Did you wish more mobile games have Keyboard and mouse support?

[froggyboy604]

I think it would be nice to have more games with keyboard and mouse support since there are more iOS devices like the iPad Pro, and Android tablets which let people easily attach a wireless or wired keyboard to their tablet, so they can type faster, and also use shortcut keys like CTRL-V which is not as easy to do on a touchscreen tablet.

I played a few mobile games like Asphalt 8, Pinball, and a Skateboarding game from the Windows App Store for Windows 8-10 on my desktop computer, and I found it easier to control certain games like Racing, Skateboarding, Action RPG, and Sports games with a keyboard and mouse.

Keyboards and mouse are also more affordable than a good wireless gamepad controller which can cost $60 while a good wireless keyboard and mouse cost about $40 or less.

 

[OMDO]

I just don't think that should be a focus of a mobile developer. You have to imagine that not too many people would even go through the trouble of connecting those devices for games, why put through that effort when they could focus on something more relevant.

 

[froggyboy604]

I think if you are developing games for Windows 10 tablets and smartphones, keyboard support is important now that Microsoft is actively promoting that their Windows tablet is also a PC when a keyboard and mouse is attach to it.

Google and other Android companies are promoting their Pixel C tablet and other Android tablets can be used as laptops. Apple also promotes the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement device when you use the optional keyboard cover which is available for it.

It probably is not too hard to put keyboard and mouse controls in mobile games for a skilled mobile game maker because there are simpler games like online Flash games and casual games made in High School and College beginners programming classes with keyboard and mouse support.

 

[Golddisk]

It's not really a big deal to me. The mobile games I play are mostly pretty casual and don't really require a mouse or keyboard.

 

[OMDO]

It probably is not too hard to put keyboard and mouse controls in mobile games for a skilled mobile game maker because there are simpler games like online Flash games and casual games made in High School and College beginners programming classes with keyboard and mouse support.

I wasn't trying to imply that it was an issue of skill, just an issue of use. How much of the marketshare of an Android/iOS platform is going to see keyboard and mouse support, then decide if you even need to focus on that stuff.

 

[froggyboy604]

I wasn't trying to imply that it was an issue of skill, just an issue of use. How much of the marketshare of an Android/iOS platform is going to see keyboard and mouse support, then decide if you even need to focus on that stuff.

I think there are now more people who own a keyboard for their Android, iOS, and Windows 10 smartphones and tablets because Bluetooth Keyboards are becoming more portable and affordable where a wireless Bluetooth keyboard for tablets and smartphones cost around $10 on eBay. There are also cheap $3 Micro-USB OTG cable with a full size USB port to use to connect a desktop USB Keyboard to some Android and Windows tablet, and most people own USB keyboards. There are probably many millions of people who own a Bluetooth keyboard which would work on a modern smartphone or tablet which usually has Bluetooth.

If the mobile game maker actively advertise or write a blog and forum post that their game will work on mobile devices with keyboards, the mobile game may get an extra few thousand or more keyboard gamers. Having a few thousand extra gamers is a decent amount of extra fans who will support your games.

The marketshare of physical Keyboard and Mouse users is smaller, but Keyboard and Mouse users maybe more loyal fans of a mobile game. Keyboard users maybe more willing to spend more real money on virtual items like virtual weapons, other item , DLC, and virtual money for buying in-game items in a game, and also support the makers of the games. Keyboard users may also have more money to spend on virtual items because they can afford a wireless keyboard, or bought a more expensive tablet like the iPad Pro, Android Pixel C, and Microsoft Surface Pro 3 where using a keyboard is an important part of using these tablets because they are designed to be laptop replacement tablets.

The mobile games industry is also very competitive, so having an extra few hundred or thousand mobile gamers who prefer keyboard and mouse may help make a mobile game slightly more popular, so the game maker earn slightly more money from ads, and in-app purchases to pay workers to add more features, levels, and characters to a game.

There are also a lot of disabled/handicapped people who may prefer using a mouse, and keyboard because of limited hand movement because of a injury or disability, so they maybe able to play mobile games if there are alternative ways to play the games with a keyboard and mouse, or controller which is designed for people who don't have fast finger and hand movements.

 

[Nuk1nat0r]

Frankly, I don't think that mobile games should have keyboard and mouse support, because these games are supposed to be MOBILE. You wouldn't play a mobile game sitting on your desk at home(well you would), but these games are designed so that you play it in a place where you won't have a good place to put a keyboard, so adding support for the keyboard kinda defeats the purpose of mobile. Either way we put it, mobile developers aren't going to make keyboard support at the very tippity top of their list, instead focusing on better graphics or smoother gameplay than just keyboard support.

 

[AgentD]

It's not a deal breaker for me, since we're talking about mobile, the only game I play on mobile devices are games i'm ready to play using only my (mobile) device. That being said, froggyboy brings up some great points, if you're developing games for a mobile platform, including support for mouse and keyboard is definetly going to help you. If I see two games that are basically the same and then I see that one of them supports M+KB then without a doubt I will choose the one that gives me more freedom when choosing how to play the game.

 

[Vash]

Mobile games should focus on mobile interface. If we need keyboard and mouse, then we should play the games on a PC instead which is a lot more powerful than a mobile device.

The reason why still need mobile gaming is to be able to play it on the go, and anywhere we go. If we need to use keyboard and mouse, then it obviously defeats the purpose of "mobile". Since these input devices require stationary usage, you might as well use a stationary device to play the games.

 

[chelsknits]

I don't mind not being able to use a keyboard and mouse. I'd much rather have the touchscreen capabilities since don't have to think about what buttons I'm pressing to do certain things or anything. I just feel like touchscreens can be a lot easier to operate. When it comes to typing in games, I'm a pretty fast typer on mobile devices too so it doesn't really make much of a difference for me.

 

[froggyboy604]

I read on blogs that some Google Chromebook laptops like the ASUS Flip Chromebook now comes with Google Play's Android App and games market place built-into Chrome OS.

Making a mobile games work with Keyboard, and mouse can increase the number of Chrome OS Chromebook users who play an Android game. There a couple million Chromebook users worldwide. Some of these Chromebook users will be interested in playing mobile games which has keyboard and mouse support instead of using the laptop's touchscreen.

I bet, in the future, Google Play's Android marketplace will be built-into Google Chrome web browser for PC, so Windows, Linux, and Mac users can also use Android apps and Games in Google Chrome which is installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Google Chrome is the most popular desktop web browser. if Google adds the Play Store to Google Chrome, there would be many millions of new Google Play gamers who want to play mobile games with keyboard and mouse support in Google Play for Chrome for PC.