I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately: Will anyone play (buy) a hardcore, top-down shooter on a mobile device?  What will it take to get someone to buy it, play it, and tell their friends about it?  Should it be free, with weapon upgrades as in-app transactions?

The type of shooters I like were last seen on the PC in the games by Scott Host at Mountain King Studios.   His games, Raptor and Demon Star were some of the last, best scrolling to-down shooters for the PC.  In fact, Raptor just saw a 2010 edition for the PC and Mac, and a new iPhone edition.

Is the iPad the right place for these games, or does control need to be so precise that the target audience will not sit enjoy the games on these platforms.  Alternatively, is the audience for these games too small to really make any kind of return on them?   Are portals still a valid way to sell games and make money, or is everything now social+mobile+etc.?