It’s hard to remember a time without touchscreen mobiles and tablets, and it’s also hard to believe that they’ve been with us since Apple rolled out the iPhone way back in 2007. The technological advances of the last two decades have been like nothing before, with innovation after innovation bringing capabilities to the devices we carry in our pockets and handbags that outshine some computers. Mobile tech has also revolutionised communication in developing areas of the world, such as Africa and some parts of Asia.
So, it would be no exaggeration to say that mobile phones, in their modern iteration, have changed how we live. And that means to say every facet of our existence — work, play, and everything in between. Need to order food? Pick up the phone. Complex banking is at your fingertips. Need to change a tyre in the backwoods? Signal allowing, there’s a video tutorial waiting for you.
Technology Snowballing
It’s amazing to think that twenty years ago some of us were still using dial-up connections to connect to the internet, and going off to make a cup of tea while a single web page loaded up. Now, the constant competition between tech companies, and increasing expectations of consumers from younger generations has meant that things have snowballed to the point where we want everything, instantly.
OK, perhaps this means we’re losing our natural patience, but it has made the world noticeably more efficient in terms of business, entertainment, and other areas such as healthcare and education. But, let’s take a closer look at mobile gaming.
Casino Games
One of the most popular genres of games on mobile comes in the form of online casinos. The global industry is worth an eye-watering $65bn worldwide and looks to grow even more in the coming years and decades. This growth is driven by many things — the traditional demographic who play in the gaming halls of Vegas and Macau are now being joined by a much wider and more varied group of players who can enjoy blackjack, poker, roulette, and slots from their homes.
Mobile tech has come to a point where casino games are becoming more immersive and intuitive — it’s not unusual to see live dealers via video streaming at the card tables and roulette wheels, and the dizzying selection of slot games grows ever more advanced. Slots now have features that we associate with traditional video gaming, such as cutting-edge graphics, sound design, storylines, and bonus missions, whilst maintaining the essentially simple gameplay that makes them such a big draw.
It’s no understatement to say that the market is competitive among online casino operators, particularly in areas where the industry is expanding, such as Africa. In more developed markets such as Nigeria and South Africa, many develop a list of mobile casinos with exciting games for specific platforms such as iOS and Android in mind. These aim to make the playing experience as fun and immersive as possible for iGamers.
Gaming
In the last few years, mobile has become a legitimate platform for gaming, with touchscreen technology allowing for such intuitive controls that many PC and console classics have made their way successfully onto the smaller screen, and some mobile-first games have transcended the world of gaming altogether, becoming multi-million dollar franchises (remember Angry Birds, anyone?) So it’s not unusual to see gamers playing big titles such as Call of Duty, or some of the popular puzzlers such as Candy Crush as they go around town.
Further innovations?
Immersion is the watchword when it comes to online gaming, and we’ve already seen virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) become big parts of traditional video gaming (a good example of the latter is Pokemon Go, which became a global phenomenon back in 2016). VR and AR certainly up the ante when it comes to the gaming experience, but in terms of mobile gaming the tech may be slower on the uptake. Mobile gaming is so popular because of its accessibility and convenience, and many are reluctant to purchase and carry around extra hardware such as headsets or smart glasses.
However, we are seeing some casinos offer AR and VR options, and given the ‘snowball’ effect of mobile technology, it surely can’t be long before these become the norm at card tables and roulette wheels.
Where would we be without our mobiles? Well, presumably lost somewhere, looking at an upside-down roadmap. Joking aside, these devices have now become indispensable parts of our lives, and the development of new, innovative, and radical technology is sure to continue in the years and decades ahead.
