for iPhone announcement will make me wince hard.
It is kind of annoying how often traditional game players aggresively push the opinion that mobile games are wrong and you're a bad person if you like that. I fall into doing it sometimes too, as a knee jerk reaction to things. The goal though, should probably be to respect other peoples opinions, and avoid discussion topics involving things we hate.
There's also the fact that touch only controls aren't the best for plenty of games... trying to play Mega Man or Sonic on some friend's phone left a bad taste in my mouth. That practical concern isn't really applicable for well-designed mobile games though.
Mammoth Jones
Member
Thanks. I do check those threads out. My.most recent purchase due to recommendations there was "Implosion". Which is actually a good dual stick beatem up.
But Ill keep searching...
More_Badass
Member
What about Hero Emblems? 30+ hour Match-3 RPG
Or The Quest? That's essentially an old school Elder Scrolls game for mobile
More_Badass
Member
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
I don't hate mobile gaming per se, but I hate stamina systems. I want to play a game when I have free time, not when a schedule dictates me to unless I pay extra cash for it.
My most played game last year was Love Live: School Idol Festival. The game is super fun, but rhythm games that don't allow you to practice as much as you need to only infuriate me. In the end, I felt like I wasted my time because I could never hone up my skills, and if I failed a song that was essentially an extra hour and half of waiting before I could take at it again.
My most played game last year was Love Live: School Idol Festival. The game is super fun, but rhythm games that don't allow you to practice as much as you need to only infuriate me. In the end, I felt like I wasted my time because I could never hone up my skills, and if I failed a song that was essentially an extra hour and half of waiting before I could take at it again.
DXLelouch153
Banned
microtransactions and non interactive controls
ANYONE can tap a phone
wheres the challenge?
ANYONE can tap a phone
wheres the challenge?
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
I feel like turn-based RPGs really benefit from going to mobile because of the controls, actually. Navigating through menus is more efficient with a touchscreen.
Sadly, a lot of RPGs that get ported to mobile have horrendous filters or art. I'm looking at you, Square Enix!
Anyone can press a button.
Where's the challenge?
I really don't like doing it with Dragon Quest though.
Hate mobile gaming?
No I do not. I dont really have anything to add to the discussion... :-(
Even the games I would complain about...I play some of them whenever I'm waiting for something out n about: dr appt, someone in the store, etc.
I rarely hate anything. Some types of PC, console games I might not like but I dont hate them. Just not for me. Some games I used to like but dont anymore....I dont hate them.
No I do not. I dont really have anything to add to the discussion... :-(
Even the games I would complain about...I play some of them whenever I'm waiting for something out n about: dr appt, someone in the store, etc.
I rarely hate anything. Some types of PC, console games I might not like but I dont hate them. Just not for me. Some games I used to like but dont anymore....I dont hate them.
liliththepale
Banned
I can't hate on mobile gaming. I still play a lot of Threes! and Super Hexagon. That's part of how I made it through my brother's play recital tonight.
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
I don't hate them really. It's more complete indifference to them. Stuff like endless runners, puzzle games etc never seemed all that appealing to me.
I don't especially like touch controls though.
I don't especially like touch controls though.
Auto-Reply
Member
I don't hate it, it's just very uninteresting to me due to it's control sheme and they way most of these games handle their monetization.
And I personally see a strong mobile gaming market as danger to stationary gaming on consoles and pc. It's all about who has the money and the decision where to invest it, mobile gaming can and already has made people reconsider their businessmodel.
It will not kill this market but it will divert money and talent, this is not really something to think positive about.
And I personally see a strong mobile gaming market as danger to stationary gaming on consoles and pc. It's all about who has the money and the decision where to invest it, mobile gaming can and already has made people reconsider their businessmodel.
It will not kill this market but it will divert money and talent, this is not really something to think positive about.
I really try to give mobile gaming a fair shake. I loved it when I got s 3GS because the idea of so many games on my phone I take everywhere was mindblowing. I was passionate about it for around a year. Over time I got busy and dropped iOS gaming for the most part. I tried again to become serious about mobile gaming, but it never lasts. It makes me sad because I love the platform in theory, the execution just sucks.
