I guess for me I'm not looking for the same experience. I've been gaming since my Dad brought home an Apple IIe but my first console was an Atari 2600. Hell, that Apple may not have been the first time I played video games. I missed the release of Pong but I remember Space Invaders very well. I like mobile games for what they are and while there are some quality games on mobile that easily rival the other platforms it is the ability to pick up and go that I find appealling. I am currently playing through Fallout 3 for the Nth time and I simply would not attempt it on a mobile device. There is something to be said for sitting down in my comfy office chair with a large monitor and a powerful sound system that is not going to be as comfortable or immersive on a mobile device. I tried Ravensword and it's just not a good "sit down and play for hours" situation on an iPad. So I love the platform but I try not to shoehorn the same types of experiences on it. That doesn't mean I don't like having the ability to play KOTOR on my iPad but it's not ideal. On the other hand I have no desire to play Marvel Future Fight on the PC. I appreciate what different platforms bring to the table. What mobile has done for me is kill a lot of interest in consoles. Console gaming was always about convenience and sometimes limited time to play. The convenience factor is there bigtime with mobile and the gameplay is often more conducive to short play sessions that a lot of current console games. Not to mention console games have become derivative in a way that makes even the AppStore offerings look fresh and original.
"How do I get from now to five minutes in the future as quickly and mindlessly as possible?" This is what so many iOS games have become. Largely due to companies trying to capture the biggest market possible by making it mindless... But this is also attributed to lazy cookiecutter design. The beancounters identify the formulas and patterns that are financially successful (life systems, stamina timers, etc.) and then copy them in hopes to repeat successes. These are not gamers creating real games they love, they're businessmen trying to make money. The overuse of IAP and stamina timers are malignant tumors on what could be great experiences. Real gamers look for challenging and meaningful experiences, experiences that are highly interactive and rewarding both intrinsically and extrinsically... Gamers are smart enough to see through the skinner box B.S. we see so much of and even the super casuals are geting wiser. When designing Furdemption we wanted the game to be accessible (I test the game on my mom who never plays games), but also something a true gamer can enjoy. Its rewarding because there is challenge and consequence... And you actually feel like you've accomplished something using your wits and skill. Compare that to any match-3 where the decisions are mindless and leave you unfulfilled. To your question "what things do you love/miss about non-mobile games that you *don't* get from mobile games these days?" There will always be things that non-mobile games have that mobile will never be able to achieve in the same way. Like you said - FPS. The form of the phone, lack of tactile feedback, limited screensize, fingers on the screen, etc. are all very hard constraints that make it nearly impossible to pull off certain types of gameplay. This doesn't mean you can't have complex and fun experiences, they're just going to be shaped differently. iOS is a great platform for gaming, and we will continue to see the birth of incredible games. @wonderspark if you read this - send me a PM and i'll gift you with a promo code for Furdemption... I'd love to know if it scratches your gamer itch.
Well, i am 52, and have had just about every game system, including 3DO. I had the original version of pong. I see only 2 issues that really bother me..... Small screen size takes away the feeling of immersion. The other issue I blame on Apple.... The ridiculously high price they charge for memory, or not allowing SD cards. When I bought my mini, I actually bought 5 of them for my family and my father in law. I just did not have them extra money for more space. And, you could argue that that is MY problem, but I would counter that many people can't afford the more equipped iPads. And, there are just so many games I would like to play but I don't have the space on my mini. I have lots of apps that I can't delete so that I can game. I think if Apple made storage more affordable, we might all have the chance to enjoy those 2GB or larger games. I don't even have room for a single game of that size. So, most of my gaming is PC gaming, where I have a nice, inexpensive, 2Tb drive, that I will never fill. I play many of the huge spaced iOS games on my computer, instead. I'm no business expert, but I think more affordable storage would allow for improved iOS gaming.
"However, as other forum members point out, there are a lot of experiences on the App Store that can go a long way to scratch these classic gamer itches... You've just got to search for them." Due to the nature of many mobile gamers encouraging developers to produce quicker and shorter bursts of gameplay, I do have a few games on my iPhone that I'll dive into for a couple minutes and then close them. It's something to do, but sometimes feels like a chore to log in just to get a reward every day just to save up for something that costs an outrageous amount. But, I grew up playing some longer games like RPGs and adventure games. My first RPG was Dragon Warrior, and that is a good example of a series that allows you to pour a lot of time into. Chaos Rings, Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter, and most crafting games are also titles that can allow you to sink hundreds of hours into them. However, I'm thankful that many of those titles have good save systems and also allow us to jump in for a few battles, save, and quit. I'm thankful that I can still play those types of games on-the-go just as easy as someone who plays Angry Birds or Clash of Clans. I can even still remember firing up The Secret of Monkey Island and Broken Sword for the first time on my iPhone and being so excited to relive those stories anywhere, anytime!
