The Fallacy of Mobile Gaming Hate
“Mobile games are just low quality cash grabs designed to take advantage of gamers.”
– Random Redditor
A Matter of Perspective
A lot of people are quick to trash mobile games and write them off, having never really given them a chance.
It seems like many of these people approach mobile gaming with a confirmation bias based on anecdotes from forums or news articles. And unfortunately this keeps them from trying mobile gaming with an open mind.
Or instantly causes them to install the types of games that will affirm their beliefs and leaves them thinking mobile games are designed to extract as much money from players as possible.
There are actually lots of very good mobile games out there, but you need to know what you’re looking for.
For example:
This is a Mobile Game…
Ok… THIS is a Mobile Game
So What Are You Trying to Say?
The thing that so many people miss about “mobile gaming” is that there are many different types of mobile gaming.
Filthy Casual /s
There are your typical Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Jet Pack Joyride, Cut the Rope type experiences or “Time Wasters” as I consider them.
These are the games your mom play’s and recommends.
They are available for free to anyone with a smart phone. They have wide appeal for casual gamers, are easy to pickup and are mainly designed as distractions for waiting rooms and work meetings.
The Garbage Heap
Next you have the garbage heap. This category makes up a large segment of the mobile gaming landscape and is mainly the cause of the stereotypes people have about mobile gaming.
The Raid Shadow Legends, GACHA clones, endless runners, Fortnite and knock-offs, Overwatch clones, TCG card games and gems as far as the eye can see.
While some people may like Hearthstone or Raid Shadow Legends, these types of mobile games are designed for one thing and one thing only… to extract as much money from players as possible.
Yeah, I know what I said…
Stick around mate.
Fortunately, these games are easy to spot because of how over consumer-science’d the monetization is.
If you install a game and the home screen has a hot mess of little “!” notification marks in various spots you are playing one of these games. Typically they feature:
Red Flags
- “Login rewards”
- Have a mail icon where they send you “gifts”
- Obviously a cash shop
- Currency obfuscation like gems or coins
- A “free” daily reward in the cash shop
- And calendar rewards to keep you logging in everyday.
These are all red flags.
Uninstall that shit now…
So you’ve ruled out 90% of the mobile gaming landscape? What now?
Mobile Gaming
Now you are left with what passionate mobile gamers consider actual mobile gaming.
See the “fallacy” I refer to in the title is that for those who embrace “mobile gaming” and for those who hate “mobile gaming” the word means two completely different things.
For the haters, it means experiences like the garbage heap I mentioned above.
For the people who have been seeking out good mobile experiences since the late 2000’s, it means a worthwhile gaming experience that fits in your pocket so you can “game” while you are out and about or “mobile”.
Now I’ll be completely candid… worthwhile mobile gaming experiences can be difficult to find.
Titles come and go (in terms of compatibility) and depending on your platform it may not be a simple matter of archiving an .apk to reinstall later.
But once you find a good mobile gaming experience, the reward is worth it.
Examples of Good Mobile Games Over the Years
2023 – Honkai: Star Rail
Standout Mobile Game Examples by Year 2022 – 2008
2022 – Alien Isolation
2021 – Fantasian
2020 – Genshin Impact
2019 – Pascal’s Wager
2018 – The Room: Old Sins
2017 – GRID Autosport
2016 – Ember
2015 – Implosion – Never Lose Hope
2014 – Chaos Rings III
2013 – Deus Ex: The Fall
2012 – Horn
2011 – Dead Space Mobile
2010 – Infinity Blade
2009 – Dungeon Hunter
2008 – Hero of Sparta
Ok… Admittedly 2008 was a rough year.
But it was also the first year for mobile games on smart phones with the release of the app store.
That’s just a rough snapshot of the past 15 years. If you look through the trailers you can literally see the evolution of mobile gaming.
Advances in hardware and peripheral support have also improved the mobile gaming experience bringing it much more in line with a console experience.
Controls
What started as clunky controls that lacked a tactile feel has evolved into Bluetooth controller support for Xbox, PS5 and other 3rd party gamepads.
