Games on these devices are becoming increasingly popular, and it seems that every week a new game is discovered that suddenly makes it to number 1 in the charts. I am lucky enough to be on holiday now, and although these devices were primarily created for playing songs, you now see an overwhelming number of people playing games on them in their spare time. In fact, some children have thrown away or sold their Nintendo DS devices, which were built only for gaming, in order to play on iPods or iPads.
So, with all of these people playing on these gadgets, imagine how much a company could earn if they made a game which reached top in the charts, even if they sold it for only 59p. Well, here is an example: Angry Birds. This amazing game was created by ´Rovio´ and by March 2011, around a month ago, Angry Birds had been downloaded 100 million times. It sold for 59p, which meant that it made 59 million pounds. That, I am sure you will agree, is a staggering amount.
Now, what is the magic remedy for creating amazing games such as this one? Well, in my opinion the game only has to be simple and addictive. You do not need to have 10 different buttons to click that all do slightly different things, you need a game that even a 4 year old could understand with ease, and if a game is not addictive, it has no chance at all. To prove his point, let us look at three very popular games.
1. Andry Birds: All you have to do is drag a bird backwards with your finger and try to hit some green pigs. Easy. My 4 year old cousin was playing it the other day. Addictive? Once you start playing, it is very hard to stop. A ridiculous number of levels keeps you going for ages. The best thing about Angry Birds is that it is updated so often, with even more levels each time!!
2. Doodle Jump: Even more simple than Angry Bids. All you have to do is tilt the device to jump onto platforms, and shoot the occasional monster by tapping the screen. Again, very easy to play. Probably more addictive than Angry Birds because there is no possible way to complete it, you just have to beat your own high score. The updates on this are good too, with new maps to play on almost every time. In fact, a recent update, which lets you compete directly against your friends, just made the game a lot more excting.
3. Tiny Wngs: A very recent invention, but one of my favourites. In this game, all you have to do is tap the screen to bring the bird down, and let go to let him fly up. Just navigate your way through the hills until night falls. Again, and extremely easy game. Like Doodle Jump, you have to try and beat your old high score, but this has the added interest of missions too. Another great game.
One thing that is common about these games is that none of them have buttons! As I said earlier, the simplest and most addictive games are the ones that make it to the top!
