No one is forcing developers to make phone games.
I didn't say they did, I'm saying that a wide choice of genres are options for a system with multiple inputs.
However, what I was saying is that the whole "virtual buttons" complaint becomes moot when a huge portion of the best iOS games don't even use buttons.
No it absolutely doesn't become moot. Yes, lots of the best iOS games don't even use buttons, I agree entirely, but my point is that as a system it rules out genres due to the lack of accuracy and thumbs over the screen. Playing Contra or Metal Slug on IOS would be painful, and I wouldn't want to think about things like 3D platformers. Virtually all mobile phone games work fine on a handheld with a bit of adaptation, but it just doesn't work the other way around as you can't adapt an analogue stick, d-pad and 6+buttons for comfortable small touch screen use.
However, what I was saying is that the whole "virtual Devs could make games with virtual buttons too if they want and unlike what some may say, all games that use virtual buttons aren't bad. Super Hexagon requires the player to press down on the left and right sides of the screen and yet the game was one of my
favorite games of 2012.
I'm sure some of them are fine but 'they aren't all terrible' isn't exactly a reasonable argument when compared to systems where the buttons work all the time, and games that aren't playable usually don't make it past 'quality control', which also seems to be very inconsistent on iOS.
Battery life is a good point since people use their phones for multiple functions but I haven't played a game to the point in which I don't have enough battery life to use my phone for the rest of the day.
I remember playing Puzzlejuice for a little bit more than 2 hours straight and still having more than 70% of battery life left.
Yeah, I've noticed battery consumption vary from game to game, also depends on what apps you have running in the background, brightness, wireless etc etc.
Then go online and read sites/blogs that cover mobile games. Heck, even the iOS threads here are good for finding new games to play.
I could do, but frankly my previous experiences with buying iOS games have left me disinclined to explore it any further on a smartphone beyond the odd bit of fruit ninja. As I said, different story for tablets,
as
a) thumbs not being in the way
b) it not draining my phone battery
c) better battery capacity
d) bigger screen
solve quite a few of the issues. That is the thing- it's not any one of those issues that bother me, it's all of them added up together with the crap iOS store, lack of being able to filter out microtransaction rubbish and lack of decent controls for stuff like run'n'gun gameplay that have just made it feel like a poor experience compared to the handheld in my bag.
All of this is just my opinion based on 2 years of having a smartphone and a portable on me most of the time. I spent the first six months looking up decent games, bought two dozen or so but play maybe four of them for five minutes every now and then, here and there. I really couldn't care less how many people are happy to play games on their mobile phone instead of buying a portable, portables have always been niche and not for everyone, but I just prefer them for the reasons given above. This doesn't mean I think iOS gamers aren't 'real gamers' or whatever bizarre tribalism is being referred to. They are all just games, people just like different hardware for their own reasons. It was ever thus, and this thread seems to frame every response as if it's a sweeping statement for or against one or the other as an absolute judgement. I don't think that's the case, and I'm quite likely to pick up a tablet for gaming before I pick up a Vita.
iOS games are primarily aimed at an ultra casual audience that wants games that are easy to pick up, easy to play, easy to spend a quid on with the touch of a button on a device they have on them all the time. Nothing wrong with that, it's a great idea. But personally I don't see the need to convince people like me that playing games on a mobile phone is any way comparable to a device specifically designed only with games in mind. I just don't agree, but to each their own.
In our conclusions we seem to agree that people should be left alone to choose the hardware they prefer and suits them best, I suspect the OP framing the discussion in such combative terms is the problem.