Gaming on the go: Cellphone-app games popular because of mobility, connectivity, price

If there were any doubts about the ubiquity of cellphone-app gaming, Liam Neeson's Super Bowl ad for "Clash of Clans" destroyed them faster than a raiding party of Hog riders.

Inside jokes aside, games were the undisputed superstars of the app industry last year. Games accounted for the many of the most popular paid downloads, and despite being a free download, "Clash of Clans" was the highest-grossing app of the year for iPhone and iPad.

As a matter of fact, all but one of the top-grossing apps last year were available free. So-called "freemium" games -- free-to-download, with optional in-app purchases -- have become major profit-generators in the app world after overcoming a spell of controversy.

Gaming purists deride them, alleging that they allow players to pay to win instead of developing skill, but that hasn't stopped their runaway popularity. The allure of many gaming apps seems to be because of their ability to fuse the entertainment of games with the always-at-the-fingertips convenience of modern devices and the personal interaction of social media.

Games like "Draw Something" and "Trivia Crack" offer more than a shot at a high score; they offer a chance to rub that score in your friends' faces, too.

Many apps are "freemiums" -- initially free, but with optional in-app purchases. (Laura Simon)

Thirteen-year-old Daonte Tate said he enjoys playing video games on traditional platforms such as Xbox, but is drawn to phone games by the ability to play with friends on the go.

"I like being able to play with other people when I want to," he explained, rather than having to be at home with an Internet connection and subscription to Xbox's online service.

While some parents have found gaming with their children to be a way of communicating in cyberspace without being overbearing, Tate says he prefers to play with peers, as they are often more adept at his game of choice than adults.

He's been playing "Madden NFL Mobile" for a little over a year, and says it's his favorite.

He doesn't like the in-app purchases, however, and he's not alone. Some have labeled the freemium model predatory, and there have been cases of children accidentally accruing massive bills by unwittingly making in-app purchases.

But teens are more likely to find the model irksome, rather than malicious, and often the games' enjoyability is enough to keep them hooked.

Freemium gaming has come a long way since the admittedly lame yet strangely habit-forming "FarmVille" flooded your Facebook inbox with unwanted requests around 2010. In the highly individualized gaming market, broad appeal can make or break an app.

Fourteen-year-old Aaron Stearns said he was also drawn to "Madden NFL Mobile" by the quality of gameplay.

"It's more realistic to me than the other games out there," he said. "For me, it's not so much about playing other people as it is enjoying the game."

All told, while gaming apps have seen typically high turnover, the model seems to be working, which means the genre may be here to stay.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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