Editor’s Take: Phone apps progress gaming medium

By Jack Howorth
Arts Editor

With modern society moving at such a fast pace, it only makes sense that gaming moves along with it.

Portable devices now offer gamers the chance to play their favorite games right from the palm of their hand. Phone applications have become a form of entertainment and gaming that delivers high quality graphics and innovative gameplay mechanics that rival traditional gaming consoles.

Apple’s release of the iPhone in 2007 launched a new era of portable gaming. People could play hundreds of games all with the same device. Although, in the beginning, the games were simplistic, they quickly developed into complex video games.

The graphics in the newer applications continue to meet the high standard that is expected of a modern-day console game. Games such as “Infinity Blade 3” deliver outstanding graphics that make the entire game more enjoyable. Now, with the simple click of a button, people have access to hundreds of different games that feature graphics equaling popular consoles.

Modern apps also vary in genre and play style, creating a diverse gaming experience. That may be the greatest wonder of the modern app: there is an app for everyone. This diversity will completely change the face of the gaming industry, which will eventually lead to companies creating game series that are tailored to only handheld devices.

However, with games on mobile devices, there remains one huge problem: microtransactions. These in-app purchases are sometimes required to continue to play a game. Due to the addictive quality of modern applications, gamers do not hesitate to spend up to $100 to advance their position in the game. This creates a negative image for the app industry as a whole. In order for the medium to grow, apps should only cost an initial amount, as more and more gamers will cease playing mobile applications because of the high cost of them.

Despite the exploitation of the gamer, games on mobile devices have still become a legitimate new form of playing video games. With their innovative gameplay and high-resolution graphics, apps provide hours of entertainment to gamers worldwide. The mobility of modern games continues to meet the demands of a mobile modern society and has successfully ushered in a new era of gaming.