Loose Threads: Will Google's Android be a real competitor in mobile gaming?

It's an exciting time in mobile gaming just now. It seems that, finally, some lines are being drawn in the sand and specific agendas are being followed with a view to commanding the future of the industry.

I refer of course to Nokia's N-Gage which, even if it shuffles center stage drunk and forgetting the words to all of the songs, will still do better than the previous N-Gage effort. Indeed, it looks like it might even surprise everyone and croon Sinatra-like, charming the thumbs and pockets of mobile gamers everywhere into submission.

And you can't ignore the iPhone and its App store, a totally unproven set-up. But riding on Apple's financial might and clairvoyant-like knowledge of what consumers want (not to mention high profile ports of games like Spore and Super Monkey Ball) it is sure to end up gaining, at the very least, some modest ground in mobile gaming.

Then there's Google's Android, an almost complete unknown despite the fact that the SDK has been out for months. Will it bring the next generation of mobile gaming competitors up to a nice round three? Is Google even interested in entering that section of the market? Last week we put the question over to you lot, generating some lively discussion (phew!).

Illuminatingly, one of the first comments came from veteran poster HiddenAway, who asked:

"Just to clarify, I take it we're talking about this? Google Android."

The post linked out to Android's official page, meaning that HiddenAway was indeed barking up the correct tree. The fact that one of our gaming savvy readers even had to ask, however, is indicative of the fact that though Google may have demoed a couple of flashy looking bits and pieces on the platform, there's still a considerable lack of transparency about the company's gaming intentions.

Next in line came Danskmacabre, with a brief but welcome comment:

"Looks like fun. Hard to say if it'll take off. If you could install a runtime on mobiles or something, it's in with a chance."

Mandark seemed pretty confident that Google intends to get in on the mobile gaming action:

"I think Android will be a player because Google won't want to risk missing out should mobile gaming really take off. So I think it will have what's needed to compete in place."

Google does indeed have its fingers in ever more digital pies these days and in all likelihood mobile gaming is one of them. Next up, Accelorata Jengold joined in with a combative take on the topic:

"What do you mean should it 'really take off'? Isn't mobile gaming already a multi-billion dollar a year industry? "At any rate I just don't know about Android as a gaming platform. What I have seen so far just seems a bit 'because we can' rather than anything that would actually appeal to a core mobile gaming audience. I certainly don't know of any mobile gamers craving ports of Quake or location based titles. "Still, you're right, Google probably will make a stab at this before long and Android has no doubt been built with gaming in mind."

Last to the party was SetsFireToPoshHammer with a soberly put comment on the situation:

"I think what will work for Nokia and Apple will work for Android, too. "It might make developers and publishers cringe but from a consumer point of view, dedicated channels for delivery such as Nokia's N-Gage or the iPhone's App Store are much less mystifying than having all these different potential sources for games. "If Google wants to enter into the mobile gaming market with Android, it will need to have a similar channel of delivery and a dedicated service. "From what has been shown so far, that doesn't seem to be the immediate agenda but perhaps Google is just waiting to see how the Android Developer Challenge pans out before they start making any big moves in that area."

Good point. The submission deadline for the Android Developer Challenge was last Monday so maybe we'll hear something soon.

Until then, it seems the general answer to whether Google will become an important player in mobile games is it's probably going to at least try at some stage, but its credentials and plans in that area are far from proven.

Right, that's that, then. Elsewhere in the forum, one of our newer members, JamesH, is faced with a decision:

"Which should I get? Nokia N73 or T-Mobile Dash or Wing?"

A good problem to have, in our book, but what should he go for? If anyone has any specific experience with these handsets that is relevant then do drop by the thread and make one of our new readers feel welcome with a thoughtful response.

And so, on with next week's topic:

Will Zune gaming be any good?

As ever, full details about the discussion topic can be found over in the forum along with lots of other threads that all deserve your words of sage like wisdom. And click 'Track It!' to be sure to catch next week's Loose Threads.