This 1000 times over. The lack of SD support is inexcusable. The only reason why I am on an iPad and not an Android tablet is ease of use. I got tired of futzing with all the little quirks on Android tablets and the lack of QT and MP4 support. If I could get the ease of use and developer support of iOS with the openness and flexibility of Android I would be a happy camper. As it is my next tablet will likely be an iPad as I intend to upgrade towards the end of this year but after that I will be taking a hard look at Android offerings.
I'm one of those"veteran"players as well. 40 years old,started with pong at the age of 4 or 5 Played Atari 2600 in the 80ies,moved on to NES,Mega Drive,N64,PS1,PS2,Xbox,Xbox360. Not mention the handhelds i owned (oh how i loved the Game Gear much more than Game Boy back in the days...) I was never really into PC gaming although i had my times where i enjoyed it as well (goddamit ULTIMA IX.Biggest love/hate relationship.Ever.) and played stuff like Quake III or The first Unreal Tournament with passion.But i liked the PC mainly for RTS because this was something that consoles failed most of the time (but for shooter i prefer a controller anyway). anyway... Since i play more and more on ipad i rarely touch my x360 anymore and since got older i lost my interest in RTS.Way to hectic for me today I started to love TBS games much more (always liked chess)and the ipad is perfect for games like this.But i also still like console style experiences on tablet,got myself an ipad stand an a controller to play games like Oceanhorn or even games i knew from the past (like Bioshock or Kotor) to play them everywhere now. I'm still happy with mobile gaming,especially since more and more graphically demanding stuff is possible. BUT i fear that all this can come to a bitter end quite soon because only a few people seem to want premium games for a reasonable price (of course i also do like that many games cost literally"nothing"compared to stuff i got used to).I'm not against IAP or good F2P mechanics but timers for example are coming right out of the gaming hell,i don't even touch those games.Which is a damn shame when i look at games like Real Racing.if this will be the future...i'll pass. Not totally given up on console gaming though,i'm still thinking to buy a PS4 sooner or later (i'm not in a hurry and it's easy for me to wait until its really cheap.While i had to buy my last consoles pretty much at launch).
Then you can deduct the shipping & logistics, supply chain / inventory control headaches, packaging & printing. And most marketing.
I don't know. One big difference from the days of brick & mortar is that, back then, you bought a game, took it home and played it until you were done. Now, people need 30 large, installed games. It's not like the App Store is going anywhere. Just delete, then re-download when you're ready to take on another game. I'm at my iPad / iPhone for hours a day, and I've never worried about that. I can free up 1-2 GB at any moment, just w/ a cursory "spring cleaning".
I was just talking about this with a friend. Im an "older" gamer. 36 years old. Played games since my friends 2600, but really started when the NES came out. For me, whats really missing from iOS compared to consoles or PC, are original iOS games that have rich stories and charecters i actually care about. Im currently playing Chaos Rings III, and i love the story and characters (currently 70 hours invested). Other than CR3 the only ios game i can think of that ive played where the story and characters drove my enjoyment was Deus Ex the Fall (still holding a thread of hope that they continue the story). So thank you Square Enix! From Dragon Warrior on NES to CR3 on iOS.
I'm on 40+ I have a daughter from My ex Girlfriend,i'm separated and she's with his mother, I have a woman, but for me the free time outside of work is too much important,my Girlfriend let me play cause she know that after her,it's The second thing that i love. I start play with Commodore 64,then Amiga and all The Others Old Consoles,then all 4 Sony Console,and now,i still play on PS4,some PS3 Titles,and Mobile Too,i've not Miss Some Title,at last not My kind of Games.It depends on My Free Day Time,if i've more that 4,5 Hour,i play on Console,if i've near 3 hour free i play on mobile,and i loved lot of Mobile Games,but true lot of them Are Port,Like GTA Trilogy,Faherenheit,Max Payne,Bioshock,Mhfu,and so on.But There Some Quality Game,i Think at Game Like "Republique","Deus Ex The Fall" The Old "Dead Space".
This. I started to play game lofts dungeon hunter 5 and started to feel like I was having a kind of manipulated "fun." I. Think there is a danger for gamers to get sucked into games emotionally so much that unsync from real life, that we just want to Get back into the gamehave you ever been kissing your partner and start thinking about a game? That kind of thing. And these freemium titles are designed to maximize that effect, like casino slot machines. Like, we are cows being milked...but the teets are our wallets...they are stroking the dopamine centers of our brain without touching the rest of us, like a cheat code... But there have been games that I really felt "a part of," rather than sucked in, and could embrace and appreciate. Meaningful. Artistic, even. Sometimes these games are actually pretty shortevoland is a great example.
