Mobile phones have become a necessity for people around the world. From watching videos from the famous band Omnia to playing 3D games, everything is done on mobile phones. More than 50% of video gaming revenue is generated from mobile gaming and it is also one of the fastest-growing sources of income in the gaming industry. People now have access to high-speed internet and smartphones are available at affordable prices.
Technological advances have also contributed a great deal in helping the mobile gaming market reach a new peak. Innovative technologies such as augmented reality and sensor technology have provided players with immersive and seamless gaming experience. Looking at the current trends in the mobile gaming industry, it is clear that the growth of mobile gaming is not slowing down anytime soon.
The global gaming market continues its trajectory of healthy growth
Mobile games account for 51% of revenue in the gaming industry. They are followed by console games (25%) and PC games (24%). The global mobile gaming market was valued at $151.9 billion in 2019 and it is expected to reach $165.9 billion by 2020. Mobile games will account for 57% of the market share of global revenue in 2020 and 59% in 2021. Mobile games genres such as puzzles, arcade, action, adventure and racing are the most popular ones among gamers.
The US has 209.5 million mobile games players and the US market generates $36,869 million in revenue. It is followed by China with 586 million players and revenue of $36,540 million. Although mobile is still the world’s fastest-growing games market, growth is slowing in developed markets, such as Western Europe, North America and Japan. Emerging markets including Africa, Southeast Asia will contribute to most of the growth. Other factors such as more smartphone users and more cross-platform titles will also contribute to the development of the mobile gaming market.
Current trends in the mobile gaming industry
Take a look at the current trends that are presently dominating the mobile gaming industry at large.
Augmented Reality gaming
Augmented reality gaming is the integration of game visual and audio content with the user’s environment in real-time. AR games are usually played on smartphones and tablets. Augmented reality in gaming offers a more immersive experience to players and allows them to feel they are interacting personally with the gaming environment. AR gaming will generate revenue of $22.9 billion in 2020 and the value of augmented reality gaming is expected to reach almost $285 billion by 2023.
Cloud gaming
Cloud gaming is a type of online gaming that runs games on remote servers and streams them directly to a user’s device. The server does all the work, while your computer just receives video and sends input commands. The global cloud gaming market value is expected to reach $8 billion by 2025.
Blockchain-based games
Players can earn bitcoin by playing blockchain-based games and have a real-life experience. The collision of gaming and blockchain technology holds great promise for the growth of both industries. Blockchain technology helps developers in increasing engagement and monetisation with their users.
