Guest Post: Is mobile gaming a boon or bane for console gaming?

Mobile Gaming Guest Post by Lily Sommers. Image by Sofia Samme.As mobile games become the new overlords of the gaming industry, are consoles now in their final glory days? Let’s take a closer look if it’s really game over for these indoor game machines.

 

Specs

The gaming experience in smartphones and tablets has been greatly enhanced because of the improved specs of those devices. Before, 8-bit video games like Space Impact and Snake were the only titles that you could play on your phones. Fast forward to today and you can now play Need for Speed or Grand Theft Auto II on mobile devices with all their high-definition glory. Samsung S4, for example, shows why it’s a leading device for portable gaming. According to O2′s Galaxy S4 page, this device has a glorious 5” HD screen, expandable memory, and a long battery life. It even has its own compatible game controller that allows you to play a wider genre such as role-playing or first-person shooter games.

Although mobile device hardware is improving, the game quality is obviously still light years away compared to the latest consoles on the market. These consoles have massive storage capabilities that let you store hundreds of games that are more lengthy and complex compared to their mobile counterparts. Only with these bulky devices can we have this mind-blowing and realistic experience wherein we get to fight dragons and meet dazzling princesses that are worth saving. Not even the 5” HD screen of Samsung could top that.

 

Convenience

If a console’s hardware is better, then why is it that mobiles still own the market? A main reason is because of its convenience. Searching for a more convenient way to play a game is a human habit that has killed consoles over the years. This happened before in the age of arcades when playing at home became easier with the rise of Sega and Nintendo consoles.

These days, more people prefer smartphones and tablets for gaming because of their portable features. Unlike those bulky game consoles that constrain people to play indoors, these gadgets allow them to play anywhere and anytime. It satisfies the people’s need for entertainment during those 30 boring minutes when they are riding a train or waiting in a long line.

 

Mobile Reach

It also helps that devices have a wider reach than traditional consoles. In the Mobile Games Trend Report from NewZoo, there are 100 million mobile gamers in the United States alone and 4.2 million iOS games are downloaded daily.

Meanwhile, console gaming sales are plummeting downwards. A news report from Time said that console sales in the US dropped 21% last year.

 

Conclusion

Mobile gaming is a bane to traditional gaming consoles because of the increasing market and convenience. However, we can’t totally say that it’s “game over” for the consoles because the best games on the market are played best on more powerful machines. As long as there are gamers out there looking for more complicated and exciting video games, these devices will always be there to satisfy their cravings for virtual action.

What console do you usually use for gaming? Which do you think is better? Share us your thoughts!

 

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Author:lilysommers

Lily Sommers is an up and coming writer who likes development , small business, latest phones and communication technologies. Her

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