A few major issues
1.) Discovery is the biggest problem in my opinion. Outside of top selling/grossing lists, few iOS blogs and the App Store feature lists, discovery is non existent. It really makes it hard to find gems among all the crap flooded in the store. That's a big barrier for seeing games with bigger budgets on the platform. Why bother if there is a huge chance your game may never even be seen? At least the risk is greatly reduced with a CoC/Candy Crush clone with lower production costs. Discovery and curation on the App Store and Google Play would be HUGE.
2. Free to play. The race to the bottom economy of the App Store really helped bring us here, but no matter the cause, it's the market that exists today. The premium market on mobile is dire. The free with Iap premium unlock is even worse since many people believe they are ripped off in that situation. I like both options but financially, they are poor options in mobile. At best you get a modest return. At worst you sale practically nothing. Free to play has a big risk but the possible returns are massive. Plus in such a volatile industry, the idea of regular income vs just front loaded sales has to be appealing.
With that said I do see the potential for the bubble bursting, at least for your typical f2p game that relies on whales to survive. The cost per install for these games is shooting up dramatically, which means you need even more downloads just to statistically have those handful of whales to fund you. This can't be sustainable long term. There has to be a way to allow f2p to exist in way that is better for the consumer, thus increasing the % of people paying and decreasing the reliance on whales. Discovery would help with this too. Until we reach this point, if we even do, I think things will continue to be as bad or worse.
3. Controls are an issue but I don't really see a long term solution. I just think eventually people are going to be use to touchscreen controls. No a solution but I don't see it any other way right now.
A few major issues
1.) Discovery is the biggest problem in my opinion. Outside of top selling/grossing lists, few iOS blogs and the App Store feature lists, discovery is non existent. It really makes it hard to find gems among all the crap flooded in the store. That's a big barrier for seeing games with bigger budgets on the platform. Why bother if there is a huge chance your game may never even be seen? At least the risk is greatly reduced with a CoC/Candy Crush clone with lower production costs. Discovery and curation on the App Store and Google Play would be HUGE.
2. Free to play. The race to the bottom economy of the App Store really helped bring us here, but no matter the cause, it's the market that exists today. The premium market on mobile is dire. The free with Iap premium unlock is even worse since many people believe they are ripped off in that situation. I like both options but financially, they are poor options in mobile. At best you get a modest return. At worst you sale practically nothing. Free to play has a big risk but the possible returns are massive. Plus in such a volatile industry, the idea of regular income vs just front loaded sales has to be appealing.
With that said I do see the potential for the bubble bursting, at least for your typical f2p game that relies on whales to survive. The cost per install for these games is shooting up dramatically, which means you need even more downloads just to statistically have those handful of whales to fund you. This can't be sustainable long term. There has to be a way to allow f2p to exist in way that is better for the consumer, thus increasing the % of people paying and decreasing the reliance on whales. Discovery would help with this too. Until we reach this point, if we even do, I think things will continue to be as bad or worse.
3. Controls are an issue but I don't really see a long term solution. I just think eventually people are going to be use to touchscreen controls. No a solution but I don't see it any other way right now.
ThePinkServbot
Banned
Pretty much a mixture of everything everyone else has already said. A) Experiences are too shallow, B) Touch controls are generally terrible, C) Freemium/F2P money grubbery, D) My 15 minutes spent riding the bus are not so intolerable that I need (or would want to spend the time pursuing) a video game, rather than say, dinking around on Facebook for the interim.
Shuggananas
Banned
Only mobile game I play is a free poker game
Only thing you can buy is more chips (useless) and more xp (lmao)
It's alright.
Only thing you can buy is more chips (useless) and more xp (lmao)
It's alright.
Even dedicated handhelds are a hard sell to me. I'd prefer to be playing on a big screen. With mobile also taking away many of the control options it becomes an even harder sell. I also hate the hit to battery life. I don't want my phone constantly needing charging.
I'm sure there are good games out there but finding them is tough with all the crap filling the stores. Most recommendations I've seen either aren't my thing or I can get on another platform. It doesn't feel worth my time to find the needle in the haystack of quality releases so I'm only going to try if its my last resort because I'm unsatisfied elsewhere.
I know Steam is going this route too but its still easier for me to sift through thanks to knowing the market better and just plain liking more types of game on there. And as bad as Steams quality control is now, at least searching for one popular game doesn't bring up a full page of barely disguised clones.
I'm sure there are good games out there but finding them is tough with all the crap filling the stores. Most recommendations I've seen either aren't my thing or I can get on another platform. It doesn't feel worth my time to find the needle in the haystack of quality releases so I'm only going to try if its my last resort because I'm unsatisfied elsewhere.
