The future of mobile gaming industry is one of the biggest global industries at the moment. The industry generated $77.2 billion in revenue in 2020.
Experts around the world estimate the industry to grow further. They point to the trends and advancements within the industry as signals of future growth.
Below, we list 6 reasons of our own, which we believe will continue the growth of the industry:
Unlike gaming consoles, smartphones are multi-purpose devices. And unlike PCs, smartphones are a necessity for everyone.
As a result, mobile game developers, have access to a bigger and diverse userbase than either console or PC game developers. Senior citizens might play casual mobile games to relax. While children and teenagers who do not have consoles of their own might play games like Fortnite and PUBG on their smartphones.
Smartphones have got powerful over the years. They are capable of processing data at a much quicker rate and have and higher storage capacities. This has made it possible for game developers to develop better games, which were not possible previously due to hardware restrictions.
Games like Oceanhorn 2, Call of Duty Mobile, and Sky: Children of Light would have been impossible to develop had it not been for recent hardware advancements.
Game Development Companies are now looking into ways to enhance the gaming experience even further. One way they are doing so is via controllers that fit the mobile form factor.
Taking a cue from the Nintendo Switch, Razer recently released a game controller that can be attached to either side of the smartphone. Unlike other types of mobile game controllers, which require the phones to be clipped onto the controller, Razer’s controller is more fitting to the aesthetics and functionality of smartphones. Backbone One controller is another one that has made similar advancements.
Big publishers like Riot Games, EA, Konami, Bethesda, and Ubisoft have entered the mobile game market in recent years. And they have brought their big franchises to mobile.
Riot Games for instance has released League of Legends: Wild Rift on iOS and Android, the much-awaited and requested mobile version of their acclaimed League of Legends franchise. Likewise, EA has invested heavily in FIFA in recent years. And so has their competitor Konami with their FIFA competitor PES Online.
Meanwhile, Bethesda has created a mobile game titled Blades, in their acclaimed Elder Scrolls series. While Ubisoft has released a couple of Assassin’s Creed games.
Mobile gaming was initially mostly casual games. Non-smartphone gamers still identify smartphone gaming with these casual games.
Casual gamers, the ones who play casual games primarily, are people who play to pass the time. Usually, they are not heavily invested in the games they play and prefer lightweight, easy-to-play games. Like, Candy Crush, Gardenscapes, and Subway Surfers.
According to Google, there are two more types of smartphone gamers: strategy gamers and fantasy gamers.
Strategy gamers are those who play strategic and community aspect games. They prefer games that let them team up with others and overcome challenges together. The games they play include Arena of Valor, Clash of Clans, and Clash Royale.
Fantasy gamers are those who play games to escape the real world. This crowd prefers games with an interesting cast of characters, good storylines, etc., where they can become someone who they’re not in real life. Games they play include Fate/Grand Order, Dragonball Z, and Ragnarök M.
Although smartphone games were dominated by casual games in the past, in recent years games have been released in the other genres as well. Now, almost anyone with a slight interest in gaming can find a game they like to play on their smartphones.
Mobile game developers have introduced new monetization methods in recent years to better monetize their players. And they have worked. The new monetization models have helped developers generate more revenue and increased the overall revenue share of the global mobile gaming industry.
Ads have now become more engaging. Game Developers have found new ad formats like playable ads, which users accept. Meanwhile, reward ads, the type of ads that reward players with in-game perks for watching them, have spiked in popularity
Subscription methods have also been introduced to great success. Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass are two notable examples. Both give users access to a list of games for a monthly fee. Apart from these two companies, individual games like PUBG and Ark Survival: Reloaded have also successfully monetized users with subscriptions.
Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia have released their cloud gaming services in recent years, with others like Amazon and Nintendo expected to follow soon. These services let users play console and PC games on their phone, with just an internet connection.
This is one thing hardcore gamers have wanted for years. Few would turn down the opportunity to play their favorite console and PC games on, on the go.
Many predicted that the future of mobile gaming industry would experience a downfall. So far, it hasn’t happened. And is unlikely to happen soon as well.
All developments signal a further rise. With more games and more users and in turn more revenue.
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