4 ms·

Mobile games have been around for 6 years ( and that's really pushing it, I'd argue that we only have 4-5 years of actual mobile game history to look at ) compa

Mobile games have been around for 6 years ( and that's really pushing it, I'd argue that we only have 4-5 years of actual mobile game history to look at ) compared to 30+ years of AAA studio type of game dev. We are still learning what works and how to build games. More and more indie devs are figuring it out. Those are the people that are worth investing in. One of the underlining points of the article (granted it's not pointed out) is that a lot of the same people are finding repeated success in mobile games (Ridiculous fishing, canabalt, Threes!), both devs involved in Threes! and all of the advisors mentioned in the article had already succeeded in the App Store. The comparison to Tetris is also valid. It's a very popular, simple to play, hard to master game on a wildly successful platform. A game that draws in large numbers of non traditional gamers.

Kurtz79 12y ago
30 years ago it was 1984, and at the time game development was probably more akin to embedded software engineering today, having to program at a very low level of abstraction (if any) from the hardware. It doesn't really seems right comparing game development now and then (or even 15/20 years ago), the amount of advanced tools, public knowledge, step-by-step tutorials available today is something developers of the time could never dream of, and had to learn/build for themselves.
- jaegerpicker 12y ago
  My point was less about the difference between now and then and more about the built up knowledge base that exists from that much collective experience. Especially about game UI design. Super Mario Brothers (or Quake/Doom or warcraft etc...) has more in common with a more modern AAA game than a touch screen based app when it comes to Player controls and design of the Player interaction. We are only lately really starting to figure out how to make really good serious touch first games. Leo's Fortune, Fates Forever, Thress!, Monument Valley, and Wayword Souls are all great examples of this process. In game play none of them are completely revolutionary but when you combine the touch controls and player interaction with the type of game play they offer, then IMO each of those is a major step forward in game design for touch devices.
  - Kurtz79 12y ago
    Yes I got it and I agree with you, my point was that Mobile Game Development, regardless of its relative youth, is evolving at a much faster pace that traditional games have, so comparing them in terms of years is kind of pointless. Genres like real-time strategy, first person shooters, MMOs took years to be "invented", while we see new (and successful) concepts of mobile games basically every month.
    - jaegerpicker 12y ago
      Ah, sorry, I misunderstood your point, Carry on I completely agree then.
    - JetSpiegel 12y ago
      > while we see new (and successful) concepts of mobile games basically every month. With the rise of Free2Pay, and the blight of IAP, I would argue otherwise.
      - jaegerpicker 12y ago
        The app store is certainly starting to move in a different direction. A lot of new games with new models are finding success in the App Store recently. See Fates Forever, wayword souls, leo's fortune, Threes!, Civ Rev 2, Monster Hunter 4, and monument valley. All are either paid apps or an "ethical" Free to play model. Vainglory and Revolution 60 are example's of games in the pipeline also.

Kurtz79 12y ago

30 years ago it was 1984, and at the time game development was probably more akin to embedded software engineering today, having to program at a very low level of abstraction (if any) from the hardware. It doesn't really seems right comparing game development now and then (or even 15/20 years ago), the amount of advanced tools, public knowledge, step-by-step tutorials available today is something developers of the time could never dream of, and had to learn/build for themselves.

jaegerpicker 12y ago
My point was less about the difference between now and then and more about the built up knowledge base that exists from that much collective experience. Especially about game UI design. Super Mario Brothers (or Quake/Doom or warcraft etc...) has more in common with a more modern AAA game than a touch screen based app when it comes to Player controls and design of the Player interaction. We are only lately really starting to figure out how to make really good serious touch first games. Leo's Fortune, Fates Forever, Thress!, Monument Valley, and Wayword Souls are all great examples of this process. In game play none of them are completely revolutionary but when you combine the touch controls and player interaction with the type of game play they offer, then IMO each of those is a major step forward in game design for touch devices.
- Kurtz79 12y ago
  Yes I got it and I agree with you, my point was that Mobile Game Development, regardless of its relative youth, is evolving at a much faster pace that traditional games have, so comparing them in terms of years is kind of pointless. Genres like real-time strategy, first person shooters, MMOs took years to be "invented", while we see new (and successful) concepts of mobile games basically every month.
  - jaegerpicker 12y ago
    Ah, sorry, I misunderstood your point, Carry on I completely agree then.
  - JetSpiegel 12y ago
    > while we see new (and successful) concepts of mobile games basically every month. With the rise of Free2Pay, and the blight of IAP, I would argue otherwise.
    - jaegerpicker 12y ago
      The app store is certainly starting to move in a different direction. A lot of new games with new models are finding success in the App Store recently. See Fates Forever, wayword souls, leo's fortune, Threes!, Civ Rev 2, Monster Hunter 4, and monument valley. All are either paid apps or an "ethical" Free to play model. Vainglory and Revolution 60 are example's of games in the pipeline also.