A mobile game is a video game played on a feature phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, portable media player or calculator. This does not include games played on dedicated handheld video game systems such as Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita.
The first game on a mobile phone was a Tetris game on the Hagenuk MT-2000 device from 1994.
Three years later Nokia launched the very successful Snake on selected models in 1997. Snake and its variants has since become one of the most-played video games and is found on more than 350 million devices worldwide.
Mobile games are played using the technology present on the device itself. For networked games, there are various technologies in common use. Examples include text message (SMS), multimedia message (MMS) or GPS location identification. The first two-player game for mobile phones was a variant of the Snake game for the Nokia 6110, using the infrared port.
However, there are non networked applications, that simply use the device platform to run the game software. The games may be installed over the air, side loaded onto the handset with a cable, or may be embedded in the handheld devices by the OEM or by the mobile operator.
Mobile games are usually downloaded via the mobile operator's network, but in some cases are also loaded in the mobile handsets when purchased, via infrared connection, Bluetooth, or memory card.
Read more about Mobile Game: History, Industry Structure, Different Platforms, Common Limits of Mobile Games, Location-based Games, Multiplayer Mobile Games, Distribution
Famous quotes containing the words mobile and/or game:
“From three to six months, most babies have settled down enough to be fun but aren’t mobile enough to be getting into trouble. This is the time to pay some attention to your relationship again. Otherwise, you may spend the entire postpartum year thinking you married the wrong person and overlooking the obvious—that parenthood can create rough spots even in the smoothest marriage.”
—Anne Cassidy (20th century)
“The savage soul of game is up at once—
The pack full-opening various, the shrill horn
Resounded from the hills, the neighing steed
Wild for the chase, and the loud hunter’s shout—
O’er a weak, harmless, flying creature, all
Mixed in mad tumult and discordant joy.”
—James Thomson (1700–1748)