If most of us were to think about it, we would probably name our cell phone as the most useful device we own. Certainly a car is indispensable for the millions of us who neither live within walking distance of everything imaginable nor have direct access to an active rail system, but a cell phone performs so many functions and costs so little in comparison that every other gadget and belonging is suspect of significant under achievement. Indeed, with a good cell phone plan, the phone itself is often completely cost free.

From placing calls from virtual anywhere and at any time to surfing the internet and checking e-mail cell phones are certainly work horses for many of us. Of course, there is another face to these tiny devices. Increasingly entertainment functions have been assumed by these same gadgets. From shooting pictures, watching video, and enjoying favorite tunes they are now part of our repertoire of diversions in our busy lives.

With increases in memory, connectivity, and screen capabilities other functions have been taken on for the entertainment of users. One of the emerging favorites among cell phone owners is the capability of playing games. Recent reports indicate that hardcore gamers aren’t the only ones to make use of this function. Many cell phone owners are finding the joy of using cell phone games to take the bite out of a long wait whether between classes, in a long line, during a commute, or simply a break in activity.

The games available for use on a cell phone vary from simple card games, trivia, puzzles, memory and logic challenges, to sports and adventure types of games. The complexity of games continues to increase as 3D games and games requiring connectivity with other players begin to take center stage with more experienced gamers. Although many users enjoy simply challenging themselves to the basic games, others prefer to interact with others during play via Bluetooth connectivity or texting while others take the next step and engage in online tournaments.

For those who wish to experiment with cell phone games getting started is very simple. Most cell phones now come with some basic games embedded in them. These games have no cost and do not use up precious cell phone plan minutes so the enjoyment is there for the taking. Other game options are available of course on line and can be discovered by doing a simple search on “mobile phone games”. Downloading from a site is simple and quick although there is usually a fee of course. Most sites offer downloads for a monthly charge in the neighborhood of $4 to $6 or an annual fee which offers greater savings.

Certainly, most of us won’t be converting to hardcore gaming but the simple diversion of cell phone games may be a justifiable and cost effective form of entertainment that is already available on our hard working cell phones if we choose to make use of it.



By: Christine Peppler

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Have you ever tried playing a game on your cell phone before? If you have, you probably noticed several problems with traditional mobile games.

When mobile games first started, they are simple games, mostly developed in Java to keep the cell phone owner entertained - especially when he or she is on the move. But as hardware and software continue to advance, mobile games have become more and more sophisticated as well. Consumers are also becoming more and more demanding.

Cell phones are becoming part of everyone’s life styles. Graphics have become more stunning, and new features are constantly being added. Soon, everyone’s cellphones start to have bigger disk space (or memory) to keep their data, which is mostly in the form of games, audio and video files. As the memory of cell phones continue to increase, application developers are able to create more sophisticated games to be played on the cellphones.

Most of these games require the cell phone owner to download a small installation file, which then installs the game into the cell phone. Only after the installation can the cell phone owner get to enjoy the game. Still, these games are played largely by the cellphone owners alone.

But all that is about to change with Facebook’s unique developer platform. Facebook is the first social community website that allows developers to tap into its database of millions of users worldwide, by allowing them to create third party games and applications for the website. Once an application or game has been developed, all Facebook members can get access to them very easily. Usually, installing a new game or application involves only two or three simple clicks. But what does Facebook has to do with cell phone games?

You see, the greatest thing about social websites is that all members are encouraged to interact freely on the website. So when they see a cool game or application, there is a high chance that they will, in turn, tell all their friends in their network. And great games and applications get a chance to grow on Facebook’s network.

Furthermore, interaction is fueled by the various third party games and applications that have been freely available on Facebook’s website. Games such as Corruption Unlimited continues to provide hours and hours of entertainment for Facebook members. One of its unique feature is that it allows gamers to participate in the game using their cell phones.

The game is highly interactive, and comes complete with a leaderboard to keep track of all scours on the official website. So all gamers get to see where they stand in the game. Top players may also be rewarded with cool prizes.

Compare Corruption Unlimited with the traditional Java mobile games, and we see a huge contrast. Very likely, most Java mobile games will go the way of the dinosaur. So the next time you are looking for some new and interesting games to play on your cell phones, be sure to check out Corruption Unlimited. It’s free, and all you need is a Facebook account, a browser and an internet connection to join.



By: Gen Wright

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