How iPhone Became the Ultimate Multiplayer Platform

Mobile devices are always on, always connected, and always with you. That makes them pretty great as games machines. But it's taken a few years for the smartphone to fulfill its potential, as games have struggled to cope with the confusion of a rapidly evolving consumer behavior and technology.. In 2011, game developers finally delivered.

No other multiplayer gaming experience is as ubiquitous, accessible, or flexible as the myriad of multiplayer experiences on iOS and Android. No, not even Xbox Live or Facebook. So here are five reasons why 2011 really mattered...

The power of asynchronous play is twofold. It allows gamers to work video games into their life in whatever way most makes sense for each individual. No need to plop down in front of your Xbox, or be at a PC with access to Facebook. Instead gamers simply take their turns where and when they want. But perhaps more importantly, it allows more casual game fans to experience the thrill and challenge of head-to-head competition without being subjected to a high-pressure "realtime" climate that might not be much fun for casual audiences.

Asynchronous multiplayer is hardly a new concept for mobile games, or gaming in general. Chess fanatics have been playing games over email for as long as the internet has existed, and via real-world mail for plenty longer than that. On the mobile side, Newtoy's Words With Friends first launched in July 2009 and quickly became the model for asynchronous play done right.

2011 presented gamers with more asynchronous options than ever. Zynga attempted to replicate Words With Friends' runaway success with Hanging with Friends. Chillingo pushed the emerging genre even further ahead with Poker Pals.

Several board game makers also followed Carcassone's lead by introducing polished iOS versions of hit physical board games, with nearly all offering excellent turn-based player options. Tikal, Caylus, Puerto Rico, Tigris & Euphrates were all released in 2011, giving gamers far more turn-based titles to choose from.


Ever-increasing mobile bandwidth combined with the horsepower of the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S meant that core gamers had plenty to get excited about on mobile platforms in 2011, as well.

Apple's AirPlay wireless stream software allows gamers to play some iOS games at HD resolution on their HDTV itself. Some developers, including Real Racing 2 creator Firemint, have smartly taken advantage of this tech to allow gamers to play four-player split-screen multiplayer matches, giving gamers yet another option for mobile multiplayer gaming.

In December Activision's Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies introduced four-player realtime multiplayer, complete with voice chat. The feature seems a harbinger of things to come – with 4G networks becoming more and more ubiquitous and mobile bandwidth concerns increasingly becoming a thing of the past, core gamers can look forward to more top-tier games offering voice chat and other realtime multiplayer niceties.

In 2011 Gameloft released its fantasy MMORPG Order & Chaos and robust 12-player realtime multiplayer FPS Modern Combat 3. Namco's Sky Gamblers: Rise of Glory offers 8-player online aerial dogfighting. Chair even got into the act with Infinity Blade, introducing a Multiplayer mode in May, five months after the game's launch. 2011 gave gamers more options than ever for head-to-head gaming on the go.


2011 may have been mobile's breakthrough year as a social & multiplayer game platform, but the year also saw the release of several notable single player adventures. EA's Dead Space offered up plenty of scares, Capybara's Sword & Sworcery redefined the adventure game, and Chair's Infinity Blade 2 pushed mobile gamers to new heights.

But even these single player experiences couldn't resist the urge to build in social or competitive hooks. Most offer a smart and modern "single player as multiplayer" experience. In Jetpack Joyride you physically sail past your friend's high scores when surpassing them. Sword & Sworcery features unparalleled Twitter integration, allowing players to tweet any line of dialogue in the entire title. Infinity Blade 2 will soon allow thousands of gamers to play cooperatively to take own enemies with millions of hit points.


Apple's Game Center multiplayer service launched in late 2010 but it came into its own in 2011. At launch, Game Center's relatively bare bones feature set led to the service being considered a poor's man's iOS Xbox Live but Apple smartly stuck with the service in 2011, recognizing the need for a strong central gamer identity as games became a more and more important piece of the App Store pie. At WWDC 2011 in June Apple announced support for achievement points, access to friends of friends, and custom profile photos.

Gamers have embraced the service wholeheartedly, with Apple announcing in October that 67 million Game Center accounts have been created.


The exciting thing about mobile as a games platform is just how democratic it is. The power of today's mobile hardware means that your mobile phone doesn't need to be an "either or" games platform. At home you can stream Infinity Blade 2's gorgeous visuals to your HDTV, or compete head-to-head in Modern Combat 3. On your commute you can catch up on your Words with Friends or Carcassonne turns. And throughout the day you can check in on your Zoo or Farm, courtesy of Zynga.

If 2011's evolution is anything to go by, it seems inevitable that the mobile's phone's always-on, always-with-you nature will further inspire mobile game developers to blur the line between single-player, multiplayer, and Zynga-esque social games.

Justin is Executive Editor of IGN Wireless. He has been reviewing cell phone games since the dark days of Java flip phones. You can follow him on Twitter and MyIGN.

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