Background of Mobile Game Development

Mobile games are video games for mobile phones and smartphones, similar to games for PCs or game consoles. While the early mobile games, such as Snake or Memory, did not yet have color graphics and were transmissions from the early days of the computer, they are becoming increasingly elaborate with the advent of Java-enabled mobile phones, color displays, better computing power and an extended set of keys (arrow keys, joysticks). Mobile games are available for feature phones, smartphones and tablet computers. Mobile games compete with playing on the handheld console or the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

In the case of smartphones, games can be downloaded as a so-called mobile app, usually via an app store provided by the operating system provider, downloaded from a website or transferred from a computer (via (USB) cable, infrared or Bluetooth connection). In some cases, however, mobile games are firmly anchored in the mobile phone’s operating system. In the past, SMS was also used.

In the meantime, the most common operating systems support several programming languages, and the various integrated development environments have become more important in programming. In the past, Java was widely used in the J2ME variant, which was adapted to mobile phones, for example in the Nokia Series 40.

Once installed, these games can usually be used indefinitely. To ensure that a purchased game can only be used on one mobile phone at a time, DRM software is used, for example through the App Store or by linking it to the device’s serial number (IMEI).

Mobile games are limited by their screen area, controls and input options, storage space, as well as their graphics and processing power. As a result, mobile games are often based on a simple gameplay principle and marketed as casual games, and are clearly inferior to PC and console games in terms of graphics, complexity and scope. However, this also means less effort for the developers, which is why most development teams consist of significantly fewer people. Also, the development time is only a few months, while PC games are usually developed by a large development team in a period of two to three years.

Availability of Mobile Game

In the meantime, numerous well-known computer games are also available as mobile versions; there are also online high score tables for some games, which mobile players can use to compete against each other. In addition, the current boom in multiplayer games (MMORPGs) seems to be making its way to mobile phones. In addition, there is a trend that mobile phones with their internet connection are being used as a platform for outdoor multiplayer games.

There are now many websites on the Internet that distribute mobile games. Some of them use the affiliate programs of the major providers. Caution is advised here when ordering a game. Often, a subscription is ordered without being explicitly pointed out. Good sites offer not only a screenshot, but also other content such as pictures, videos, ratings, game reports and the description of the controls around the games. There are also some sites that offer games from volunteer programmers for free. If you want to convince yourself of the quality of a game before downloading, you can try it out online on some websites. The game is presented in an emulator and you can test functionality as well as graphics and sound.

Development of Mobile Game

The first mobile phones only had the function of making phone calls and mobile gaming was limited to playing on the handheld console, the personal digital assistant or the netbook. Over time, however, mobile phones in the 1990s also developed other functions, such as sending text messages, a calendar and organizer, and playing computer games (feature phone). These applications were already pre-installed and ran on the phone’s own operating system. An early well-known game was Snake and mostly ran on a Nokia phone. The controls worked via the phone buttons. The graphics display was very limited and was limited to 2D graphics up to a maximum of 21/2D graphics.

Over time, proprietary mobile game platforms and operating systems have evolved, unifying and simplifying development. Well-known examples are JavaME, Palm OS, Symbian OS, Blackberry OS, early versions of Windows Mobile and, more recently, KaiOS. The Nokia N-Gage from 2003 tried to combine a handheld console and a feature phone for the first time.

Since the beginning of the millennium, the computer game development industry has also increasingly turned its attention to mobile phones. Various publishers, such as THQ, created separate divisions for games on mobile phones and other handhelds. Several newly founded development studios are also focusing on this fast-growing market segment.

Another trend is that mobile games are also appearing with current PC or console titles in order to draw attention to them as part of mobile marketing. These include, for example, the corresponding mobile games for Burnout, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl or Call of Juarez. However, these usually have little in common with the originals. Since the 2010s, there have been more and more second-screen approaches – for example, Ubisoft released a “companion app” for Assassin’s Creed IV, which can be used to access the save game of the main game and play additional content.

With the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, the feature phone was increasingly replaced by the smartphone. Games and apps are no longer primarily installed by external providers, but from an official app store. This makes it easier to distribute and install, and content can be better checked for security. In addition, most games use the new multi-touch controls of the standard touchscreen, which offers significantly more possibilities than the touchscreen on previously released handheld consoles such as the Nintendo DS. As a result, the display and thus the playing surface also became larger.

Furthermore, smartphones have more computing power, which enables better graphics and also 3D graphics and sophisticated calculations, e.g. for artificial intelligence. In addition, smartphones have an internet connection by default, which gives developers more options for designing multiplayer games. Many smartphones also have special sensors such as the accelerometer or the gyroscope sensor, which makes it possible to control the game by moving the phone (for example, by tilting it like a steering wheel in a racing game). The built-in GPS system also makes it possible to play location-based games.

Other augmented reality games can be realized, for example, via the live view function or scan function of the improved camera. Well-known examples include Pokémon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Ingress, and Minecraft Earth. A smartphone can also be used for virtual reality through a special glasses holder and controller, provided that the display meets the necessary requirements and has the appropriate motion sensors. Well-known examples include Google Cardboard, Google Daydream, and the Samsung Gear VR. Another additional option for game design is the smartphone’s improved speech recognition. The vibration motors can be used for force feedback. Most games are released for free under the freemium or free-to-play model and are financed by advertising and in-game purchases. In some cases, games can also be played in the browser as a browser game or have been ported as a web app. Common smartphone operating systems are Android, IOS, and Windows Phone.

New games also have the cross-play function or can be transferred from a console, a PC or via cloud gaming to the smartphone. In order to be able to play the game better, there are sometimes separate controllers for this.