I know Steam is going this route too but its still easier for me to sift through thanks to knowing the market better and just plain liking more types of game on there. And as bad as Steams quality control is now, at least searching for one popular game doesn't bring up a full page of barely disguised clones.
alexandros
Banned
I am indifferent to it. I've played some mobile games that are fun in the right context but I don't really follow the news or check for new releases.
too shallow, controls suck, screen too small (phone) or device to heavy (tablet). freemium bullshit. sound is awful unless you use headphones. typical games that work out well on mobile arent the genres i like.
not my cup of tea.
desert golf is rad, though.
not my cup of tea.
desert golf is rad, though.
Bojanglez
The Amiga Brotherhood
For games that make sense with touch controls I don't mind (e.g. strategy and puzzle). I have no interest playing platformers or shooters with touch controls. Also I like settling down in front of the TV to be completely immersed in a 'proper' game and mobile experiences just don't scratch that itch.
mobile gaming in general has several similarities with the video game crash from the 80s.
There are some really nice exceptions but this is my personal view:
plus some arrogent elitist part of me doesn't want special franchises get too much casulized
There are some really nice exceptions but this is my personal view:
- quantity is all that matters. Everyone keeps throwing out low quality games
- everything is a copycat of a copycat of a copycat
- games are planned as cashcows without much interaction of the player
- people start to get annoyed by seeing the same gameplay in different skins
plus some arrogent elitist part of me doesn't want special franchises get too much casulized
IbizaPocholo
NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
Hated because of the controls.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I just hate the fact mobile has virtually killed dedicated handhelds. Mobile has pretty much eliminated Sony from the handheld space once Vita is gone, thus eliminating the only line of handhelds I love. Handheld gaming is now doomed to touch only mobile deviced and shitty Nintendo handhelds.
same here .
snoopeasystreet
Member
80 Days was probably my favourite game last year, so I'd say mobile gaming is pretty rad.
I like it but am pretty fussy, I see my iPad as a way to play some great PC games on the go:
Hearthstone, FTL, Frozen Synapse, KODP, Door Kickers (soon), Warhammer Quest, that kind of thing.
On the phone I have stuff like: Wayward Souls, VVVVV, Canabalt, 1000000 etc...
If you are picky it can provide some great experiences but nothing you can't get elsewhere normally.
Hearthstone, FTL, Frozen Synapse, KODP, Door Kickers (soon), Warhammer Quest, that kind of thing.
On the phone I have stuff like: Wayward Souls, VVVVV, Canabalt, 1000000 etc...
If you are picky it can provide some great experiences but nothing you can't get elsewhere normally.
Haunted
Member
There's good games on mobile.
Most of those are clever ideas made specifically for mobile. The genres we've come to love and grow up with as gamers aren't represented all that well on mobile, either marred by very aggressive and offensive F2P/IAP mechanisms, or, if they are adopted properly, they (obviously) can't hold up to comparable games in terms of graphics or controls.
For those who love handheld gaming, mobile is rapidly approaching the point where they can replace those experiences with little or no loss of fidelity. Most smartphones and tablets on the market already absolutely smoke whatever the 3DS is capable of, for example. For those of us who enjoy their big-screen experiences and traditional methods of control, mobile is woefully inadequate except for short time wasters and the occasional gem.
Condemning mobile gaming as a whole as shit might have been valid a couple years ago, but with the money came the talent and there are simply too many talented, intelligent and creative individuals these days to dismiss the platform out of hand. Yes, touch controls are inherently limited and flat-out unsuited to some genres, yes, many games use up a lot of battery life of your smartphone, which has become too important for everyday life to "waste" on games. But still, talent follows money, good games follow talent. There have been worthwhile experiences on mobile, and there will be worthwhile experiences on mobile in the future.
The overwhelming trajectory of Japan going towards mobile means we have lost (and will continue to lose) a lot of the console developers that have defined our childhood and gotten many of us into gaming in the first place, but that's the market. The loss of high budget, quality games from Japan is the only real, quantifiable downside to the mobile resurgence we've seen so far. And I doubt it'll reach such extreme levels in the West.
Most of those are clever ideas made specifically for mobile. The genres we've come to love and grow up with as gamers aren't represented all that well on mobile, either marred by very aggressive and offensive F2P/IAP mechanisms, or, if they are adopted properly, they (obviously) can't hold up to comparable games in terms of graphics or controls.
