‘Appy Days: Coming soon

Mobile gaming has long been a much maligned offshoot of the gaming industry – a neglected niche with a paucity of creative flair and quality control. Traditionally, the lack of standardisation and the hardware limitations of the platform have driven the proliferation of an insipid catalogue of throwaway titles – a trend that is beginning to change with the birth of the Android and Apple app stores.

The advent of the smartphone era has brought with it a shift in the financial viability of the platform. Big flagship studios and publishers are now acknowledging it as a burgeoning medium, with a user-base that far exceeds those of its console counterparts. Similarly, smaller independent studios are realising its potential in nurturing a unique concept on a meagre budget.

However, these financial implications are of little interest; what’s more interesting is how developers are adapting to the changing gaming climate, and are really investing thought into the crafting of bite-sized, ephemeral experiences, that perfectly complement the format.

Inevitably, quality control is still a glaring omission, with an insurmountable wave of dross flooding the market on a daily basis, making it increasingly harder to define the apps worth downloading. This is where I hope this feature will come in handy, in highlighting those titles that you would otherwise miss in a casual perusal through the top 25 lists.

Suggestions for featured games are more than welcome,and should be forwarded to the games@theboar.org. Or, even better, chance your writing arm and submit a review to the same address.

First up: New Star Soccer.