Welcome to Adam's Mobile Technology Blog!Happy 2012 to you all, and if this is the last year of our existence on this spinning little rock of ours, I'm going to owe a friend a fiver... I'm sure he'll see the flaw in that bet at some point.
According to Flurry Analytics, Android and Apple had 6.9 million devices activated on Christmas day, an increase of 353% on Christmas of 2010.
This of course includes both mobile and tablet devices, but something I find to be a bit of a worrying statistic as I can't help but think that Christmas used to be about spending time with loved ones who you can't be bothered to see for the other 364 days of the year. So I thought I'd try and find the upside in all of this and spend a little time in talking about top games that can bring the family together.
Marble Mania (iPad) is a simple yet attractive version of the old school yard classic. With up to 4 players at any one time with the same simple goal of knocking your opponents marbles out. Super simple and addictive.
If there's one family game that the iPad could of been designed for it's The Price Is Right. Sticking with the traditional format of guessing what tat costs, only this time in HD, it includes all of your favourite mini-games the show was famous for, including 'Plinko,' 'The Big Wheel' and the 'Showcases'. This new version even gives you the chance to guess how much stuff would have cost you back in the day, so never again will Granddad be able to tell you how much cheaper stuff used to be without being able to prove it. It even allows you to fully customize every player's avatar, Bruce Forsyth not included,what are you waiting for, come on down!
I couldn't possibly give a blog this name without mentioning Monopoly. Surprisingly you can't play online with other opponents on the iPad but it's meant to be played in the living room anyway, and this way you can still have that traditional Christmas row of how much money you're supposed to start with in the first place (I'm sure its £2000 I don't care what the rules say). Plus, the new TableTop mode gives you a top-down view that makes the game look just like the real thing, with the added bonus of not worrying about losing the pieces (most importantly the top hat)!
Risk is the classic game of invading other countries in the hopes of conquering the entire world. I can think of no statement that sums up the true meaning of Christmas more. The trouble is, similar to Monopoly, the game often takes too long to finish. On the iPad however, the game play is greatly sped up with all three phases of each turn, Draft, Attack and Fortify (well done if you remembered all those from back in the day) all taking place far quicker than in the traditional board game, with the bonus of added graphics and sound effects of mortars exploding and bullets flying through the air. Tell me that doesn't just warm your heart.
Finally I wanted to say a few words about Skype. I know before any of you say anything it's not a game, but the point of this was to highlight how through technology we can spend a little quality time with family and loved ones and this nifty little app allows you to spend a little face time when even on the on the other side of the world. Just remember the time difference.
It's become commonplace to hear the opinion that smart phones and tablet devices are ruining quality time with family and friends, as with all these things it's not a case of one or the other but how can we integrate both!
Have a great and prosperous New Year everyone, all the best for 2012... now everyone into the bunker...
