There's a place and a time for every kind of App Game

It’s been almost a year ago now that I started writing my first blog. Not with any specific goal in mind or with a specific audience. I just had all these gaming thoughts jumbling around in my head that wanted out. Looking back, most blogs I made had something to do with Nintendo, but every now and then a blog about app games sees the light. Just today I read a couple of blogs about app gaming that got my attention.

The first blog I read tied in quite nicely with my own blog a couple of weeks ago about the role of women in video games. Not only did it state that it’s not right to tell app gamers that they are not real gamers, but that it seems to be tied in with the fact that a lot more app gamers seem to be women. “Hardcore gamers” don’t always seem to like the growing presence of girls and women in gamers. The link to the blog by Femhype is here. It might be just the perception, because of the fact that ladies that weren’t into console or handheld gaming are finding it much easier to pick up a mobile device. I never tell app gamers that it’s not really gaming, because I feel that there’s a right game for everyone. Who am I to say that playing Solitaire or Mahjongg isn’t fun to do, just because they are not appealing to me? True, there are a lot of app games out there without much depth to it, but every now and then an app game emerges that is just as vast and deep as a Zelda adventure. Seems to me that a lot of advancement is made since the first app game was born. Plus, the barriers to start playing are much lower for app games. No need to get a specific device, most people already own a mobile, and a lot of games are free initially although they do offer in app purchases. So, if you love app gaming don’t let them tell you that it’s not real gaming; there’s a place and a time for every kind of game.

The other blog I read was a blog that was an ode to app games and the fun the writer was having was really shining through. The link to the blog by Prismatic Corvus is here. The blog made me think back to the app games I have downloaded as soon as they were released, and although I don’t play them every day anymore, they still hold a place in my heart. In the case of the writer, it’s the games My Singing Monsters and Mirrors of Albion. In my case there’s Dragon Vale, the Tribez and especially HayDay. Sometimes you’re just a bit scared to dive into one of those games, because you just know it will cost you some precious time. There’s no way I can check in on HayDay without feeling the need to put all my machines at work to get my orders done, and that often takes at least 15 minutes. But I’ll repeat: there’s a place and a time for every kind of game. On a busy day I just don’t have the energy to work on a Japanese game, or to pick up a grand adventure where I left it before.

As ever, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the topic!

2 comments

  1. You are right, there is a time and place for every game (and being a gamer doesn’t mean you need to play hardcore). I myself don’t play my favorite RPG after a busy day, because that takes up too much energy. That for me is the time for app games, as they might take up a lot of time, but usually i don’t need to think. I don’t have or play too many app games, but that’s only because i have a Windows Phone and a lot of apps are not released on that. Also, not enough space ;-P For me gaming is console gaming, i prefer a big screen and never was a fan of handheld gaming, so that tempers the joy of app games also a bit. I do make exceptions for some games, but even Animal Crossing i prefered on the Wii and GameCube. Needless to say that i can’t wait for a WiiU release 😉
    To me it has to do with commitment and peace of mind. When i play a game on the console, i can’t do anything else, as everything, even the pc, is connected to my tv. When i’m on my phone, usually the pc is on and i see popups from whatsapp and such on the screen. Same goes for the 3DS. The pc is on and the phone is close at hand, ready to use. That often makes me really restless. When i play on the console, the games are usually harder or need more consentration, so i don’t look at my phone so much. And the tv can’t be used for anything other than my game. So ironicly, the games that cost me more energy, offer me more peace 😉
    The growing hate towards female gamers frightens me. It’s like we’re back in the 80’s and 90’s when it was not done for girls to play…

    1. So for you there’s a time and a place for every kind of game that you want to play too. I totally recognize that sometimes you just need a game that doesn’t require a 100% concentration. And at other times is a good feeling to just dive in and get totally immersed in the world you are playing in. I guess it’s just like books: there are times when a chicklit is just perfect, and there are times when you want to re-read LOTR again!

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