It’s in our pockets at most times. We use it for a variety of personal and professional tasks. For better or worse, our smartphones now connect us to worlds beyond. And this includes gaming.
There’s a surge in mobile gaming. Mobile gaming offers adults convenience, a sense of community, and an opportunity at casual play.
And frankly, the games are getting better and better on mobile.
Mobile Gaming is Growing – Big Time
First, let’s begin with some rather impressive numbers that confirm our title.
There are nearly 2 billion mobile gamers today. And those gamers are responsible for almost 80% of all gaming industry revenue. This makes the mobile gaming industry worth $172 billion.
That’s insane.
And as you can see from the graph below, it’s not slowing down.
Mobile gaming is not only here to stay, but to dominate the market. And there are a slew of reasons for this.
The Appeal of Mobile Gaming
The portability of the smartphone has made gaming increasingly accessible to more and more people. Almost everyone needs a smartphone for personal and professional reasons. But hardly anyone needs a Playstation. As a result, people are inadvertently walking around with a gaming console in their pockets and purses. The accessibility of mobile games is probably the top reason for the market’s impressive growth.
This accessibility also plays well to convenience. Because your smartphone is always with you, you can play anytime, anymore, at any moment.
Bored at a doctors office waiting room? Not anymore. Simply pull out your smartphone and begin gaming.
Moreover, there’s a wide range of games now available on mobile platforms. There’s the casual puzzle to complex strategy games to Call of Duty. Big box games are optimizing for smartphone use like never before.
There’s also an innate social connectivity aspect in gaming that often includes multiplayer options and social media integration. This has helped broaden the mobile gaming audience by leaps and bounds.
And then there’s 5G and gaming. With 5G networks rising up all over the nation, connection speeds are increasing. Couple this with advancements in smartphone and tablet technology and gaming graphics and responsiveness are getting more robust.
Mobile Gaming Trends
The mobile gaming industry is constantly evolving. But there are three areas of focus that will likely serve to continue it’s growth.
Casual Gaming
Casual gaming is the first. Casual games have become uber popular among adults. Many adults love the simplicity of non-complex games that tend to pacify boredom and often help exercise the brain.
There’s several incredibly popular casual games on the market.
Plants vs. Zombies: A tower defense and strategy game where players place different types of plants, each with their own unique offensive or defensive capabilities, around a house to stop a horde of zombies from reaching it.
Clash of Clans: A strategy based mobile game where players build and expand their own villages, create and train armies, and attack other players to earn resources. It also features a clan system where players can join together for clan wars.
Angry Birds: A classic mobile game where players use a slingshot to launch birds at pigs stationed on or within various structures, with the intent of destroying all the pigs on the playfield. It’s famous for its fun physics-based gameplay and has spawned numerous sequels and adaptations.
Serious Gaming
Mobile gaming isn’t just about the simpler games. There’s a lot of complex gaming that goes down on smartphones these days which offer much deeper experiences.
Monument Valley (and Monument Valley 2): These are puzzle games that stand out for their surreal architecture and impossible geometry. Players guide the main character through mazes of optical illusions and impossible objects. The game is highly praised for its stunning visual design and serene soundtracks, offering a thought-provoking and meditative experience. The sequel, Monument Valley 2, builds on the original’s mechanics and introduces new characters and a more detailed narrative.
The Room series (The Room, The Room Two, The Room Three, and The Room: Old Sins): This series of puzzle games is renowned for its intricate puzzle boxes and sophisticated 3D designs. Players are required to unlock and explore these boxes, solving a series of puzzles that are interlinked and require keen observation and problem-solving skills. The games are set in a dark, atmospheric world and are celebrated for their compelling narratives and immersive gameplay. Each new installment expands on the story and mechanics, offering more complex puzzles and deeper storylines.
Augmented Reality
The future of augmented reality is exciting. AR technology continues to explode. These unique, immersive gaming experiences will continue to expand audiences and impress those who play them. Given your smartphone is always with you in unique environments, they are perfect for AR games which combine your reality with a fantasy gaming experience.
Conclusion
Mobile gaming has become a substantial revenue driver for the gaming industry and a valued part of gamer’s experiences. With new technology and 5G connections supporting heavier graphics and AR, expectations for the future of mobile gaming are through the roof.