Samsung Galaxy S4 Opens New Mobile Gaming Options For Gameloft

Game publisher and developer Gameloft has thrown its support behind the new Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone. The game maker has been active across all mobile platforms and was a primary backer for Apple’s launches of iPhone and iPad, as well as new Google Android phones and tablets over the years.

The game developer, which recently opened a studio in New Orleans, has focused on a mass market gaming audiences through Hollywood licenses like Iron Man 3, Epic and Ice Age Village and franchises like Asphalt, Real Football and The Oregon Trail: Settlers. The publisher already has 13 games available for the Galaxy S4, including Asphalt 7: Heat.

“We’ve added a cool new feature to Asphalt 7 that allows players to challenge friends,” said Baudouin Corman, vice president of publishing for the Americas. “We’re currently exploring other games where these new technologies benefit players.”

While Apple features video games in its commercials and has partnered with Epic Games at iPhone and iPad launches in the past, the company has not been a vocal proponent of gaming. Samsung, perhaps, sees that as an opportunity.

“It shows that Samsung sees gaming as a key differentiator for their flagship devices, and it shows that gaming is a major feature of what people expect from a great smartphone,” said Corman.

Samsung is releasing the Game Arcade controller, which looks very similar to an Xbox 360 controller, and opens up more complex and precise non-swipe controls for games. The Galaxy S4 also connect to big screen HD TVs, which essentially turns the device into a portable console when paired with the Game Arcade controller and the latest Android games running on the S4’s 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor.

“Any features that allow users easier access to the most advanced games is great for our players, and for the larger gaming community,” said Corman. “It’s an impressive smartphone. The screen, processor, and Group Play capability give Gameloft the ability to showcase amazing games.”

The new Galaxy S4 has been designed to allow game developers to push interactivity in multiple ways. For example, Group Play allows multiple Galaxy S4 owners to instantly connect for multiplayer gaming with absolutely no friction. It’s all about jumping in and playing.

“What’s nice about Group Play is it lets consumers access quick real-time multiplayer sessions,” said Corman. “It also opens up great features for gaming such as trading items, instant challenges, or even ghost races, as we have done with Asphalt 7.”

It’s also nice to play games on the S4’s Full HD Super AMOLED display, which features a 5-inch large screen that has 441ppi for crystal clear visuals. Games like Asphalt 7 really pop on this display, which I think gives Apple’s Retina technology a run for its money. Corman said the S4’s screen is great because games become sharper, and more graphically intense, which gives consumers a console-type experience in the palm of their hands.

Like Apple, Samsung has sold a lot of Galaxy phones and tablets over the past few years, introducing millions of new consumers to mobile gaming. The S4 will attract more hardcore gamers at first, which gives developers an audience to cater to beyond the casual, social and arcade games that are so popular in that space. With upcoming price drops of the smartphone, a larger demographic will sweep in and have access to some of these exclusive new features.

One of the things that kept many developers from supporting the Kinect and PlayStation Move peripherals in the console space was a lack of an installed base. With the S4, every consumer has access to eye-tracking technology, which could have huge implications in the way games are controlled down the line. The dual camera functionality, which allows for simultaneous use of the front and rear cameras, is also something that could add another level of personalization and connectivity to games with potential picture-in-picture options to see who you’re playing against while competing in a virtual world.

“As with all technologies that Samsung brings to the market, we will evaluate how we can use each feature to enrich the player experience,” said Corman.

Samsung will face new mobile competition later this year as NVIDIA unleashes its project SHIELD gaming device, powered by new Tegra 4 technology. There’s also the just-release Wikipad 7-inch gaming tablet and the MOGA Mobile Gaming System. But companies like Samsung and Apple have the advantage with a much larger installed base and multiple carrier partners around the globe.

“Smartphones are now being sold to every consumer demographic from early adopters to seniors,” said Corman. “It allows us to make games for every consumer on the market, from the casual player to the hardcore gamer.”