For those who love handheld gaming, mobile is rapidly approaching the point where they can replace those experiences with little or no loss of fidelity. Most smartphones and tablets on the market already absolutely smoke whatever the 3DS is capable of, for example. For those of us who enjoy their big-screen experiences and traditional methods of control, mobile is woefully inadequate except for short time wasters and the occasional gem.
Condemning mobile gaming as a whole as shit might have been valid a couple years ago, but with the money came the talent and there are simply too many talented, intelligent and creative individuals these days to dismiss the platform out of hand. Yes, touch controls are inherently limited and flat-out unsuited to some genres, yes, many games use up a lot of battery life of your smartphone, which has become too important for everyday life to "waste" on games. But still, talent follows money, good games follow talent. There have been worthwhile experiences on mobile, and there will be worthwhile experiences on mobile in the future.
The overwhelming trajectory of Japan going towards mobile means we have lost (and will continue to lose) a lot of the console developers that have defined our childhood and gotten many of us into gaming in the first place, but that's the market. The loss of high budget, quality games from Japan is the only real, quantifiable downside to the mobile resurgence we've seen so far. And I doubt it'll reach such extreme levels in the West.
- The touch interface isn't very responsive on most smartphones
- The screen is a bit too small
- You hide the screen with your fingers
- Constant advertising
- Limited game design/depth because of touch and 2D only
- Often based on luck/randomness
- The game feel is mostly inexistant
- The screen is a bit too small
- You hide the screen with your fingers
- Constant advertising
- Limited game design/depth because of touch and 2D only
- Often based on luck/randomness
- The game feel is mostly inexistant
Pretty much as others have said. I'm not against the idea of mobile gaming as a medium. Monument valley is an example of a great game on mobile. I loved infinity blade as well, even ports of past consoles games like Ace Attorney and/or TWEWY. (though its debatable whether they're better on their native platforms or not)
Cut the rope is a particular favourite of mine too for mobile games, (though on the third, it seemed they were more keen to get money from IAP, and they pushed that idea more with past CTRs)
It seems a LOT, and ironically, some of the most popular mobile games, are just simple time sinks, which...wants you to pay to either beat the game for you, speed things up or to make it more enjoyable. The type of mentality the person must have to pay more money for this, I simply can't comprehend. Sadly these types of things will stick around as long as people continue paying for it.
If it was simply a case of paying for things I like and want on mobile, that would be fine. The bigger issue is more the indirect effect it can have. Like look at Konami wanting to make mobile the main platform for the company, all the shitty practices mobile games have implemented are starting to become implemented on £40+ console games.
So simply, it's the practices mobile games have brought, and shifting developer/publisher priorities in a way that is personally negative for me. I see console/PC games as simply more immersive, rewarding the time I invest into it, and having much more content to boot usually.
Cut the rope is a particular favourite of mine too for mobile games, (though on the third, it seemed they were more keen to get money from IAP, and they pushed that idea more with past CTRs)
It seems a LOT, and ironically, some of the most popular mobile games, are just simple time sinks, which...wants you to pay to either beat the game for you, speed things up or to make it more enjoyable. The type of mentality the person must have to pay more money for this, I simply can't comprehend. Sadly these types of things will stick around as long as people continue paying for it.
If it was simply a case of paying for things I like and want on mobile, that would be fine. The bigger issue is more the indirect effect it can have. Like look at Konami wanting to make mobile the main platform for the company, all the shitty practices mobile games have implemented are starting to become implemented on £40+ console games.
So simply, it's the practices mobile games have brought, and shifting developer/publisher priorities in a way that is personally negative for me. I see console/PC games as simply more immersive, rewarding the time I invest into it, and having much more content to boot usually.
afternoon delight
Member
Simple as that.
I like the feeling of a real controller. I also don't like the issue of battery life, especially if I'm playing in a bright environment so have to turn screen brightness up. Playing a hardware intenstive game at max screen brightness can drain the battery of even my newish phone in a matter of hours, and unlike with a handheld, I actually still NEED my phone to have a charge when I'm done gaming, I don't want to be out and about and my phone doesn't work.
More_Badass
Member
iPad/iPad Mini is the ideal device for mobile gaming. I guess when people think mobile, they think playing hunched over a tiny phone screen?
