This might seem a little contradictory but bear with us. The next few years are looking to open mobile devices up to an entirely new level of gaming through the application of game streaming. This technology, as marked by systems like Google Stadia, will effectively allow any game to be played on mobiles with sufficiently fast internet.
Basically, as long as your phone has a strong internet connection, you can play anything. While this could have a profound effect on the greater gaming infrastructure, right now we want to look at something a little more specific – which games might translate best?
XCOM – TRPG
Tactical RPGs are a safe bet because this form of play does not rely on fast reflexes, thus it should play well even on the more unreliable end of the internet spectrum. The XCOM games are one of the best in AAA TRPGs, and a simple touch-screen interface could make this some of the most playable on the go.
“XCOM: Troop Times 1-05” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by pepoluan
We put this first on the list because it already relates to simile efforts by others in gaming and iGaming. The Play Store by Google offers some major TRPG releases such as Fire Emblem Heroes already, and these show just how well this genre works on mobile.
Similarly, online casino games also operate with this form of convenient stop-and-go nature. You can read more in this (Norwegian) review, but the general idea is that modern online casino games like blackjack, roulette, and slots, already owe some of their success to dedicated mobile integration.
In terms of genre and hardware relationships, these are best in business.
Destiny – Online FPS Gaming
This is where we start to diverge. The opportunity for online FPS games for mobile has existed for years, but these games have not always performed well. Generally, this is due to an issue of control. While some touch-screen players have learned to dominate, many of us feel limited and cramped by this simplistic input.
“Destiny 2_20180112164912” (CC BY 2.0) by Ferino Design
Instead, this new form of online gaming would be best off with a secondary dedicated controller. These already exist over Bluetooth or wired connections and could make all the difference.
We choose Destiny as a likely series here because the focus is on PvE combat. This tends to be a little less stressful than PvP, and would probably be the best way to ease into this form of gaming until the infrastructure has its bumps ironed out.
MMORPGs
MMORPGs come with significant potential but are also a genre hampered by mobile input restrictions. Using a touch-screen for games with dozens of UI elements is not ideal, after all.
“2013 E3 – FFXIV A Realm Reborn Banner” (CC BY 2.0) by – EMR –
The saving grace for MMORPGs comes from the progress which games like Final Fantasy 11 and 14 have made in gamepad control. As with FPS games, this would require bringing a controller with you, but it beats the alternatives of cramping hands with overly complex touch-controls or lugging a mouse and keyboard around.
A Matter of Adaption
While the promise held by this technology is immense, a lot of the potential enjoyment we might receive comes down to the work of those who develop the games. Many games, like the ones we’ve touched on above, can already translate easily, but what of those which don’t?
If game-streaming takes off, could we expect more developers and publishers to put greater emphasis on creating compatible input schemes to improve the mobile experience? Ultimately, this should depend on the technology’s overall success, and on that front, it should not take long to see which way the wind is blowing.
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