Many new mobile games natively support Xbox and PS5 controllers once paired and a few minutes of research can let you know before you download a game, if your controller is supported.
We’ve also seen a large selection of controllers that expand and allow your phone to dock right in the middle, giving you a Nintendo Switch / Steam Deck style gaming layout.
I sort my games into Controller Support vs. Touch Controls and Offline vs. Online categories on my device to make things simple to find.
All games support touch controls anyway, so if I’m traveling I tend to forgo my controller. But the gamepad is a great addition when I’m relaxing at home and want a more console centric experience.
Controls continue to evolve and become better, but this isn’t specific to just mobile gaming. Consoles, virtual reality headsets and hand tracking, portable gaming systems and computer peripherals. The evolution of controls is an industry wide process and not isolated to mobile gaming.
Graphics & Performance
Like I said, going back to 2008 mobile games started out rough. Apple had Cocoa, Unity was hardly a thing, Unreal Engine wasn’t really on mobile yet.
But as time went on developers have become more adept at making better looking, fuller gaming experiences and mobile hardware has progressed by leaps and bounds.
While consoles and PCs are seeing nominal gains chipping away at high-end performance barriers, there has been a void that mobile processors are quickly filling. Blurring the lines between laptops, handheld gaming devices, consoles, tablets and smartphones.
We see this with devices like the Steam Deck. Which has been enthusiastically received by gamers in the hopes of living the dream by playing their favorite games on the go, or “mobile” if you will.
As graphics and game development on mobile platforms continue to advance, so do the quality of the games.
Just recently Apple announced the iPhone 15 and demo’d it’s ray tracing capabilities and a showcase of games that are releasing on PS5 and Xbox, in addition to the iPhone 15.
But even without top tier hardware, we have seen time and again how lower spec devices like the Nintendo Switch or MetaQuest are able to create engaging gaming experiences with the help of talented developers.
So Why The Bad Rap?
Quality
Mobile gaming has received a bad rap over the years because of the sheer amount of shovel-ware that has made it to the platform. But unfortunately our memories have grown so short we forget that every platform has a history of notable shovel-ware.
From Bible Adventures on the original NES, to crap like Barbie Horse Adventures and Superman 64.
Just this year we had Redfall and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum release within 30 days of each other on PC.
But this list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention the game that single handedly almost destroyed the gaming industry… I’m looking at you, E.T. Atari 2600.
Monetization
In terms of monetization, this is also something that has unfortunately become far too common in the gaming industry as a whole.
From games like Fortnite & Overwatch to FIFA & horse armor… And let’s not forget about the game that launched a thousand international investigations… Star Wars Battlefront 2.
The Take Away
There has always been amazing potential for mobile devices as a gaming platform, going all the way back to the first generation of smartphones.
What started out as an experience more akin to a Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS or PSP has evolved as hardware has become more powerful, to essentially being a console you can carry in your pocket.
Hating on mobile gaming because “mobile games” exist is like hating on cinema because B Movies and Jackass Forever exists. Not every release is going to win awards and that’s ok.
All platforms end up with some shovel-ware titles, but this doesn’t mean they don’t also have engaging gaming experiences that are worth a look.
At the end of the day, look at all the things mobile gaming is actually capable of.
I chuckle to myself when I see all the excitement surrounding the new Steam Deck.
Gamers of all stripes are excited for a portable gaming solution and who could blame them? How amazing would it be to play your favorite games on the go, anywhere?
Maybe in time customers will request an even smaller, more portable version.
One that fits right in your pocket.
And when that happens, mobile gamers will still be here to share in that joy with you…
DISCLAIMER
The thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are based on the following perspective.
I play mobile games mainly on iOS. I bought into the Apple ecosystem years ago with the release of the iPhone in 2007. I’ve played games on both stock iOS and jail-broken devices.
I also play Android games with one of my handheld devices (the Retroid Pocket 3+) and emulate Android games with BlueStacks on my PC.
I play mostly single player, story driven games and do not play competitive online multiplayer games.