Support NeoGAF

[Drizzlehell]

I usually avoid that side of the hobby but since I just got a new smartphone the other day, it gave me an opportunity to try out some games that mildly piqued my interest in the past but I couldn't play them before. Including Homeworld Mobile.

Even though it clearly said that it's an MMO, so I knew not to expect the same kind of experience as with regular HW games, I was still fairly impressed by the opening missions. Dare I say, they pretty much nailed the look, sound and feel of Homeworld, and there were even those black and white cutscenes and bits of lore sprinkled in that actually made my heart skip a beat because it felt like playing a new Homeworld game.

So okay, even if the rest of it is just PvE grinding with minimal storytelling, I'm on board with this. Seems like a nice little game to tap away at from time to time. But then, barely 30 minutes in, I'm assaulted with this:

Now, this isn't my first rodeo. I expected something like this might happen. I guess I was just hoping that maybe this will be one of those games that isn't so aggressive about its predatory monetisation. I also know how games like that operate. They waste several hours of your time by getting you comfortable with the mechanics until you're so into the game that it would be harder to put it down. And that's when they go for the jugular - either pay for booster packs to break through the difficulty ceiling or quit playing.

The reason why it's so disheartening is that so many mobile games are like this. Pretty much the only time you can expect a normal-ass game that you pay for upfront and then don't have to worry about MTX, is if it's a port of some old PC or arcade game. There are almost no original games here that wouldn't employ the same predatory monetisation scheme and I dread to think that console or PC gaming might end up being the same in the future. This is awful.

 

[Lupin3]

They are not games, just glorified cash deposit applications. Every single one of those disgusting MTX ridden abominations.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Depending if your smartphone is an Android or an iPhone I'll recommend subbing to either Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade (lots of good stuff on their respective game catalogues). If you're subbing to Netlix you also have access to some very good indie games for free on your mobile, including the recently released Oxenfree II: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/121442

 

[Banjo64]

Only game that ever grabbed me was Clash of Clans. Fun for short bursts, no adverts, warfare reminds me of a really basic mobile version of Stronghold. Also Pokémon Go has captured my 4 year old.

 

[Robb]

Get used to it. Soon high profile devs might realize they can’t put out “real” games for $70 on smartphones and instead start to make more episodic titles or straight up make the games we love free-to-play-MTX-abominations that launch on both console/smartphones simultaneously instead of being separate titles like today.

 

[AV]

We've got a family friend with a daughter who came over recently, think she's about 13. Was showing me this driving game on her phone. Actually looked pretty nice for a phone game, and she seemed really good at it. Thought I'd give it a try.

That's when I realised the game does 90% of the acceleration and steering for you. You're almost watching a movie and you basically can't lose... until you start getting into the later races and your car doesn't cut it, so you have to buy more parts.

Thankfully she stays away from all that shit and does also play "proper" games like Mario Kart and FIFA, but you're right, depressing is the word I'd use. She didn't seem to realise just how much she wasn't actually playing a game.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Get used to it. Soon high profile devs might realize they can’t put out “real” games for $70 on smartphones and instead start to make more episodic titles or straight up make the games we love free-to-play-MTX-abominations that launch on both console/smartphones simultaneously instead of being separate titles like today.

Well, the good thing is that shit like this won't fly on stationary platforms for as long as the majority of player base remembers the good old days when video games weren't microtransaction-riddled filth. I think the reason why mobile gaming was allowed to spin out of control so much is because it's main target audience are casual non-gamers who didn't know any better. My 70 year old aunt is tapping away at those stupid games so that should tell you something, lol.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Depending if your smartphone is an Android or an iPhone I'll recommend subbing to either Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade (lots of good stuff on their respective game catalogues). If you're subbing to Netlix you also have access to some very good indie games for free on your mobile, including the recently released Oxenfree II: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/121442

Oh cool, I didn't even know that. Thanks for the tip.

I'm installing Into The Breach now, lol.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Depending if your smartphone is an Android or an iPhone I'll recommend subbing to either Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade (lots of good stuff on their respective game catalogues). If you're subbing to Netlix you also have access to some very good indie games for free on your mobile, including the recently released Oxenfree II: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/121442

This man speaks the truth.

I have Apple Arcade and all the games are mtx free. Big difference.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

 

[Robb]

Well, the good thing is that shit like this won't fly on stationary platforms for as long as the majority of player base remembers the good old days when video games weren't microtransaction-riddled filth. I think the reason why mobile gaming was allowed to spin out of control so much is because it's main target audience are casual non-gamers who didn't know any better. My 70 year old aunt is tapping away at those stupid games so that should tell you something, lol.

