It’s About Time Mobile Gaming Gets A Strong Lineup Without Monetization

I think it’s impossible to understate the importance of mobile phones in our lives. I’ve grown so accustomed to my phone that I don’t think I can go a long time without it; my life practically depends on it. That’s how much of a revolution this pocket-sized majesty is. 

As a mobile phone is a comfortable solution to every entertainment need, it’s only natural that it be used to play games, too. In fact, mobile gaming is getting bigger and bigger every day. People just love to game at their convenience and ease, and since you’re carrying your phone essentially everywhere, why not game on it? There’s just one problem. What good stuff to play on a mobile?

The State Of Mobile Gaming

Ever since the mobile device became capable of running games, we’ve been consistently getting new titles. If you’d like, you can make your contribution by opting for a mobile game development agency, and I’m sure your idea will be golden, but will it get the traction and show up for the mainstream audience? That’s the question.

I’m not saying there are no good games on mobile; far from it. Thorough research and digging up leads to some amazing indie gems, but the mobile market as a whole remains saturated with the same sort of boring stuff. Watered-down ports, shooting battle royales, a myriad of gachas, and a highly predatory microtransaction-laden mess. For a casual gamer, this is all that shows up in their recommendations.

I can't find good game on mobile anymore
byu/BigBoyo11 inAndroidGaming

It’s because mobile gaming as a whole is focused on these select few types of games with little variety. Even if you find a good game, it’s mechanically simple and often not up to the standard of what you can play on a PC or console. Provided mobile is a weaker platform, but trust me, it can do a lot better than the sort of games we have. It’s a lucrative market, yet shooter copies and soulless gachas are all we’re getting.

Hardware Is No Longer Primitive

Of course, a mobile is primarily a multi-purpose device, and so, not that strong for gaming. A few years ago, this was the main reason why mobile gaming lagged behind. But things are different now. Gaming as a whole is slowly opting for handheld options, since users love these. You can play anywhere you want with no limitations and little performance concerns. What could a gamer ask for more?

Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Legion Go, all of these are products of our wish to game more comfortably, and their appeal is undeniable. However, mobile is the OG handheld, and if we look at the sort of hardware mobiles come with now, I don’t think a solid gaming experience is too far-fetched. You can build a monster of a phone, but without good games to play, it’s useless.

This is exactly why I say that mobile gaming deserves mainstream attention. Handheld gaming is the future, literally everyone has a mobile, and the hardware is quite competitive now; you connect the dots. Imagine the potential in this market. In fact, the potential has always been there, but for some reason, all the big mobile development companies seem to care about are shooters with cosmetic sales, battle passes, or straight-up gachas that rake in big bucks.

Why is every android /ios game should be a gacha game or a game full of microtransactions ?! Why can't we have a normal single player paid game ?
byu/Impossible_Story3940 ingaming

Need More Single-Player Treats

All of my argument leads up to one point: mobile needs more big-budget, mainstream titles that are not shooters and gachas. People consider mobile gaming an inferior option, but that’s because there’s no good stuff to play on it that they know of. And can you blame them? A gaming platform’s worth is determined by the kind of games you can play on it.

As I’ve expressed, it’s a golden opportunity to develop the mobile gaming industry and bring more mainstream titles to the platform in this day and age. We all love handheld gaming and are more than willing to buy specialized hardware for it. Now imagine if your phone could run all the games your Steam Deck does. Isn’t that the dream?

Well, dreams of the future aside, the first step is for mobile to have a strong mainstream lineup. Interesting single-player titles and multi-genre gems that play intricately and serve player engagement rather than making money from microtransactions. Many such indies already exist on phones, but with big companies jumping in, mobile will become a much more hospitable and entertaining gaming device.