This blog post examines whether the success of mobile games stems from portability or intuitive touch-based controls.
The sight of people of all ages playing games on their phones wherever they go has long been commonplace. Mobile games began gaining popularity right from the advent of smartphones. Mobile games have achieved such high status that virtually anyone with a smartphone has tried them. Consequently, the mobile game market is experiencing continuous growth. As smartphone adoption accelerated, mobile games transcended being mere leisure activities and became an indispensable part of daily life. This led people to enjoy games during commutes or brief moments of downtime, contributing to the explosive growth of the mobile game market.
In fact, mobile games are increasingly gaining more popularity than PC online games. Examining the reasons for this popularity reveals the following factors. First, there is the advantage of portability. Due to the nature of computers being difficult to carry, PC games are limited in where they can be played. However, since mobile phones can be carried anywhere at any time, they offer the advantage of being able to play games anywhere. Furthermore, the nature of mobile games, which are not constrained by time or place, aligns well with the busy lifestyles of modern people. The ability to find enjoyment through gaming during short periods like commutes or waiting times is one reason mobile games appeal so strongly to the masses. Additionally, the advancement of data communication has made it possible to access the internet via mobile phones even when outdoors. Mobile games have also evolved beyond being purely single-player experiences, gaining the ability to play online games externally via communication networks.
Second, from a developer’s perspective, creating mobile games is relatively easier. PC game development technologies, such as physics engines and graphics, have continuously advanced over time, and consumers playing these games have also become more discerning as a result of this technological progress. Consequently, latecomers to game development find it increasingly difficult to bridge this technological gap, and the costs of developing the necessary technology to catch up inevitably rise. In contrast, mobile games have relatively lower barriers to entry compared to PC games, making development easier. This has opened new opportunities, particularly for independent developers. A market emerged where success was achievable even with creative ideas and limited resources, leading to the emergence of diverse genres and styles of games. Investment in mobile games increases because they offer the potential for high returns relative to their relatively low development costs.
Third, mobile games also dominate in terms of accessibility. Installing a game application on a mobile phone is simpler than installing a game on a computer. Furthermore, the emergence of social games, which facilitate interaction with friends, makes it easier to obtain information about games through friends. The popularity of these social games stems from their ability to transcend being a solitary pastime, offering an expanded experience through interaction and competition with friends. The tension and enjoyment arising from cooperating or competing with friends within the game act as key factors encouraging users to access the game more frequently.
The reasons for mobile game success, as commonly perceived, can be seen as outlined above. However, these perspectives are mostly viewed from the standpoint of mobile games’ marketability. Here, we aim to examine characteristics of mobile games that differ from these perspectives. Among these, we will approach the control methods of mobile games, particularly smartphones.
Video games before PC games relied on a single controller for all operations. All actions were performed using just a few buttons. While sufficient for game controls, this presented the limitation that players could only move as dictated by the game screen. Then, as personal computers (PCs) became widespread, PC games gained popularity, utilizing mouse and keyboard controls. This allowed players to move the screen more freely according to their desires. The mouse, in particular, played a significant role in enabling intuitive movement and control within the screen. Yet, gamers still felt inconvenience. People wanted to move the game themselves but still felt something was lacking. Amidst this, touch-based devices emerged, most notably the smartphone. Now, players could directly touch the screen to control the game. Smartphones took control methods a step further, offering intuitive and immediate responses. Moving characters with a single finger or executing complex commands with simple hand gestures allowed users to enjoy a more intuitive and immersive gaming experience. This way of interacting with games, allowing players to take more direct control, is emerging as a new approach. Mobile games are gaining prominence precisely because they satisfy this desire to actively move the game yourself.
The Nintendo DS game console first appeared in Japan in 2004 and became a worldwide sensation. While various factors, including aggressive marketing, are cited for the Nintendo DS’s success, one key element was its touch-based control scheme—rare at the time. Since touch-enabled devices were scarce, nearly all games relied solely on fixed buttons for input. However, by introducing touch controls, the Nintendo DS offered a novel way to play by directly interacting with the screen. This instilled in consumers the perception that it was differentiated from existing game consoles. Users found it highly appealing because it enabled more intuitive controls—such as characters moving simply by touching the game screen. The success of the Nintendo DS significantly influenced the control methods of other game consoles and smartphones released afterward. As touch controls evolved beyond mere novelty to become a fundamental gaming mechanism, they established a new standard across the entire gaming industry. Subsequently, as touch recognition technology advanced, smartphones and mobile games also adopted and refined these evolved touch-based control methods. Consequently, players gained greater freedom to control games as they desired, leading consumers to pay increased attention to mobile gaming.
People naturally desire greater freedom in their activities. People also possess the desire for things to go their way. These fundamental human desires can be easily satisfied through games. The feeling of being able to control everything, even if only in a virtual world, provides a sense of satisfaction difficult to achieve in reality. A game can be considered successful if it effectively stimulates these inner desires and enables their fulfillment. Mobile games succeeded precisely because the touch interface could stimulate this innate desire for free activity.
