Mobile gaming is often seen as the poor younger sibling of video and PC gaming. While it is praised for being accessible and offering convenience and portability, it is dragged down by accusations of app stores primarily being filled with poor-quality indie games and games that are filled with advertisements and overpriced in-app purchases.
But, for all of its criticism, the global mobile gaming industry is still worth approximately $100 billion a year. This accounts for half of the total gaming market, which itself has surpassed the TV and movie markets. It is potentially very big business. And that figure is expected to continue to grow.
The continued growth of cloud gaming and cross-platform play, along with further improved access to high-speed mobile broadband, will see mobile gaming make further gains in the coming years.
Mobile gaming is seen as being a market for casual gamers, and the figures do bear that out, at least to some extent. Adventure games are the most popular titles, in terms of time spent playing, followed by board and card games.
Casino games also feature high in the list, with live poker and the most popular table games available on mobile. Lindsey Jones states that most mobile casinos offer the same range of games as are offered on desktop browsers. This means players can enjoy roulette, baccarat, and slots without having to use their desktop computer.
Other popular genres include strategy and word games. Word games and board games don’t tend to be too demanding, in terms of processing and graphics power, and they don’t require quick navigation, which makes them especially ideal for gaming on a mobile screen.
But, while casual and quick games are traditionally where mobile gaming stands out, there have been more AAA titles launching on mobile platforms. PUBG Mobile, Roblox Mobile, and Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile are examples of major games that are available on PC and mobile phones. Assassins Creed Mirage recently launched simultaneously on mobile, console, and PC platforms, and this could be a sign of things to come for gaming.
As well as access to improved titles, greater access to mobile broadband is also helping mobile gaming’s development.
Global mobile internet connectivity has risen steadily since 2017, when 43% of the world’s population had access to mobile broadband. In 2022, this figure was 57%. And it wasn’t just availability that increased. In 2017, 46% of the population had access to mobile Internet but didn’t connect, compared to just 38% in 2022. This means there are still 3 billion people who live in areas with access but who don’t go online using their mobile phones – a large potential market for game developers to move into.
Mobile gaming accounts for approximately half of the global gaming market, with the opportunity to advance further. It is popular because of its accessibility. 54% of the global population owns a smartphone, offering access to some level of mobile gaming.
It is also convenient, with players able to log on and game any time of the day and from any location with Internet access. Cross-platform play also means that those players can log on to their mobile phones and play friends who are gaming on consoles or PCs. It also means that console gamers can pick up where they left off even when they’re not near their system.
Remote play takes that a step further, essentially allowing gamers to use their mobile phone as a small gaming screen to play their favorite console titles.
As most people have mobile phones, it isn’t strictly necessary to buy additional hardware, like monitors and controllers, making it more accessible even for gaming on a budget.
For those players who do want to take their mobile gaming more seriously, there is an increasing range of hybrid controllers. Mobile phones slot into the top of the controller and the whole thing works similarly to a handheld gaming system like the Switch or PSP.
Cloud gaming and gaming subscription services are also becoming more popular, at least in some cases. Although Google Stadia ultimately failed, both Microsoft and Sony are expanding their streaming and clouding services. Some levels of Game Pass subscriptions already offer access to mobile gaming, and even Amazon Prime and Netflix offer some mobile games as part of their subscriptions.
But, for all of mobile gaming’s promise, it is beleaguered by criticism, much of which is justified. Companies including Apple and Google have extensive game libraries, but a lot of those games are indie titles, and while some are surprise hits, there’s no real guarantee of the quality of these games.
Even when a game is considered highly playable, it can be ruined by the inclusion of excessive advertisements or in-app purchases that spoil a player’s experience. Titles described as pay-to-win mean players need to spend money to be able to advance, and while most purchases are only a few dollars, they can quickly add up over time.
Another common complaint with mobile gaming is the controls. Without a controller or keyboard and mouse, players use the screen to navigate and perform actions, and while this works well for some basic controls, more complex movements and combinations are challenging.
Call Of Duty: Warzone is especially noteworthy because the battle royale game hosts up to 120 players across console, PC, and mobile platforms. Tens of millions of people had downloaded it before its launch in March. However, by May, Warzone: Mobile had already lost around two-thirds of its players. There are complaints of mobile phones, especially Android devices, overheating while playing the title, and the game was plagued with glitches, bugs, and problems from the day of its launch. But, as we’ve seen with games like Cyberpunk 2077, that can be true of AAA titles on console and PC, too.
The mobile gaming market is a difficult one. Reports suggest that Apple themselves might be losing faith in the Arcade platform.
Payments and bonuses to game developers have dwindled over the years and the pipeline of new games has also suffered. Apple claims it is trying to ensure only the best games are launched, but it means that Apple Arcade has very few titles compared to Google Play Pass.
On the other hand, Google seems to be enjoying some success with its Google Play Pass. Users pay a monthly subscription and get access to a list of games and apps, as well as discounts on titles that aren’t included in the library. During the Games Develop Summit, Google stated that Play Pass had grown 120% in 2023.
But, even though the service seems to be a great value on the surface, it doesn’t represent the best deal for most users. It costs around $5 per month, but that doesn’t give you access to the full library, just approximately 1,000 games and apps that are hand-picked by Google. The list doesn’t seem to update often. For most people, buying a premium game every month and relying on ad-supported and free games to bulk up their library, will represent better value.
Mobile gaming has a lot of benefits. It is accessible, and portable, and improvements to mobile devices and mobile broadband, mean that the technology to play these games has improved for most people. There is a decent library of games, especially puzzle, casual, and real money online casino games. More AAA game studios are also looking to increase their mobile gaming libraries, to take advantage of the $100 billion market.
But, there are still widespread complaints of poor quality game libraries, excessive in-game ads, and in-app purchases, and problems with some of the big-budget titles. 2024 will undoubtedly see a growth in the market which, in turn, will bring more interest. There will likely be more simultaneous, cross-platform launches, too. And, with any luck, there will be new hardware to improve gaming enjoyment.