I hope you’re right. Although I kinda feel we’re slowly getting there with the biggest games today being free-to-play stuff like Fortnite and FIFA/FC being an annual slot machine for kids etc. etc.

The audience on phones is pretty much infinitely bigger so why not build your game for that platform first and foremost in the future and then also release it on other platforms.

 

[gaming_again]

Bleak Sword is the only good mobile game. It’s coming out on console at some point anyway.

 

[Gandih42]

Ugh, just that interface makes me cringe. It's so out of place in a videogame, or rather, should be. I get that free games need to make back money somehow, but I feel the root of the problem has much more to do with the fact that this style of monetisation tends to pay off more - or at least has the potential to pay off way more. At the cost of a fun well designed game that does not need to forcibly try and consume all your waking hours. To the point where mobile game design is completely infested by it.

I feel a part of the blame lies in completely uncurated App stores that has allowed App prices to race to the bottom, where its free-to-play or die. In that respect, I must commend Apple for the Apple Arcade. At least from what I've heard, it is curated REAL games which survives because you also pay a REAL but affordable price of entry.

I personally don't like playing games on a Smartphone, but there's absolutely no reason why you couldn't make great videogames designed around it's specified limitations. Aside from the barbaric world of free-to-play Apps fighting each other to the death.

 

[winjer]

That's because they are not games. They are unregulated casinos in disguise.

 

[Elysion]

I sometimes wonder whether this turn toward mtx hell in the mobile space was inevitable, or if it would’ve been possible for mobile gaming to evolve along similar lines as traditional handheld gaming. I didn’t pay much attention to mobile gaming back when it first became big in the early 2010s, but were mobile games always like this? I was under the impression that, at least in the early days, mobile games were more like normal games that you payed for upfront. Maybe proper curation from Apple and Google could’ve prevented this…

 

[Unknown Soldier]

There's plenty of good games on mobile but you'll never hear about it on GAF

 

[SHA]

It's more depressing when you see the younger generations engage with this business model and find it reasonable, I actually fear our differences with them.

 

[RoboFu]

Those things are in a lot of console games as well, just not as in your face.

 

[crackajack]

It's more depressing when you see the younger generations engage with this business model and find it reasonable, I actually fear our differences with them.

In all fairness, asking for 70$ for a non sequel game you may or may not like is kinda more a blind bet than allowing some hours of progress (aka luring you in) and then ask "if you enjoy it, pay us". If you genuinely did not, than just say fuck off, I am done. But just bending over seems easier for many, or they actually enjoyed it and want to spent more on that than on "regular" games which may be entirely reasonable.

Depends of course on the sum. Those 9,99 car skin hero etc packs are often quite crazy when full (older) games can cost as much and on top of a regular starting price.

The impending fusion of consoles, handhelds, PC and mobile together with sub services will make that modell even more interesting. No to just a relatively small entry fee upfront but costs later on. We are still in a MAU securing phase on consoles but mobile games are how they are because it already works there.

 

[Doctor Hades]

I despise mobile gaming personally. I just see them as fee-to-pay grindy-garbage that is infested with microtransactions and/or adverts.

I also think that their success is why console and PC videogames have loot boxes and microtransactions up to their eyeballs. The only difference is that on consoles and PC it is worst because you are paying £50+ for these games even though some of them feel like they should be free-to-play mobile games.

 

[Con_Z_ǝdʇ]

There are still cool mobile games out there without a specific scheme of monetization or adds. Just gotta keep looking a bit deeper.

 

[StereoVsn]

There are some decent older games you can buy still. SE has bunch of older FF, Chrono, and more available. There is Ghost Trick and AA games from Capcom, Civ 6/Tropico/Xcom 1&2, Divinity OS2, BG1&2, Planescape and NW, KOTOR, and a few other good older games. Oh, Steins Gate is in English and both Elite and non elite versions are available.

Plus as mentioned above, Apple Arcade, Google Pass and Netflix games are there with a sub. Otherwise it’s a barren hellhole of MTX and Gatcha games.

 

[Rudius]

Smartphone gaming is emulator + controller.

The rest is trash.

 

[Interfectum]

Apple Arcade is pretty great if you have iOS devices.

Zero MTX or ads.

