It wasn’t all that long ago that mobile gaming and gaming, more broadly, were two separate things. Mobile gaming referred to gaming that you did on a phone or mobile device, while gaming involved playing a video game on a computer or home/handheld console. The lines are blurred now because classic series that we all know and love - and are near and dear to our hearts - are going mobile on the regular… but should they?
When Mobile Gaming Collided With AAA Series
Although the history of AAA series colliding worlds with mobile gaming isn’t framed with total clarity, some of the combination’s earliest titles include a Dead Rising port on mobile devices, as well as Resident Evil: Mercenaries Vs., Resident Evil Assault The Nightmare, and Metal Gear Solid Mobile. There are more early mobile AAA game series entries, but these are some examples of mainstream series that decided to go mobile, for better or worse.
The Trend Continues
Since then, the trend of popular game series seeing mobile releases has only increased over time. When Super Mario Run debuted in 2016, it was largely met with praise as a worthy entry in the sidescrolling series. Of course, the mobile installments in two of Mario’s spinoff franchises, Mario Kart Tour and Dr. Mario World, weren’t as well reviewed. This is due in part to a flurry of microtransactions. Yet, these three games go to show that Nintendo took its Mario brand and ran with it on mobile devices.
Overall, 2016’s Pokémon GO may be one of mobile gaming’s biggest successes when it comes to AAA franchises on mobile franchises. Many still play the popular AR game to this day on both a competitive and recreational basis. Further, it has benefitted developer Niantic and Nintendo in the long run due to its charm and its use of AR technology, which may be an educational tool to those unfamiliar with the technology. Nonetheless, Pokémon saw a solid transition with its mobile installment.
Plenty of other mainstream series have gone mobile as well. While Mario and Pokémon stand out due to their status in the gaming industry, other franchises like Hitman, Final Fantasy, GTA, Fallout, Gears of War, Call of Duty, The Sims, The Elder Scrolls, and Tomb Raider have all gone mobile to some extent. Even Crash Bandicoot has launched on mobile devices in certain countries.
One could even argue that games like Fortnite have held their own thanks to the sustainability of mobile devices that, more or less, allow for constant play given a steady power source.
What Does It Say About The Gaming Industry?
As mobile gaming appears to be here to stay and appears to be growing beyond that, there’s no denying that more and more AAA franchises will get their go on mobile devices. Whether that will come in the form of The Legend of Zelda, Uncharted, or Halo, more popular series will likely see releases made for iOS and Android devices. So, it doesn’t seem like a matter of if, but when.
Gaming has long been relegated to its own realm. Largely, it’s been a “church and state” thing with little interference of gaming with other technologies, even if Doom has been proven to work on unthinkable appliances. But by bringing existing series to mobile platforms, publishers and developers are capitalizing on a broader market, forcing competitors to join the fray and perhaps round up prospective gamers.
And it’s no wonder that publishers are cozying up with mobile platforms, as 33% of all app downloads belong to those of mobile games.
This isn’t to say whether the trend is good or bad. Gaming has gone in many controversial directions before with outcomes that didn’t necessarily hurt gaming irreversibly. Plus, the mobile model seems to be more peripheral beyond anything. In other words, a franchise can get its share of the mobile pie but otherwise continue to enjoy the tried-and-true success of gaming consoles.
When Can It Go Good Or Bad?
Evidently, there are examples of AAA games that went mobile and saw utmost success where others were failures. The aforementioned Fortnite and PUBG, for instance, are both exceptionally successful due to their special degree of success on mobile platforms. The two games have an uncanny ability to keep some players wrangled in, and as mobile platforms essentially allow for gaming at all times, both games’ models are highly sustainable. This is especially true given that the gameplay doesn’t suffer too much for the downscale.
However, mobile transitions can certainly go wrong. Cooking Mama: Let’s cook! wasn’t exactly viewed as an example. Rather, it failed where installments on other handheld gaming devices (mostly) succeeded. Its original Nintendo DS never went beyond its simple premise of participating in an assortment cooking mini-games, and it was all the better for it. The mobile iteration doesn’t live up to the Nintendo DS original.
A Mobile Future
There doesn’t appear to be a future in which more series don’t go mobile. Call of Duty: Mobile’s recent release will likely encourage other publishers like EA to fund projects such as a Battlefield mobile title. With other possibilities for mobile tie-ins or, better yet, creative extensions to existing series mobile platforms will not excuse themselves where big franchises are concerned. It’s just a matter of crossing one’s fingers that a mobile installment adds value to a strong series.
