Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Game depth
Generally speaking, mobile games tend not to have much longevity, when compared
to titles, such as Dragon Age or Fallout 3. There are several reasons for this, the
most obvious one being the (usually) simple mechanics mobile games are built
around.
We don't mean that players cannot play Fruit Ninja or Angry Birds for a total of 60
hours or so, but it's not very likely that the average casual player will spend even
10 hours to unfold the story that may be told in a mobile game. At five hours of
total gameplay, the player must in fact complete 120 two and a half minute save
games. At 50 hours of the total gameplay, the player must complete 1200 two and a
half minute save games. Are you sure your gameplay is sustainable over 1200 save
game points?
Mobile environment
Mobile games are frequently played outdoors, in crowded, noisy, and even "shifting"
or "scuffling" environments. Such factors must be considered while designing a mo-
bile game.
Does direct sunlight prevent players from understanding what's happening on the
screen? Does a barking dog prevent the players from listening to important game in-
structions? Does the gameplay require control finesse and pixel precision to perform
actions?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you should iterate a little more around
your design because these are all factors which could sink the success of your
product.
Smartphones
Smartphones are still phones, after all. It is thus necessary that mobile games can
handle unexpected events, which may occur while playing on your phone: incoming
calls and messages, automatic updates, automatic power management utilities that
activate alarms.
