There has always been a variety of ways to play games, like PC, consoles, and hand-helds. But in the past few years, with the very evident and fast improvement of the technology behind mobile phones, mobile gaming has recently risen to new heights. Gone are the days that the only games that can be played on phones are the likes of “Snake”, “Angry Birds” and “Candy Crush”. Mobile phones have become so technologically advanced and powerful that they can run games that can normally only be played elsewhere. People are now walking with powerful PCs in their pockets and game developers have taken notice.
As of 2024, the total number of people that own a smartphone is at around 7.26 Billions and counting. That’s estimately 91.54% of the world’s population. According to Matt Piscatella of the NPD group, mobile gamers have spent more than PC gamers and console gamers combined in the year 2019. According to the gaming analytics company, Newzoo, Mobile gaming brought in an estimated $80 billion in revenue in 2020. In contrast, consoles have brought in only $45 billion, and PC with $37 billion. The Smartphone has conquered the global games market with a staggering 41% of the entire market share with now having $95.4 billion in revenue. That’s how big the mobile gaming community has grown.
Because of the exponential growth and the unlimited potential mobile gaming brings to the table, there are several gaming companies that capitalized on this new opportunity. Companies like Activision Blizzard, Tencent, Sony, and Niantic, to name a few, have already risen to the challenge and have created mobile games that generated billions and billions of dollars.
Mobile phones are very portable, easy to carry, and there is no need for external monitors and extra hardware to play games. The mobile gaming community has been the laughing stock of both PC gamers and console gamers for quite some time, but as technology evolves and with companies prioritizing mobile gaming more.
Mobile technology has revolutionized the industry and has evolved into games with competitive visuals, interactive gameplay, visuals that can now be compared with their PC and console counterparts, and even online casinos have utilized mobile gaming with great reviews like Starburst Slot from gentingcasino.com.
Are mobile gamers going to have the last laugh?
According to recent analysis and market study, the Global Mobile Gaming Market is set to reach $139.5 Billion by 2026. So it sure looks like it.
Why Do Developers Prefer Mobile?
Activision Blizzard
According to Activision Blizzard, one of the competent game developers for both PC and console games, they have decided to prioritize mobile gaming. Activision Blizzard has renewed its focus on the mobile market after seeing the international success of their online mobile game Call of Duty Mobile. According to COO Daniel Alegre, mobile games are the “ultimate driver of reach” due to the user base of nearly 3 billion smartphones worldwide.
Activision Blizzard’s goal moving forward is to bring every single one of its major game franchises to smartphones in the future. Aside from Call of Duty, a few legendary intellectual properties that Activision Blizzard owns are World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. COO Daniel Alegre states that not bringing their franchises to mobile would be a great disservice to the community. This is coming from one of the most influential gaming developers to date.
Tencent
Another example of a company that prioritizes mobile gaming is Tencent. Tencent is a multi-billion dollar company that is based in China. They have produced famously downloaded titles such as Arena of Valor (AOV), and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). With revenue streams that go beyond the $500 billion mark, there’s no stopping this mobile gaming powerhouse.
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts are responsible for well renowned games in both PC and consoles such as The Sims series, the Need for Speed series, Madden NFL series, and the Apex Legends series. All these aforementioned games have already had their mobile versions. And with the additional casual games such as Tetris and Bejeweled, despite the micro-transactions, EA is still a force to be reckoned with in the mobile gaming world. Bringing famous titles to mobile to the reach of the majority definitely is a perfect choice for revenue.
Square Enix
Square Enix was the one responsible for the well-renowned Final Fantasy Franchise. It also developed the Kingdom Hearts series and Tomb Raider. With all these being exclusive to PC and console before, Square Enix has ultimately decided to develop a Final Fantasy game for mobile. Final Fantasy has now surfaced on mobile and is currently now a mobile staple, as long as Dragon Quest, another title developed by Square Enix.
Warner Bros and Disney Mobile
Even massive conglomerates like Warner Bros. and Disney have entered the fold. Recognizing that there is a huge opportunity in the mobile gaming world and that people of all ages would be more than willing to pick up their smartphone and start feeling like a superhero.
Apple, Google, and Microsoft
These three money machines have also joined the mobile gaming craze, with a rather different business model, but nonetheless still profitable.
Apple recently has launched Apple Arcade which has a subscription model that features hundreds of new and exclusive games at the players disposal. This allows mobile gamers access to quality games with a small price which is a win-win situation in terms of business and gaming experience.
Google. Imagine a world without google. Google has been a main player in terms of internet-based revenue and now that mobile games have gone online. Google, just like Apple, offers its own app service: Google Play. Where players can download an endless amount of games.
Microsoft has changed the world, literally. And now that the world is changing and shifting to mobile gaming, Microsoft, of course will follow suit. Games like Age of Empires: Castle Siege and Minecraft are able to be played on mobile and can be integrated to Microsoft’s console, the Xbox, which is a very impressive feature.
Conclusion
The ever growing smartphone technology has literally changed the way gamers have played and consumed games and there is no stopping this world-changing phenomenon. PC and consoles are definitely here to stay, but mobile gaming, by a mile, will dominate the future forever.