As an Amiga gamer, I actually am seeing a lot of ports/clones of old favorites pop back up on my iPad! But I REALLY miss two-player Lemmings. Two mice, one machine, Amiga-exclusive. If you've played ordinary Lemmings, you can imagine the chaos: two colored teams, two exit goals, and you can only command your own team. But you can indirectly force enemy lemmings into your goal—or their own destruction. It was awesome, and I've never seen it duplicated. Years ago I tried to make something that recaptures the madness, but my networking code was flawed and I didn't have the tools we have now. I should revisit it. It would be great with 2 iPads. EDIT: Almost forgot! My electronic gaming started with early handhelds. And I miss VFD! I have been experimenting for years (just for fun) getting a realistic VFD look on my iPhones; I have game ideas suited to it, and would love to release a VFD-style game. Some day. Not a priority. Meanwhile, I have yet to see a truly VFD-style game on the app store. I've seen simulated LCD, CRT, vector, and some abstract stuff that feels "a little" like VFD, but no actual simulated VFD that I have run across. Oh, well.
No time for a long post. I do agree a lot of mobile game are missing something and till this post I couldn't figure out what.in the post year I have found myself a lot more subjective when picking mobile game (main question I ask is will j be fed up with this after a hour, now if it cheap I don't really mind but after buying a PS Vita I only want to play the AA game like transistor,deathwatch, telltale. To sum up I think the true iOS devs are already on pc,ps etc and the rest are trying to find there place where mobile exclusive or true video game devs (republished comes to mind)
I do not have any kids at home anymore, and I'm closing in turning 45, but I do have a company to run so my time is limited anyway. But I did grew up with adventure, strategy, and later roleplaying games on the computer. That being said, I prefer the iPad everyday because of the mobility and easy access it provides. However, that does mean I like the average crap games released for the mobile market. Having played games since the late seventies, and 25 years with computers has marked me for what type of games I prefer. The best games I have played on the iPad are PC ports - except for Warhammer Quest (and no doubt Deathwatch) and Autumn Dynasty - like Baldur's Gate, X-Com, and Grimrock. I want to be able to play anywhere, at any given time, and no other device does it better than my mobile one. And the most crazy thing is that the Appstore is swelling with so many quality PC ports and awesome new pure mobile games like Xenowerk and Fallout Shelter that my backlog is reaching almost 40 unplayed quality games. Pure insanity. My problem this year has not been to find good games, but to play these games. For me the only thing the Appstore lacks are more PC ports of old RPGs like Icewind Dale. Though that is more a wishful thinking than an actual lack of great games. There are plenty I have yet to play and I try to focus on the ones my gut tells me I will like. But I usually buy them all anyway...
I'm beyond the 30+ population and would pay beyond premium for a port to mobile of the following: DIABLO ANY/ALL X-WING COMBAT GAMES ARCHON WITH MULTIPLAYER Nice post!
this is why boardgame ports (Yomi, all Playdek, etc.), Roguelikes (868-HACK, Desktop Dungeons, dream quest, etc.), strategy (Auro, Outwitters) really satisfy me; they offer relatively quick yet deep experiences that reveal nuances the more you dig in. And as tempted as I've been to pick up Chaos Rings III, I just know I won't get around to completing it, so why spend $20? I don't lament this shift though, as gaming will always be present in my life I just don't have the time to sink 70+ hours into an RPG anymore.
This. I'm same age/same commitments as a lot of you here. I have a serious backlog of really great games to get through, the problem is finding the time. There are some games, Transistor for instance, or Broken Age, that I think are better on iPad than the console experience. But even past that, I can find time here and there to grab my iPad (which is always near me) and get through a level or 2. Right now Outland (finally a mac port!) is the only game that pulls me toward my computer. Mobile gaming and our early game experiences are different enough that our expectations need to change as well. The games I mentioned above are tailored to touch, games we played earlier in our lives didn't know touch existed. While we *can* play a lot of early ports on mobile, I don't always expect that to be the best place to experience them.
Actually you have to spend more on marketing for digital and the shipping, logistics. etc. aren't a big percentage of the cost. certainly not $0.99 vs $25.
Yeah, a lot of mobile games/ports that have captivating stories are some of my favorites. Dragon Quest VIII has pulled me in. And I recently finished the short Sailor's Dream by Simogo. That one had me feeling real emotions. Loved it.
