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momobage · 7 years

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Momobage Interview: Questions for a games enthusiast

I still consider myself a relative beginner in the mobile game world since I haven’t explored many different genres yet. However, while the games and the developing companies are important, each gaming fandom and community make the playing experiences more enjoyable. Personally, meeting and becoming close with people can be difficult in real life. But, the people I have met and befriended because of mobile games have a strong understanding and connection for the game and its fans. So, I contacted Michelle from kurumiya on Tumblr. Michelle is 25 years old and lives in Scotland. She is a video game enthusiast and enjoys Japanese media such as games and TV shows. She also provides help and some translations for various Japanese mobile games through her Tumblr. I could tell she was such a nice and helpful person who really cared about the games she played and others in the gaming community.

Currently, what are your favourite mobile games to play? Why?

My current favourite games are Love Live, Kirameki Note and Smash Tap.

Love Live! School Idol Festival (ラブライブ！スクールアイドルフェスティバル) is a mobile game developed by KLab and Bushiroad which combines a rhythm tapping game and a card collecting game into one. It was also the very first rhythm game I played so it's just something that has always stuck with me.

Boyfriend (Beta) Kirameki Note (ボーイフレンド (仮) きらめきノート) is a mobile game published by Ameba Games and has become one of my favourite rhythm games that I've tried playing so far. Even though I knew nothing about the characters when I first began, the game was very easy to get into and events aren't too challenging for a free player.

My Hero Academia: Smash Tap (僕のヒーローアカデミアスマッシュタップ) is a mobile game developed by Bandai Namco. It’s a new game that I'm currently going through the "I love this game!" phase. Although it’s a simple tap to attack game and needs a bit of patience to play, it’s something that everyone can play for free without needing to pay for in-game purchases.

When and why did you start playing mobile games?

I started playing mobiles games about 3 years ago since they're easily accessible and many of them are free. It’s beneficial since you don’t lose any money if you end up not enjoying the game or get bored of it. I also usually play games that align with my interests, which is why I really like Smash Tap and another game called Fairy Tail Goku Mahou Ranbu (フェアリーテイル極・魔法乱舞) since they are based off the original anime and manga.

What is your favourite part about mobile games? Story, characters, mechanics, etc.

The mechanics of a game definitely makes a game hit or miss for me since it is essentially what will keep me hooked on a game. My other favourite thing about mobile games is the luck element many of them have like gachas. [I commented, “YOU LIKE GACHAS?! You must have really good luck!” since my experience with them is usually bad]. The reasons I love gachas so much is because I kind of like the gambling element to it. You're using all your saved up in-game currency for new characters or items so it’s really exciting to see what you're going to get! Although there is no guarantee of winning something favourable, there is always hope in the next try. It's the same feeling when you say "One more time!" while playing a UFO catchers’/claw cranes and such.

Do you feel a stronger connection between you and some characters that you may not normally feel in other games you have played?

Not particularly. I don't think mobile games are as immersive as perhaps console or pc games because they are often limited in what you can do. Often the amount of time you can play for in one sitting is only fifteen to thirty minutes before you run out of stamina.

How do you react to criticism? Usually there are negative comments online on how a game functions or is not being fair, etc.

I don't really pay attention to criticisms or reviews of mobile games. As a more mature player, as long as I find it fun for myself then that's good enough. I also don't see mobile games as a long term commitment either. If something isn't functioning right or the game is failing to make improvements then it's too easy to just delete it and find something else. Eventually you forget about it and move on. In that way I think mobile games are very disposable.

Are there any games you stopped playing? If so why?

There's too many games for me to really mention that I've stopped playing, but some games I have stopped playing recently were A3!, Band Yarouze, and BanG Dream! The main reason I often stop playing a game is because as a free player you often reach a cap that you can't really surpass without paying money. For some other games, the game starts to focus on multiplayer functions too much, which again, relies more on how much money you spend on the game rather than your own persistence.

If a game doesn’t already have one, would you want to see developers create an animated series, real life mini drama, or character sung songs?

I think it really depends on the franchise and type of game, but I think there is definitely the option to branch out into different medias such as character songs and animated series for some games. Voiced characters and a good storyline are definitely needed beforehand though.

Since smartphones are so important in our everyday life, do you think that creates even more potential for mobile games, or does it defeat their purpose since it is so common?

With smartphones being almost a necessity these days and internet becoming more accessible, I think it definitely leaves room for improvement in the mobile gaming industry since it allows for more competition; which is good in terms of gaming quality. It's also a good industry for new developers, aspiring writers and artists etc. and allows for growth and new ideas which can only lead to newer and better games.

With the development of virtual reality, do you think future mobile games will try to incorporate it? Do you think it’ll be successful?

I think there is definitely a market for VR mobile games, but it will still take some time to produce something considered "good". I think as technology continues to improve, it will eventually be successful. But for now, I think we're still quite far away from making a "good" VR mobile game.

What kind of mobile games do you wish to see next? Are there any mobile games you anticipate for? Whether in the making or already released.

I personally hope to see some more RPG open world type of mobile games as I still haven't found one with the kind of feature I'd like to see or with a decent game progression rate. As for games that I'm anticipating, I'm highly excited for the B-Project: Muteki*Dangerous (B-PROJECT～無敵＊デンジャラス～) game (photo below).

If you could create any mobile game, no limitations, what kind of game would it be?

For me I would like to create a dungeon crawling/quest RPG sort of game with lots of character customisation like MapleStory, World of Warcraft and other MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). With customisation, it would make mobile games, especially dating/visual novel ones, even more emotional and personal. These types of games also have no limit on how long you can play you can play for hours at a time rather than perhaps 30 minutes.

If you could recommend one game to other beginner mobile game players, which one would it

I would recommend that people play Love Live as it's a popular game with a large community in both Japanese and English. So, there are multiple beginner tutorials, walkthroughs and other people to ask questions and talk to about the game.

As mentioned in the beginning, the gaming community is very helpful, especially for mobile game beginners. By conducting this interview, I understand how Michelle and I’s gaming experiences may be different based on the games we played. However, we can still bond over similar aspects in games or fan over characters we like with ease. These kinds of relationships with other players are what make mobile games so fun and special. A big thank you to Michelle for being so nice and doing the interview!

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