If you, like me remember the early games that were included with the first mobile phones you may still be somewhat blown away by what smartphones can do now. Games such as the original Snake, which featured a very simple design, were hugely popular.
The idea of things such as mobile phone online multiplayer games were a fantasy at that time, likewise the idea that a person might be able to play casino games for real money in the palm of their hand. The wireless data connections at the time were, after all, so slow that transferring complex game data was impossible. But technology advanced rapidly from that point, and it was not long before colour screens were introduced.
Early Modern Mobile Games
Game developers soon grasped the idea that mobile phones were going to be the hot new game platform, and as colour screens began to emerge, so too did the first colour games. The trouble was, however, that there was no real standard for mobile phone technology at the time, and developing a game that was accessible to all phone models was near impossible.
The hardware was wide spread and differed between one model phone and another, with some phones having more storage space then others, and almost all having different button layouts. This meant that game developers were afraid to invest too much money, since the game was basically guaranteed to only see limited success.
Even so, a number of interesting and creative games were released, some of which survive today in re-mastered versions. It would still be, however, a few years before the real mobile phone application explosion occurred.
The Mobile Revolution
Soon afterward the advent of colour screens, the power of the average hand held device began to spike to dramatic levels. Mobile phones evolved into something more akin to a hand held computer, and it was also around this time that wireless data speeds took an astronomical leap forward.
Referred to as 3G, it was now feasible to stream a movie in real time, with high quality resolution, directly to your phone. Hence, multiple doors were opened and the potential was impossible to ignore. New mobile phone games began to emerge from the woodwork. From classic old games like Sonic the Hedgehog suddenly becoming available to play right on your phone, to entirely new game concepts that rivalled the home gaming consoles of the time. It seemed like nothing was impossible with the shiny new device in your hand. It was also around this time that digital casinos began to get involved in the market, and the first few online casino games became available. Sadly, it was also around this time that intrusive adverts began to find their way into mobile games, which, as we all know, remain to this very day. This is perhaps one of the less desirable side effects that occurred during the evolution of mobile phone applications.
The Present And Future
Nowadays 3G is considered to be slow, and a mobile phone that supports only 3G is all but obsolete. This is the era of 4G, and even 5G, where the numbers of megabits transferred per second have begun to seem infeasible.
Likewise, the processing power and storage space of a modern mobile phone has advanced to a level where the statistics blur, and start becoming incomprehensible. The games available are basically indistinguishable from those played on dedicated game consoles, and youngsters can be seen racing photo realistic cars down stunningly realistic city streets. As far as mobile casino games are concerned, they are as advanced as you could hope for, sporting stunning graphics, amazing special effects and animations, and enchanting soundtracks.
So the only question that remains is this; where will it all go in the future? This question is not an easy one to answer, since it seems like everything has already advanced to its natural peak. Do we really need data transfer to be any faster then it currently is? Can graphics be any better, to any significant degree that matters?
With a bit of research, it can be seen that developers are leaning towards virtual reality, and what is referred to as a holographic interface. It is all speculation and rumours at the moment, but the next mobile phone leap in technology seems to be one that will involve an eyepiece. Fancy controlling your online game of poker via a holographic interface that hovers before your eyes? It may well be possible soon, and the implications are certainly exciting to imagine.
The great thing about technology, however, is that it is moving incredibly fast and progress has been made at a rapid rate. So whether the future of mobile apps includes holographic images, VR, AR or any other exciting developments, we’re sure to see it in the next few years!
If you, like me remember the early games that were included with the first mobile phones you may still be somewhat blown away by what smartphones can do now. Games such as the original Snake, which featured a very simple design, were hugely popular.
The idea of things such as mobile phone online multiplayer games were a fantasy at that time, likewise the idea that a person might be able to play casino games for real money in the palm of their hand. The wireless data connections at the time were, after all, so slow that transferring complex game data was impossible. But technology advanced rapidly from that point, and it was not long before colour screens were introduced.
