Trip Hawkins: Forget 'bigger and better'

Game developers love to create bigger, better and flashier titles, which is one reason we're losing sight of what really works on the mobile phone--and losing our best developers to console and PC gaming, warns Digital Chocolate's Trip Hawkins. "There is definitely room for more originality and healthier competition," he said in his GDC Mobile keynote address. This news may not be a shock to seasoned mobile developers (especially those who have heard Hawkins talk before), but it is a good point: Writing mobile games is a tough business with a myriad of technical and business obstacles. There isn't a lot of room for error, so focus very carefully on on your customers and make sure you're doing everything possible to make you title attractive to carriers. For more on Hawkins speech, check out FierceGameBiz.