Posted December 31, 1969 by Brian Callam

Gaming in mobile devices, such as cellular phones, is heading in two major directions: hardcore games (RPGs, MMORPGs) and casual games(Tetris).

Emphasis is shifting towards producing games that are more casual and easier to play as to target a larger group, because that is what brings the money in for these companies. 2.2 billion people in the world have a cellular phone and 1.7 million of those users take advantage of the games available through these outlets. Part of this target group is 25-40 year old women, which make up the majority of gamers on mobile devices.

The processors in today?s cellular phones are equivalent to those used in desktop computers in the early 1990's. Newer cellular phones that will be coming on the market in the near future will have advanced to the point that their processors will be similar to a Pentium. The advancement in the chip-set of these phones will allow for greater advancements in gaming on mobile devices. Location based games, such as a treasure hunt in which you move around the area you are to find the hidden treasure and items, are among many that will become possible with the advancements in the processors.

According to Kah from Telecom out of South Korea, "It's [mobile gaming] not a big thing...You look at what's sexy out there." Even with new processors and 3D accelerators gaming on mobile devices will not become the main focus of these companies, because phones are made for communication first and gaming second. Even so, the mobile companies will continue to develop gaming abilities on their devices.