A Brief History of Mobile Gaming

Though it’s arguably still in its infancy the world of high-def, 3D games for the smartphone was many years in the making and has come a long way in not such a long time. Original mobile phones did not even support a screen large enough to game on, and it would not be until 45 years after the birth of the cell phone in 1960 that the first mobile phone game was pre-installed on a commercially available phone.

Nokia, the name synonymous with mobile phones throughout the 1990′s before their recent decline, was the first to put a game on their 6110 model phone. Their original Snake was a simple 2-dimensional game that required players to manoeuvre a continuously growing snake around the screen to pick up items. One of the key features that made this game possible was the advent of the multi-line screen which allowed for basic graphics. Snake was years behind console games in terms of playability, challenge, and graphics, but it became an instant classic. Nokia became one of the highest-grossing technology companies due to some key marketing factors and their first step towards mobile gaming.

This market would enjoy widespread enthusiasm for nearly two years, but it would not be until two other major developments took place that the mobile gaming industry would finally see some dramatic improvements. The first major change to mobile devices was the expansion of the WAP, or wireless application protocol. Much like earlier forms of GSM that were used to transmit data, the WAP allowed handsets to send and receive packets of information. Phone owners were no longer restricted to the games and programs that their phones came pre-installed with. The second major change to phones was a dramatic increase in memory. With a huge leap in the amount of data being placed on phones through the WAP and its later incarnations, phones needed much more space for data.

This would be the final era of the monochrome mobile gaming industry though. Some of the flagship games were nothing more than basic shooting, racing, and puzzle games. This would all make way for the predecessors of the smartphone and wireless internet providers that dominate the market today. By the turn of the century, phones had the ability to run Java programs, surf the internet, and display large colour screens. Keyboards and directional pads became a mainstay, making advanced games a real possibility. Classics were being retrofitted for use on mobile platforms such as the iconic Pac-Man and Tetris.

The first few years of the new century would lead to a rocky period of gaming. There was little room for growth in terms of graphics, memory, and functionality when it came to mobile gaming. Some companies attempted to bridge the gap of handheld gaming and mobile gaming, but with very limited success. Nokia’s N-Gage was a hybrid phone and handheld gaming device, but would nearly bankrupt the company due to extremely low sales.

Even through 2006, companies were relying on two key aspects to sell their mobile games: brand name recognition and well-established gaming patterns. Larger franchises such as Tomb Raider were brought on board in an attempt to lend credibility to games that would have otherwise received very little publicity. The other strategy was to use very basic, but recognizable styles of games. This included basic space shooters or a continuation of puzzle games such as Tetris.

Finally, 2007 would be the year of the iPhone. The first generation of this piece of technology would forever change the mobile gaming world. Apple would utilize high-definition graphics, wireless internet providers, touch screen controls, and impressive hardware specs to make a phone that could make international calls one moment and then delve into an intense online game the next. Due to the unrestricted access of the internet on these phones, browser-based games would open up tens of thousands of options for anyone that purchased a smartphone and a data plan to back it.

Even with these huge leaps in mobile technology, games geared towards the casual gamer would continue to enjoy the most widespread success in terms of downloads and sales. Huge titles began to crop up such as Bejeweled, Angry Birds, and Plants vs. Zombies. These games would remain basic enough to attract millions of users while having the advanced challenge and gameplay that more serious gamers would crave. One of their key selling points would also remain the ability to be uploaded these games within moments and and then play them with or without access to the internet. This would remove some of the data charges from wireless internet providers that other games would incur. These rather simplistic games are now a billion dollar industry as EA purchased the company that developed Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies for 1 billion dollars.

There are a few distinct trends that are currently pushing the mobile gaming industry forward. One of the key features that many developers are looking into is 3D technology. The first line of functional 3D phones were released in Spring 2011 with mixed reviews. This has not slowed the game developer’s zeal towards 3D gaming though. After watching handheld 3D gaming explode internationally, such as the Nintendo 3DS, most manufacturers understand the market is there for those willing to take risks.

The other push in the mobile gaming industry is turning popular PC, Xbox, and Playstation titles into perfect replications on the phone. Some of the larger franchises going mobile include Final Fantasy and Grand Theft Auto. The current limitation of these games comes down to internet speeds and phone storage space. While an increasing amount of wireless internet providers have expanded their 4G networks, smartphones simply do not possess the technology that is required of massive digital worlds, pristine graphics, and complex gameplay.

It was a long journey from the monochrome days of Snake to the high-def RPGs that mobile gamers enjoy today. The key theme of mobile gaming does remain the same throughout all of these years though: When new technology is placed into phones, game developers and game players will find ways to code, download, and create games that take advantage of it.