[Image via: geeky-gadgets.com]
iPhone games sure have taken off this past year with Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja and Cut the Rope, will the popularity of these simple mobile games continue in 2011? You bet it will. The new SoC's (System on Chip) shown off at CES inspires a whole new scope for the power of mobile gaming. Having the power of a dual-core processor on a small mobile device will bring insane graphical and horsepower not seen on phone-sized devices before.
Okay sure, the graphics may be up to par with the previous generation of consoles, but will the experience remain one that is enjoyable? Playing any kind of first person or third person game on the small device is near to impossible without physical buttons. The new PlayStation Phone, rumored to be released has slide-down controls. This is ideal for someone who wishes to play more complex games. The next iPhone will probably not include any type of physical buttons (other than the home/power/volume buttons). With all the extra performance of the new phones, does it really matter if the control experience is crappy? Yes it does. The controls are what immerses you into the game, trying to play with two fingers on virtual joysticks covering up 50% of the screen doesn't come close to a dedicated gaming device experience. If developers decide to stick with the simple 2D physics puzzle games, all that horsepower on the new CPU's will be wasted until some very intelligent person comes up with a way to have physical buttons on a touch screen.
The new 3DS from Nintendo brings the ultimate glasses-free 3D gaming experience to the palm of your hands. The games demoed on the 3DS seem to have similar performance to that of the Gamecube or Dreamcast. This and the PSP2 both will bring last generation's console experience to your hands. It's exciting to see this advancement in mobile technology, as long as there is physical buttons, there is still hope.
