Mobile Gaming History

For many of us, wireless gaming began with Snake.

The first cell phone game, and–ironically–probably still the best known, is Snake, which was first released in 1997 as an embedded application for Nokia phones. Even the Finnish mobile giant couldn’t have known that this simple addition would inexorably alter the function of a cell phone. With Snake, and the slew of games that followed, cell phones transcended their role as communication devices and became entertainment accessories–a modern accoutrement. For some, this was the first video game they had ever played. For those who recognized the title for its Apple II and Commodore 64 roots, Snake heralded good things to come.

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And come they did. Soon, the new paradigm was WAP, or wireless application protocol. WAP titles were simple, usually featuring text-based gameplay structured like a choose-your-own-adventure novel. Graphics were sparse and simplistic on the black and green screens that pervaded the WAP era, but the games had one astonishing feature: online competition. Titles like Jamdat’s Gladiator or nGame’s DataClash seem silly today, but they spoke of a brave new world of constant connectivity and wireless competition.

WAP technology eventually gave way to J2ME (Java 2 Mobile Edition), BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless), Mophun (a modular API for gaming), and Nokia’s own Series 40 and Series 60 operating systems, competing technologies that launched wireless games into the world of color, polyphony, and socket networking. The industry advanced in technology rather quickly from the days of Snake.

As carriers launched more sophisticated download services to support this post-WAP mobile gaming renaissance, more and more mainstream publishers joined the fold. Companies like Sega, THQ, Namco, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft’s Gameloft–all instantly recognizable to console and PC gamers–became known for their quality efforts in the mobile arena. Sega’s Super Monkey Ball, which debuted on Sprint’s burgeoning Vision service, was the first of many major console-to-mobile ports. Mobile gaming was, and continues to be, in the unique position of having big brothers to follow in the form of consoles and PCs. Once set in motion, the path for wireless gaming was clear as dew.

As a community, mobile gamers grew used to ports, which continue to represent a large portion of major releases. The creation of a new franchise is risky business indeed, and releasing a game on mobile is a gambit to sate most companies’ hunger for financial peril. This is why you’ll continue to see licensed titles wriggle their way onto your handset yielding mixed results. Jamdat’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is sure to delight fans, while The Lion King will result in more long-term, psychological damage than a crack team of Rogerian therapists will ever be able to redress. Even as the wireless wheels of progress turn with an intensity rivaling that of the industrial revolution, production values on mobile have yet to measure up to their console counterparts. When a game is of reprehensible quality on wireless, it really is almost unplayable.

Strides are being made in the realm of 3D, which seems to be the next big thing in mobile gaming. The technology is still in the novelty phase, much like first-generation PSX titles; however, with the advent of chording, or multiple key presses (a blessing we went too long without), and analog control, developers are beginning to get comfortable with the fashionable world of three-dimensionality. Nokia’s N-Gage and Tapwave’s Zodiac lead the pack in 3D performance. The N-Gage’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and the Zodiac’s Spy Hunter–both Moby winners–are the new, collective ideal for mobile 3D performance. Emerging graphical technologies, touted by fierce competitors Nvidia and ATI, promise to further advance the field.

For many of us, wireless gaming began with Snake. The first cell phone game, and–ironically–probably still the best known, is Snake, which was first released in 1997 as an embedded application for Nokia phones. Even the Finnish mobile giant couldn’t have known that this simple addition would inexorably alter the function of a cell phone. With Snake, and the slew of games that followed, cell phones transcended their role as communication devices and became entertainment accessories–a modern accoutrement. For some, this was the first video game they had ever played. For those who recognized the title for its Apple II and Commodore 64 roots, Snake heralded good things to come. Mobile Games Today And come they did. Soon, the new paradigm was WAP, or wireless application protocol. WAP titles were simple, usually featuring text-based gameplay structured like a choose-your-own-adventure novel. Graphics were sparse and simplistic on the black and green screens that pervaded the WAP era, but the games had one astonishing feature: online competition. Titles like Jamdat’s Gladiator or nGame’s DataClash seem silly today, but they spoke of a brave new world of constant connectivity and wireless competition.WAP technology eventually gave way to J2ME (Java 2 Mobile Edition), BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless), Mophun (a modular API for gaming), and Nokia’s own Series 40 and Series 60 operating systems, competing technologies that launched wireless games into the world of color, polyphony, and socket networking. The industry advanced in technology rather quickly from the days of Snake. As carriers launched more sophisticated download services to support this post-WAP mobile gaming renaissance, more and more mainstream publishers joined the fold. Companies like Sega, THQ, Namco, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft’s Gameloft–all instantly recognizable to console and PC gamers–became known for their quality efforts in the mobile arena. Sega’s Super Monkey Ball, which debuted on Sprint’s burgeoning Vision service, was the first of many major console-to-mobile ports. Mobile gaming was, and continues to be, in the unique position of having big brothers to follow in the form of consoles and PCs. Once set in motion, the path for wireless gaming was clear as dew. As a community, mobile gamers grew used to ports, which continue to represent a large portion of major releases. The creation of a new franchise is risky business indeed, and releasing a game on mobile is a gambit to sate most companies’ hunger for financial peril. This is why you’ll continue to see licensed titles wriggle their way onto your handset yielding mixed results. Jamdat’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is sure to delight fans, while The Lion King will result in more long-term, psychological damage than a crack team of Rogerian therapists will ever be able to redress. Even as the wireless wheels of progress turn with an intensity rivaling that of the industrial revolution, production values on mobile have yet to measure up to their console counterparts. When a game is of reprehensible quality on wireless, it really is almost unplayable. Strides are being made in the realm of 3D, which seems to be the next big thing in mobile gaming. The technology is still in the novelty phase, much like first-generation PSX titles; however, with the advent of chording, or multiple key presses (a blessing we went too long without), and analog control, developers are beginning to get comfortable with the fashionable world of three-dimensionality. Nokia’s N-Gage and Tapwave’s Zodiac lead the pack in 3D performance. The N-Gage’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and the Zodiac’s Spy Hunter–both Moby winners–are the new, collective ideal for mobile 3D performance. Emerging graphical technologies, touted by fierce competitors Nvidia and ATI, promise to further advance the field.

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