 

[Drizzlehell]

I sometimes wonder whether this turn toward mtx hell in the mobile space was inevitable, or if it would’ve been possible for mobile gaming to evolve along similar lines as traditional handheld gaming. I didn’t pay much attention to mobile gaming back when it first became big in the early 2010s, but were mobile games always like this? I was under the impression that, at least in the early days, mobile games were more like normal games that you payed for upfront. Maybe proper curation from Apple and Google could’ve prevented this…

To my limited knowledge that I've had by loosely following this market over the years, this state of things has been the norm for quite a while now. At least since the first half of 2010s - for example, the much-lambasted Dungeon Keeper mobile came out in 2013, and it became legendary for its aggressive pay-to-play monetisation. Also, I think there used to be more games that were free but monetised through ads and not MTX, and paid games were just normal games, albeit more primitive due to weaker hardware.

Overall, greed has infested that market pretty early on but there were still some occasional games that were worth the hassle and didn't try to vacuum money from your wallet. The potential for fun handheld games is huge here, in part due to the unique hardware limitations like touch screen controls, but it's been pretty much wasted by unchecked capitalism, lol.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

The depressing thing is that the Japanese come to like mobile games. I dislike them, I even had to buy Megaman x Dive on Steam because I hate playing it on mobile.

 

[Drizzlehell]

It's more depressing when you see the younger generations engage with this business model and find it reasonable, I actually fear our differences with them.

Yeah, that's why I think that things may eventually change so much that console gaming will be pretty much indistinguishable from what's happening on mobile now. They just have to wait for us old fucks to die off or abandon gaming, so that zoomers could take over completely and play nothing but CoD and Fortnite. That's when the descent into mobile gaming hell will be complete and we'll have nothing but MTX-riddled trash, with a normal game coming out every once in a blue moon by some indie studio.

 

[Mephisto40]

Ban all games with "mobile" at the end of their name

 

[Magic Carpet]

I want a filter in the Apple App store that completely deletes any and every gaming "Get" (with in app purchase).
That 'Get' button is at the heart of why mobile gaming is depressing.

I'm going to buy the Resident Evil 4. I want something other than Anime Gotcha Impact to play on my brand new iPhone.

 

[SCB3]

A decent Mobile game imo is Marvel Snap, easy to pick up and play, only MTX in game is for cosmetics to change how a card looks and plenty of freebies, there is a BP if you want it but its completely optional tbh

 

[BennyBlanco]

In the early days of mobile there were some promising games. It all went to shit once devs figured out the meta for extracting the most money out of suckers.



I loved this shit on my iPhone 4. Square was out there making old school turn based JRPGs with no microtransactions (that I remember anyway).

 

[a multicultural team of v]

The depressing thing is that the Japanese come to like mobile games. I dislike them, I even had to buy Megaman x Dive on Steam because I hate playing it on mobile.

Yeah, it is pretty fucked that Japanese and other Asian countries are both where the last remnants of traditional console/PC "non-AAA Western style" game development is occurring, and also are the most obsessed countries with mobile gaming lootboxes.

God help us gamers when they go full lootbox.

 

[AlteredForms]

Is Gameloft still copying other people’s ideas? Now there’s some classic mobile gaming for those that know.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Is Gameloft still copying other people’s ideas? Now there’s some classic mobile gaming for those that know.

Gameloft ruled. Their GTA clone and WoW clone were hilarious. And their baseball game has to be one of my most played mobile games back in the day.

 

[Utamaru1706]

I sometimes wonder whether this turn toward mtx hell in the mobile space was inevitable, or if it would’ve been possible for mobile gaming to evolve along similar lines as traditional handheld gaming. I didn’t pay much attention to mobile gaming back when it first became big in the early 2010s, but were mobile games always like this? I was under the impression that, at least in the early days, mobile games were more like normal games that you payed for upfront. Maybe proper curation from Apple and Google could’ve prevented this…

IIRC, the current mobile gaming landscape was heavily influenced by browser games, where all the casuals that previously played browser games were migrated to mobile, and lots of mobile game devs also jumped into the platform, while bringing the "freemium" monetization alongside them.

I remember when the old mobile games were stuffs like PvZ, Angry Birds, Flappy Bird, etc, which basically small games that were made for short game session when you're bored or waiting for something, not games with lots of grinding and time-gated stuffs, where you need to pay in order to progress faster...

 

[SmokedMeat]

I used to play Hearthstone everyday during work breaks, but finally got fed up with it and quit cold Turkey.

I haven’t played a mobile game in years. The experience is just poor imo. I get more enjoyment talking about videogames on GAF.

 

[L*][*N*K]

I get so bored whenever I play a mobile game, it is really boring

 

[Party McHardy]

You clearly haven’t played Monster Strike

One could argue its the pinnacle of mobile game design.

 

[Shubh_C63]

I liked Diablo Immortal

You just have to know how to play mobile games. Never make them your life or expect reward.
Other than that Mobile games truly disgust me. Just the UI and clutter is barfable. more monument valley please.

