Mobiles and gaming...

What do you use your mobile phone for nowadays?

Calling your sweetheart, sending witty text messages to friends or perhaps even surfing the internet from the comfort of your handset?

But what about games? For some they provide a welcome distraction on the commute home, and as technology continues to improve we could soon find a wider selection of high-quality titles available (Mobile COD4 anyone?).

Ask most users of mobile phones and the response will most likely involve some kind of virtual reptile or puzzle game involving falling blocks.

But as technology of mobile phones continues to improve, avid gamers could soon find themselves with access to graphics normally associated with console gaming, but on a much smaller scale.

Indeed, the mobile gaming industry is growing fast, with many different genres becoming more freely available on our handsets â€" from puzzle games to role-playing titles and others more commonly associated with PC or console gaming.

As technology of handsets improves, with faster chips and high-quality graphic interfaces with touch-screen technology becoming more affordable - even for pay as you go mobile phones - game enthusiasts could soon have access to higher quality games in the palm of their hands.

As touch-screen devices are becoming more widely available, the potential for interactive gaming could prove popular amongst gamers.

However, some are using the handsets themselves as part of the game itself, with tilt technology built into the handset, allowing for the potential for games that are played by simply tilting the handset.

Tilt technology allows developers the chance to tap into genres usually associated with the big screen, such as driving titles or gyroscopic puzzle games that require precision tilting - meaning that a jolt on the bus could prove costly if you're trying to concentrate.

With the potential for better quality games on a smaller scale, many film companies are now tailoring mini-games to coincide with release dates of films - in some cases offering the chance to discover secrets about characters by playing through scenarios on their handsets.

With 3D graphics chips and faster processors being developed specifically for mobile phones, the next level of gaming could soon be in the palm of our hands, which could make the daily commute less boring...

Just make sure you don't miss your stop!