Not a fan of tablets, if i'm carrying around something that big already I'd just bring a laptop. The whole point of mobile/handheld gaming to me is that I can cram it in my pocket.
It's a lot of work to find something that isn't a clone, a rip off full of stolen assets, or isn't built around F2P mechanics. Every time I hear about something interesting on mobile its because some one here posted about it, never because of the useless storefronts that can't bother to filter out the crap. Games with low ratings should not take precedence over games with higher ratings on some of these stores, but there they are showing up on page one like it was any other game. I don't really hate mobile, I hate the business models.
Memorabilia
Member
1. Dogshit controls
2. Microtransactions up the ass
2. Microtransactions up the ass
Earthpainting
Member
I don't hate mobile games, but I do share a lot of concerns with people in the thread.
- I'm not a fan of F2P hooks in games. They more often than not affect the game design for the worse. Many implementations seem like they use psychological smoke and mirrors to manipulate you into spending. I'd rather pay full price up-front and get a full-featured thing than getting nickel and dimed into a timeshare social media pyramid scheme where I have to weigh up whether I use my euros or my time as currency.
- I don't really like it when franchises I like drastically change to fit the mobile landscape. This goes beyond the F2P elements I mentioned above, since control complexity suffers just as much for many genres.
- As an adult, my phone's battery life is intended for other things. In the cases where I find a mobile game I really like, I usually have to charge my phone more often, and getting in uncomfortable situations where I won't be able to charge for a few hours.
- Standards and quality control can be the harshest part of all of this. Copycats not only are frequent, but they also appear rather quickly. Original ideas drown in a sea of clones and there is nothing they can do about it. Especially not if the clones are from larger publishers or studios in the mobile space, who can just muscle their way to the top with advertisements and slightly better production values. Finding good games is difficult enough as it is. If I didn't look on GAF, I would have missed out on a lot of titles, since the recommended titles in the storefronts are often of questionable quality. The reason for that is probably those F2P hooks that push people to rate games favourably in order to unlock stuff more quickly.
- I'm not a fan of F2P hooks in games. They more often than not affect the game design for the worse. Many implementations seem like they use psychological smoke and mirrors to manipulate you into spending. I'd rather pay full price up-front and get a full-featured thing than getting nickel and dimed into a timeshare social media pyramid scheme where I have to weigh up whether I use my euros or my time as currency.
- I don't really like it when franchises I like drastically change to fit the mobile landscape. This goes beyond the F2P elements I mentioned above, since control complexity suffers just as much for many genres.
- As an adult, my phone's battery life is intended for other things. In the cases where I find a mobile game I really like, I usually have to charge my phone more often, and getting in uncomfortable situations where I won't be able to charge for a few hours.
- Standards and quality control can be the harshest part of all of this. Copycats not only are frequent, but they also appear rather quickly. Original ideas drown in a sea of clones and there is nothing they can do about it. Especially not if the clones are from larger publishers or studios in the mobile space, who can just muscle their way to the top with advertisements and slightly better production values. Finding good games is difficult enough as it is. If I didn't look on GAF, I would have missed out on a lot of titles, since the recommended titles in the storefronts are often of questionable quality. The reason for that is probably those F2P hooks that push people to rate games favourably in order to unlock stuff more quickly.
More_Badass
Member
The whole "hating on touch controls" thing is just silly IMO. It's a matter of experience. Just like one gets better at KB/M when they get into PC gaming (how many threads are there of people stating how awkward KB/M feels after shifting from consoles?), touch controls are the same. If you've grown up with them or play on mobile regularly, touch controls are absolutely fine. Platformers, dual stick shooters, and others play great.
DrROBschiz
Member
I dont
Actually playing a realy cool F2P mobile game right now
I will say that great quality titles are rare.. For now Mobile exists for me exactly as its intended to.
Short bursts of entertainment on the go. Never going to be my one stop gaming solution and never will
There are just certain experiences that can never be done on mobile. At least not until it becomes powerful enough to shove into a dock connected to the TV.
Actually playing a realy cool F2P mobile game right now
I will say that great quality titles are rare.. For now Mobile exists for me exactly as its intended to.
Short bursts of entertainment on the go. Never going to be my one stop gaming solution and never will
There are just certain experiences that can never be done on mobile. At least not until it becomes powerful enough to shove into a dock connected to the TV.