The development of mobile gaming has come a long way throughout the years. The first-ever mobile game was Tetris, a game pre-installed in a Hagenuk MT-200 phone in 1994. Three years later, Nokia 6110 was released alongside the built-in Snake game. Alien Fish Exchange and Space Invaders were games still played on keypad phones which became popular in the 2000s.
The initial launch of the App Store in 2008 took mobile gaming to another level. App Store is an application that targets touch screen phones. The developers used the flexibility of touch options of the new generation of phones. In 2009, Angry Birds was released and became a crowd favorite. Years later, games developed from Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, Flappy Bird to PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends, and Call of Duty: Mobile.
Mobile gaming market economy
There are lots of games that the mobile industry has on offer. Every year, games are published, developed, and updated. We can see the trends in the mobile gaming community just by glancing over the most popular games by year. People in the late-90s favored Nintendo games such as Mario and Donkey Kong. By the early 2000s, the music-rhythm game Guitar Hero captured the hearts of many. In 2013, Clash of Clans ranked as one of the highest-grossing apps overall. And in 2016, Pokemon Go became the reason why people went outside and explored.
As mobile games become more and more popular, the revenue, in-app purchase, and gross income also increased. It is the driving force of income in the video game industry. As of 2021, action mobile games are the top game genre based on revenue. It increased by 68.9% compared to 2020. By 2026, the mobile gaming industry is forecasted to reach $174.5 million in market volume, which is an 8.73% increase.
Mobile games
Mobile games can be downloaded on any smartphone. Most of the games available in the market are available for both Andriod and iOS users, however, there are a few exceptions. For example, Fortnite is unplayable on iPhones and iPad because of the ongoing legal dispute between companies. There are also differences in operating systems that make some games incompatible with Andriod or iOS. The incompatibility of devices causes a large margin of difference between the number of downloads per app.
According to Statista (2022), Airport Security is the most downloaded application on Andriod phones, with 1.2 billion downloads in Google Play Store in 2022. It is followed by Twerk Race 3D – Running Game and Frozen Honey ASMR. Other games on the list are Roblox and Subway Surfers. For iPhone users, the most downloaded app in the app version of the popular web game Worlde!, followed by Airport Security.
There is also a variety of genres for mobile games. In 2020, casual games were the top game genre, with a 58.86% mobile device penetration rate. It is followed by Puzzle, Arcade, Action, Racing, and Strategy. These genres determine the goal of each game. An example is tower defense strategy games. The player’s goal is to build a tower to defend their territories.
There are lots of mobile versions of computer games on the market such as Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Call of Duty: Mobile. There are also games made for mobile games. It includes Pokemon Go, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Subway Surfers, which became the top android game in 2019.
Mobile game companies
Behind the success of many mobile games, such as PUBG Mobile, are the producers and publishers. They are the ones who make updates and release new games every year. Among the many big mobile company names, who are the top mobile companies today?
Activision Blizzard
Founded in 2008, Activision Blizzard is a game developer company from Santa Monica, California. They were once merged with Vivendi Games but became independent in 2013. Currently, Activision Blizzard has five sectors: Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Major League Gaming, Activision Blizzard Studios, and King. You might see King when you play Candy Crush because they are the ones who made it! Activision Blizzard also owns other games such as Call of Duty, StarCraft, Hearthstone, Guitar Hero, and Overwatch. In 2021, the company’s annual revenue peaked at 8.8 billion US dollars and was part of the top gaming companies by revenue.
Tencent Games
Another notable name in the mobile gaming industry is gaming giant Tencent Games. They are a China-based company under their parent company Tencent Holdings Ltd. which was founded in 1988. Currently offers different services such as entertainment and technology. Tencent is referred to as the gaming giant because of its investment in various gaming companies. In 2011, they acquired Riot Games – the home of the popular team-based game League of Legends. It is their top investment in the gaming market. They also invested in Epic Games, Supercell, and Netmarble. Games like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile are some of the games related to Tencent Games and these two games were developed by the subsidiary of Tencent Games (TiMi Studios and Kraftton).
Electronic Arts (EA)
One of the pioneers of games on PC is Electronic Games. It was founded by Trip Hawkins in 1982 and is currently residing in Redwood City, California. EA is known for its highly acclaimed games such as the EA Sports series, Battlefield, Apex Legends, and The Sims. In 2011, EA bought Popcap Games for approximately $650 million on top of $100 million for stocks. Their acquisition brought them Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies – two games made and developed by Popcap Games. You might associate EA with games like FIFA, Madden NFL, and NBA Live. Those are their most known game brands under the EA Sports series. As of 2021, the estimated revenue of EA is $2.47 billion.
Sony
People associate Sony with electronics such as televisions and digital cameras. But the company is also home to the well-loved PlayStation Series. Under the broad umbrella of Sony Corporation is Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) which started in 1993 in Japan. They are the sector that develops video games, specifically for PlayStation. PlayStations are consoles popular for many gamers around the world. It includes Uncharted 4 (exclusive on the PlayStation 4), Final Fantasy 7: Remake, and Final Fantasy 16, which Sony plans to add to the latest PS5. SIE is Sony’s largest sector, generating $25.04 billion by 2020.
Microsoft
Known as the company of Bill Gates and Paul Allen from 1975 is the computer software company Microsoft. It is famous for its Windows operating system, which is the most common computer software aside from the macOS of Apple. Aside from software, Microsoft also engages in the gaming industry. In 2001, Microsoft released a console called Xbox. Xbox consists of popular game series such as the Halo series – one of the most loved Microsoft games on Xbox. They also acquired Mojang in 2014, which is the home of the popular sandbox game Minecraft. Recently, Microsoft announced its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.
