The Revolution [1/2]

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Mac OS, Linux, iOS, even Android are pushing into PC gaming in a big way. While iOS and Android may not seem like a contender at first thought, they are taking over that social games and flash games space. Game developers are looking at new operating systems for their big games as well.

Mobile

Once upon a time, flash was as big a deal as javascript or css on web pages. Well maybe not that important, but it was not possible to experience the whole internet without it (an idea some tech companies hold onto). Changing hands from Macromedia to Adobe, it was obvious flash was going to be big. It did what HTML and other embedded video just couldn't and that was provide an easy and cheap way to make a site interactive. These new dynamic interactions saw the expansion of point and click navigation on sites and interactive windows containing videos or games. Who could forget watching NumaNuma, or Shig on albinoblacksheep.com?

Kongregate became a great success followed soon by social outlets like Facebook for the new casual gaming experience. 

Enter the iPhone.

From gsmarena.com

No, not that one. This one.

From gsmarena.com

Games already designed for point and click just seemed to work with touch controls. With the addition of simple conversion tools for iOS and a powerful toolset from Apple the games came fast and easy.

From iTunes

Simple games for a simple platform.

Early on in the iPhone's lifecycle and for some, the iPod Touch, the greatest game options were in the form of simple and painfully addicting games like Cube Runner or Jelly Car... also that bubble paper game. The games were such a step back from flash games and other casual games based on input. Developers just weren't used to the lack of freedom, or more precisely, the lack of restriction with a full multi-touch surface. Before a game's directional controls were simply the arrow keys or WASD but now... do we do a swipe? A flick? Maybe a trace? Perhaps a virtual D-pad or control stick? And what about tilt!?

From iTunes

There has been an evolution, an improvement on the idea of free range of motion. 

Building on what has been learned from things like the Nintendo DS and Wii, developers finally got around to figuring out the best ways to do controls on touch screens. Just look at Infinity Blade on iOS. Besides being a graphics beast, it also shows that the platform is a real and important thing. Good controls and a huge name behind it, success was at their fingertips of anyone looking to get in this business. Many years of work and we finally get to this level of quality, but now we must ask, was it fast enough? Have the others caught up?

Android was not far behind in the games department but seemed to lack a lot of the finess of it's iOS counterpart. The games were often less optimized and laggier on all but high end Android phones.

Free! 

Free games on Android are rarely free. By this I mean they are as free as the rest of the internet. People provide the reader with information and media and pray that they don't have ad-blockers installed and perhaps take an interest in a ad and click it... or as in my Android experience, accidentally graze an ad and then furiously tap the back button. Android games are free in the same sense that a Victoria's Secret ad is a free gentleman's magazine. How much is it worth to the user to know that some of these apps are burning their data in the background ready to throw an ad in game or up on the notification bar? Uninstall.

From Google Play Store

Android did have one benefit of entering the ring after the touch screen controls had some of their details hammered out and refined. It also had the advantage of being far more open than iOS. If a developer couldn't get their app onto the famous app store over at Apple, just throw it up on the Android Market Play Store and if they still can't do that, throw the app online and let the user download it on their own.

Why pop on a PC, open a web browser, type a URL and click through several pages to play a games when the device in user's pocket offers an arguably better experience?

From windowsphone.com

Windows Phone 7 and 8 are honorable mentions because the way Microsoft has implemented Xbox makes it feel like a more complete gaming console. Game Center is trying but still does not have the support of something like Xbox Live.

If someone has a Windows Phone they could be playing and getting achievements for DODONPACHI MAXIMUM. I have to pull out my Sega Saturn and the wonderful 3D controller to play some DODONPACHI. Admittedly, one could get their Cave shmup fill on iOS with Deathsmiles and Espgaluda but there is something remarkable about the high quality games on Zune Windows Phone.

From windowsphone.com

There are some other gems on there like like Z0MB1ES (on teh ph0ne). Similar to Apples iPhone principles in hardware, Microsoft required Windows Phones to have a certain level of hardware power. This helped lead to a standard level of performance for apps as well as a bit of confidence that most users can run it. Hopping on the Google Play Store with anything but a beast phone, one might look at the graphics and say "This game looks beautiful, it probably won't run on my phone, so I'm not going to risk the $5."

Trophievements

My achievements (admit it, you care), my friends list, and a company that has yet to lose my credit card information online. Xbox has a hold on gaming and the trust of many gamers. Imagine telling a COD fan that he can unlock more perks faster by NFC trading on a Windows Phone certain things unlocked in a clever mini game. Or a short range broadcast of that avid gamer's skill levels for those around to arrange a challenge at a later date, or now. How about WoW or TF2? SC2? I know the people that play COD, WoW, and TF2. Those dedicated players want that stuff and if they need a Windows Phone to attach it to their online alias, they will pursue it. Come on, they talk about it so much they have made the acronym a word like a high school kid naming their favorite bands. There is already Xbox Companion, I fear it is only a matter of time.

Windows Phone seems to have a secret focus on gaming that is hidden far behind a layer of very 2D tiles in a world obsessed with skeuomorphism and grids.

This got longer than I thought it would, I would trim some fat if I was writing professionally but here I'll just make a part 2.