Mobile technology is transforming how we game, and while many argue that phones are destroying our social lives we are in fact interacting more with other like minded gamers as we challenge each other to games and some are even encouraging us to get outside more!
Franchises have seen the value in gaming apps, offering free downloadable games that feature plenty of potential for in app purchases which have the potential to earn them lots of money – Candy Crush, for example, earns $5.67m in revenue. So let’s take a look at the top game franchises that have made the move to mobile and what they have to offer:
Pokemon
While the Nintendo brand has always created games for mobile platforms – i.e. the Gameboy and Nintendo DS systems – its recent app release is one of its biggest hits yet, with thousands of people downloading Pokemon Go and actually stepping outside the house to go on walks to find their favourite pocket monsters (and people have been finding them in strange places). The move to mobile has been a successful one for Nintendo; their shares have soared since Pokemon Go’s release and the brand also saw success earlier in the year with its social networking app, Miitomo.
Lara Croft
Who’d have thought that the triangle-shaped boobed brunette would find a place on mobile? But Lara Craft Go’s release last year was met with rapturous applause, as people enjoyed a more puzzle like style of gameplay. However, Square Enix also treated us to a faster paced Lara app game as well – Lara Croft: Relic Run – taking on the principles of the well known Temple Run game, where players must swipe their finger forward, left and right to navigate Lara through a maze like platform, avoiding traps and shooting down weird lizard like creatures, all while picking up artifacts and treasures along the way.
Minecraft
The pixelated PC game became a huge hit when people started creating masterpieces on private servers and now a ‘pocket edition’ of the game is available on the app store. It isn’t a free download, so essentially works as an extension of the game you already play, which is great if you just can’t get enough of mining away for hours on end and building dirt palaces – just be sure to take your portable charger along with you because it’s a game that is sure to consume battery quickly.
We’re seeing more and more franchises making the transition to mobile alongside their usual releases, ready to compete with the likes of bingo promotions on traditional gambling game apps and Kim Kardashian’s app game that brings in millions of dollars. It’s an exciting time for game developers, as technology advances and they have the opportunity to create stunning, high res games to complement the innovative mobile tech many of us now carry around.
