Will 'playable data' bring real-world context and change the mobile gaming experience?

What if information from the real world could change or alter what happens in a mobile game on a consumer's smartphone in real time? It's a concept called "playable data," a term coined by mobile gaming pioneer Stuart Duncan, now the CEO and founder of IceJam Studios. Playable data could bring in news, weather, stocks or a host of other information that could influence what happens on a touchscreen. And while he hopes to be among the first, Duncan says he expects more context-aware mobile gaming to become the norm before too long. "We imagine that people will follow along if [it] works," he told FierceDeveloper. "Much like [free-to-play games] I would hope to see a time in the real near future, where to consider not having real time data will be completely ridiculous." For more on the concept of playable data, check out this FierceDeveloper special report.