Video games on mobile phones are quite different from games that you would find on the PC, on consoles or even dedicated gaming handheld systems.
While it is true that there are some ports of games on the Apple iPhone such as for Final Fantasy I and II, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the titles are often too few and far in between.
This is mainly because the markets are just far too different. Mobile phones cater to millions of users, only a handful of which are serious or hardcore gamers. There are millions of gamers out there, but instead of spending money on a high end smart phone, they would rather invest in a good console system. Aside from the target market, hardware limitations on mobile phones are also part of the reason why there are hardly any hardcore titles for mobile devices.
The recent BAFTA Awards shows how much of a difference console games have over mobile phones. There are categories for Best Musical Score, Best Story and Characters, Best Gameplay and more. These are elements that are limited in mobile phones but are quite expanded when it comes to games in Blu-Ray or HD-DVD media.
Take the big winner, Batman: Arkham Asylum. There is simply no way to port this game to a mobile phone without having to strip it down so badly that it will hardly be the same game.
Still, this does not mean that there is no hope for games on mobile phones. While these titles will hardly ever match up to the ones on consoles, mobile games still deliver a sufficient degree of entertainment and fun for their users. With social gaming on the rise, it will not be too long before mobile games get recognized in awards too.
Get to know more about the recent BAFTA awards at the Telegraph UK.
Tags: games