Digital Gaming on E-Readers: An Untapped Potential?
The Tale of Gamified Electronic Books: A Missed Opportunity?
ї Having a vast library of books at your fingertips sounds like a dream come true, doesn't it? But e-readers have been more than just that—these devices have reinvented the means of reading, offering simplistic games as a bonus for readers. However, the question remains: could things have been different if these devices had dived deeper into the gaming world?
The Ancient History of Gaming on E-Readers
Truth be told, games haven't been a major focus for e-readers. Yet, they've had some modest offerings like crosswords, Sudoku, and simple card games, all tailored for the e-ink screen. These games are great for brain exercises and time-killing, but they've never really grabbed customers' attention.
E-ink proved to be the perfect fit for these kinds of games—simple, straightforward, and fitting perfectly with the e-reader's educational focus. But what about more complex games? Could they have found a home on e-readers?
A Match Made in Tech Heaven—or So They Thought
Some e-readers like the early Kobo models (Kobo H20, Aura, Aura HD, Glo, Mini, and Touch) featured seven applications, including chess, solitaire, Word Scramble, and a sketch pad. Believe it or not, game developers decided to axe those features from their latest models!
Major e-reader brands like Barnes & Noble and Amazon also jumped on the bandwagon, offering games in earlier models, but later discontinuing the feature. This move left users scratching their heads, and reviewers labeling it a step backward.
The Rise of Android Readers—A New Hope for Gamers?
Don't count e-reader developers out just yet! Some innovative companies like Boyue, Onyx, Icarus, and Good e-Reader have been working on devices with Android, instead of the traditional Linux. These gadgets offer access to markets such as Google Play, 1Mobile, or APKPURE, allowing users to download casual games like Chess, Words with Friends, or card games like poker or solitaire.
Gamers are at the heart of Android's flexibility, and these devices promise a world of new possibilities for engaging and casual gaming.
The Great Debate: Games—A Missed Opportunity for E-Readers?
As e-reader features become available on tablets, these single-purpose reading devices might soon be a thing of the past. Instead of buying an e-reader and a tablet, users would rather carry one multipurpose gadget. That's why games on e-readers could have been a game-changer (pun intended).
If e-readers had offered advanced games, they could have attracted more customers, expanding beyond the hardcore reading community. And why not? When e-readers first burst onto the scene, tablets didn't even exist yet, and smartphones were limited to calls and texts. Imagine if game and app developers had started creating basic games back then, along with Amazon, B&N, and Kobo creating app markets. The tablet and smartphone landscape would look much different today.
Research shows that e-reader sales are in a nose dive, peaking in 2012 with 40 million units shipped worldwide. Tablets, on the other hand, have been gaining ground, shipping 66.2 million units in the same year (2015). The connection between the decline of e-readers and the rise of tablets suggests that users were switching platforms for the sake of multifunctional devices.
The Global Sensation of Gaming
Tablets have skyrocketed in popularity in part because of addictive games like Candy Crush, which has been downloaded close to 3 billion times, and Pokémon Go, played by over 800 million users worldwide! Games like these drive users to buy tablets, but if e-readers had been able to offer similar entertainment, would they have won more players over?
Amazon saw the future and switched gears with the Kindle Fire, a tablet rather than an e-reader. Users can now play a plethora of games on the Kindle Fire, combining the benefits of reading like they used to on the Kindle e-readers with the added fun of gaming.
Could a Brighter Future Be in Store for Gaming E-Readers?
Who knows? If the stars had aligned differently, e-readers might not just be a tool for reading but also an entertainment hub. As e-readers and tablets continue to evolve, one thing's for sure—the future is as unpredictable and exciting as a game of chess!
Markus Reily
markus@ourwebsite
Markus is our very own technology-obsessed gamer from sunny San Francisco, California. From video games to audio puzzles, he's got his finger on the pulse of the latest e-reader and tablet technology trends. Stay tuned for his insights on gaming and more!
Games could have finding a more significant foothold on e-readers, offering a wider appeal beyond the dedicated reading community. The simplicity and educational focus of e-ink screens might have lent themselves well to casual or brain-exercise games, and more complex offerings may have thrived as well.
In an alternate timeline, e-readers might have evolved into multi-purpose gadgets, combining the pleasure of reading with the engaging world of gaming, thus potentially increasing sales and staying competitive against tablets.
