There’s no denying the widespread popularity of mobile games nowadays. After all, there’s the unmistakable allure of being able to play your favorite games anytime and anywhere. There’s Candy Crush, arguably the game that put mobile gaming on the map. After that came more and more popular apps that everybody just couldn’t get enough of. Later on, even big-name game companies started to op on the trend make mobile games as well. Capcom’s Ace Attorney series got ported, as well as some Final Fantasy titles. Original games such as Pokémon GO or Fallout Shelter also came into the scene and further blew up the mobile gaming industry. Then there was the sensational Battle Royal titles Fortnite and PUBG.
Why are mobile games so popular? What makes them so good at grabbing—and keeping—the attention of players? We’ll explore the answers to those questions in this article. With Path of Exile joining the stage, here are some reasons to enjoy collecting PoE currency at Playerauctions!
1. Portability and Availability
If you’re reading this, chances are you have a phone. Maybe you’re even reading this very article on it. At any rate, phones are ubiquitous. That means anyone who owns one has the chance to download these games and play them—whenever wherever! A majority of the apps are even free, which widens its availability even further. What’s more, you never leave home without your phone, which makes you able to game on-the-go. You can just pull out your phone, start a game up and play! And unlike the rigidity you get on console of PC gaming, you aren’t tied down because you can put your phone down at any time at all without having to worry about the loss of in-game progress!
One big disadvantage of console gaming is the inability to bring them along on trips. That’s why Nintendo’s portable gaming devices were so popular. This dates back to the old-school when you had the Gameboy, which eventually evolved into the DS, 2DS, and 3DS. However, they don’t provide the same depth of graphics and complexity as console games do. The company solved that with their newest hybrid console, the Switch. The real turning point, however, was when people started developing games for their mobile phones.
This seemingly innocent trend brought forth a deluge of titles and tipped the tides of the gaming world exponentially. Sure, there was no competing with console and PC games in terms of graphics and hardware power, but it gave people the option to take bite-sized games and enjoy them any time they want. Let’s admit it. People these days are always on the go. Rarely will you find folks who are perennially glued to where they are. And this is further enhanced by the fact that everyone has phones.
The presence of mobile gaming is so prevalent these days. That’s because of another of their characteristics explained in the next section.
2. Time
Time is such a precious resource. As such, you don’t want to waste it. Between work and social life, you gotta find the right balance. Throw in your hobbies and interests—gaming included—and you could easily see your time management skills go by the wayside. One pitfall of console gaming is that it sucks out the ability of players to keep track of time. Going deeper into your adventures, you may start saying “I’ll stop at the next boss” or “After I finish this section”. These, of course, fall under the category “famous last lines”. ‘Coz if you defeat the boss or finish the section and you will almost certainly find it difficult to put your controller down and stop. Before you even realize it, you’ve already spent a whole hour or even the entire day sitting in front of the screen! Who has been guilty of this? We sure have!
Mobile apps have the advantage of letting you start and stop playing whenever you want to. They’re designed for short bursts of play. For example, most puzzle apps have relatively short levels. You can solve one quite easily and move on, stopping whenever you get stumped. Generally, you can start and stop at any time, though some might require you to repeat part of a level upon your return. Even in such cases, you don’t really feel the sting of the lack of in-game progress as you would in console or pc games.
3. Fun Factor
The final point is this: they’re fun to play! There’s a game for any preference. Apps are quite diverse, from the classic match-three puzzle games to action-packed shooters. In between, you get some life simulations, other kinds of puzzles, collection games, and more. You’re sure to find something you’d enjoy among all the apps in the store. And of course, you get the titles that were originally meant for console or PC format but are making their way into the mobile niche market.
Sure, the medium kind of limits mobile games. However, most mobile gamers don’t really need fancy graphics or sweeping epic storylines. As long as the game is fun, there will be people who will download it and play. Now that Path of Exile is coming to mobile, soon you’ll be able to gather PoE currency as you travel. It comes with the bonus of the above characteristics as well.
For now, continue enjoying Path of Exile on PC, Xbox, and PS4!