Nintendo
You may know Nintendo for their Switch or their Mario Series. They are a game development company founded in 1889 in Kyoto, Japan. Their first console was released in 1983 and is called Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Since then, they have released many console units and handheld consoles, such as the Game Boy in 1989. However, Nintendo suffered a loss because of the popularity of mobile gaming. They partnered with DeNA – a Japanese company focused on mobile – to release revamps of the classic and known games to mobile. It includes Mario Kart Tour, Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, and Pokemon GO.
Apple
The manufacturer of high-end computers, Apple is one of the prominent names in the technology industry. It was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976. Apple mainly produces services for iPhone, Ipad, and Mac. The operating system (OS) for their smartphones is iOS, which is exclusive to Apple devices. Because Andriod and iOS have a different OS, people can download games through the Apple App Store. In 2019, Apple launched Apple Arcade. It is a subscription gaming service that gives up to five people an ad-less experience with no in-app purchases in games. The users have a one-month trial and will pay $4.99 the next month.
If you want to search for information on the web, you use Google. Google is a search engine founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1998. It is a subsidiary of the Alphabet company, which also includes companies such as YouTube and Waze. However, Google doesn’t solely profit from its search engines. One of their known connections is Andriod – the OS of most touch screen devices. To install an application, Andriod users use Google Play Store. It is an app market similar to Apple App Store that includes all the compatible devices on Andriod. Google also introduced Google Play Games on the market in 2013, which tracks all the achievements and leaderboards, and serves as cloud storage for players. In February 2022, VOODOO and CASUAL AZUR GAMES were the leading gaming publishers in terms of download. They have 6.25 million downloads and 4.1 million downloads in Google Play Store, respectively.
Mobile game players
Casual players and gamers are essential to the economy, market, and development of the games. The in-app purchases, for example, drive up most of the revenue of the highest-grossing games of all time.
Every player has different gaming behaviors. Men still cover 55% of the gaming community compared to 45% of women. Females and male gamers vary in their preferred game genre and the average time spent playing games. From October 2020 to March 2021, females spend more time playing games, with an average of 17.86 minutes per day, while males spend 15.73 minutes.
The number of mobile game users is predicted to accumulate to 2.3 billion by 2026. User penetration is also forecasted to increase from 25.4% in 2022 to 29.4% in 2026. User penetration is the percentage of people that installed or purchased a particular app in a specific time frame.
Will the mobile gaming industry continue to grow?
Yes, the mobile gaming industry will grow further. This growth is affected by the prevalence of mobile phones in the world. As of 2021, there are currently 6.2 billion mobile phone users in the world. It is expected to reach 7.6 billion by 2027.
The increase in the amount of people owning a phone has positively affected the mobile gaming industry. The more people own a phone, the larger the market economy is. Companies like Sony and Tencent, despite being corporal giants, still receive a substantial amount of revenue through games. As long as there are technological advancements, the gaming community will expand.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do game developers develop games from scratch?
The development of a game starts with an idea. Once the developers have an idea, they will start to work on the concept and design of the game. After that, they will create a prototype of the game. A prototype is a early version of the game that is used to test the gameplay mechanics. After the prototype is created, the developers will start to work on the game's art and music. Once the game is completed, it will be released to the public. When looking at mobile games, the developers also look at the market size and the type of game they wants to develop. For example, if a developer wants to develop a game for the US market, they will look at the top grossing games in the US and try to create a game that is similar to those games.
What are some popular mobile games?
Some popular mobile games are Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, and Pokémon GO. These games are all free-to-play games that make money through in-app purchases. In-app purchases are items that can be bought within the game to help the player progress through the game or to give the player an advantage over other players. These games can be purchases on google play, iTunes, or other mobile apps stores that your phone is linked too. Clash of Clans and Candy Crush have some of the most users that play frequently.
How big is the global mobile gaming market?
The global mobile gaming market was worth $50.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $96.4 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 14.2% during the forecast period (2020-2025). The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the largest market for mobile gaming, followed by North America and Europe. The mobile gaming market is driven by the increasing number of smartphone users, the availability of cheap data plans, and the increasing number of app stores. In-app purchases are expected to be the largest revenue source for mobile gaming companies, followed by advertising and sponsorships. There is a demand of different genera is huge, such as puzzle games, strategy games, and action games among others.
What are some good games for 2022?
Depending on why types of gamer you are, there are a lot of great games that are both free to play and paid games. For example, Some great games that are free to play are Genshin Impact, Fortnite, and Call of Duty. While some people might prefer to spend money on a game like Cyberpunk 2077 or The Witcher 3. It all comes down to what the person wants to get out of the game. There are a lot of great games that are coming out in 2022, so it really depends on what the person is looking for.
What are some hyper casual games?
Some hyper casual games are Fruit Ninja, Subway Surfers, and Flappy Bird. These games are all simple games that can be played for a short period of time. They are called hyper casual because they are designed to be played in short bursts. These games are usually free-to-play and make money through in-app purchases or advertising.
What kind of games do female gamers play?
There is no definitive answer to this question as different female gamers play different types of games. However, some popular genres among female gamers include puzzle games, simulation games, and dress-up games. Additionally, many mobile games targeted towards female gamers have been released in recent years, such as Kim Kardashian: Hollywood and Candy Crush Saga. Yet, other video games, such as Fortnite and Valorant target female gamers as well. Everyone has their own style of games that they like and they will play the type that they enjoy.