The Game Dame™

According to Parks Associates’ The New Frontier: Portable and Mobile Gaming, consumers aren’t interested in anything more than casual gaming on their mobile phones. (“It’s not you, phone… I just… I just don’t want anything serious right now. We have so much fun together. Why do you have to make this so hard?!” ahem… anyway…) Despite recent company efforts to introduce more advanced games and features to the platform, mobile phone gamers are way more interested in a quick casual game than they are in epic adventures.

“In the mobile gaming industry, consumer awareness lags behind technological advancements,” said Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Director, Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates. “New 3D and multiplayer mobile games look great in demos, but casual games are where the money is and will be for the next few years.”

According to the report, fewer than 10% of on-the-go Internet gamers want to play core or console-centric games on a mobile phone, compared with 55% who want to play puzzle and card games on mobile phones and more than 30% who want word and arcade games.

While casual gaming beats out advanced gaming on mobile phones, more than 30% of those interested in gaming on-the-go are interested in playing sports and action/adventure games on a portable game player, and another 29% and 27% are interested in playing driving/flying games and first-person shooter games on portable devices.

“Portable game players will maintain strong growth momentum because they provide an experience yet to be matched by mobile phones,” Cai said. “Next-generation players will likely include mobile broadband, which would enhance their value proposition.”

It seems pretty simple to me … I don’t want to play games on my mobile phone that require more controls than the up, down, left, right and enter. If you start creating more advanced games, you start needing more controls and it’s hard enough to play without getting hand cramps as it is (Damn you, Diner Dash 2!!!!). Plus, if I’m playing on my mobile phone, chances are I’m waiting in the Dr’s office or in line somewhere boring and I need a game I can drop at any moment without feeling gypped. When it comes to my mobile phone games, all I need is good ole’ mindless, timewasting entertainment. No need to complicate things. We’ve got plenty of consoles for that.