 

[diffusionx]

IMO, for mobile gaming, Apple Arcade is a must. No gacha shit, no microtransactions. Devs have even released Apple Arcade versions of games that strip that junk out. It's the only reasonable way to play games on mobile.

Obviously, publishers have put their real games on the service at full pay, like I bought FFT for cell phone, and that stuff is cool, but often there are incompatibility issues over time. But at least you're getting real games and no gacha.

 

[P:axMagellanic]

It peaked with gameloft... LOL

 

[Bernkastel]

I never cared about the Final Fantasy games before VII until I played IV-VI on android.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

Now imagine that tons of children are *playing* these *games* without parent control thinking this is videogames, "we" are building this tomorrow world where MTX and intrusive questionable ads is the standard for these children, or at least this what they are thinking when they don't any own other forms of *true* (understand legacy) videogames, indeed quite depressing.

 

[Trilobit]

Battle of Polytopia is the only mobile game I can tolerate. The rest are mostly subpar. Well that one and Tiny Thief of course.

 

[Brigandier]

I used to play State of Survival on mobile... I can not even put it into words how infested it is with MTX.

It's like there's on overpriced pack for everything imaginable and the rate at which these packs prices increase from $5 to $99 is rapid and aimed at preying on those with a spending problem or an addictive personality and they absolutely know it.

There was 100s of people on each state spending $100s and some $1000s per month on upgrades and they didn't bat an eye over it and some were clearly addicted to the game and spending, Absolutely revolting game from a company clearly preying on those with gambling addiction and addiction to their game.

I admittedly probably spent since April 2020 until this summer about $4000 maybe more and it finally hit home to get the fuck outta there and I did.

Mobile games are a cancer to society and are just as bad as gambling if not worse, They seriously need reigning in by a governing body the way they prey and force down your throat MTX and make it sound like a great offer aswell.

It is a very depressing sight to behold, I'm so glad I broke out of that very tight grasp it had around me I just hope one day others will do the same these parasites don't deserve people's money.

 

[Dacvak]

It’s not great, but it is getting better. Like Thick Thighs Save Lives mentioned, Apple Arcade and Play Pass are both pushing things in a better direction. I’m also cautiously optimistic about RE4 Remake (and the other AAA games) coming to iPhone next month.

There’s even some good stuff out there now, it’s just kind of hard to find. Lots of great shmups, though. Mobile devices are honestly perfect for the shmup genre (and I say that as a lifelong Cave fan).

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Is Gameloft still copying other people’s ideas? Now there’s some classic mobile gaming for those that know.

Gameloft has shifted recently into producing GaaS titles for PC/Consoles first. For example, they have released Disney Dreamlight Valley into early access last year and this year they've done the same with Disney Speed Storm.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

The only game worth a shit on that shitty Play store.

 

[Virex]

I usually avoid that side of the hobby but since I just got a new smartphone the other day, it gave me an opportunity to try out some games that mildly piqued my interest in the past but I couldn't play them before. Including Homeworld Mobile.

Even though it clearly said that it's an MMO, so I knew not to expect the same kind of experience as with regular HW games, I was still fairly impressed by the opening missions. Dare I say, they pretty much nailed the look, sound and feel of Homeworld, and there were even those black and white cutscenes and bits of lore sprinkled in that actually made my heart skip a beat because it felt like playing a new Homeworld game.

So okay, even if the rest of it is just PvE grinding with minimal storytelling, I'm on board with this. Seems like a nice little game to tap away at from time to time. But then, barely 30 minutes in, I'm assaulted with this:

Now, this isn't my first rodeo. I expected something like this might happen. I guess I was just hoping that maybe this will be one of those games that isn't so aggressive about its predatory monetisation. I also know how games like that operate. They waste several hours of your time by getting you comfortable with the mechanics until you're so into the game that it would be harder to put it down. And that's when they go for the jugular - either pay for booster packs to break through the difficulty ceiling or quit playing.

The reason why it's so disheartening is that so many mobile games are like this. Pretty much the only time you can expect a normal-ass game that you pay for upfront and then don't have to worry about MTX, is if it's a port of some old PC or arcade game. There are almost no original games here that wouldn't employ the same predatory monetisation scheme and I dread to think that console or PC gaming might end up being the same in the future. This is awful.

Wait till you see AAA gaming

 

[manfestival]

My issue with so many of these games is that they will often have a pretty decent thing going in the beginning and then the grind gets shot up through the moon to force you to start spending some money. Otherwise, you get stuck "behind"