Everyone knows that the smartphone changed how we communicate, work, and take care of our daily affairs. Not everyone is aware just how much of an impact it had on the gaming industry.
Despite being significantly younger than PC and console gaming, mobile gaming is somehow responsible for half of all gaming revenue. In some years, the revenue generated from mobile gaming has been more than PC and console gaming combined. When people talk about the success of the modern gaming industry, they’re really talking about the success of mobile gaming. That’s how influential it has been.
The influence of mobile gaming runs deeper than simply numbers. It’s changed the whole gaming landscape, as we’ll see below.
It Opened Up Gaming to New Audiences
The gaming industry has been around for decades. However, except for a brief period when arcades were a thing, you could argue that access to the gaming world was fairly restricted. You needed to have a video game console or a highly capable PC, both of which were beyond the reach of most people. Plus, it was asking a lot for someone vaguely interested in a game to invest in expensive hardware just to play one or two games.
The smartphone changed all of that. Now, all a person needed to begin gaming was their device and an internet connection. If they found that they loved gaming, then they could make the transition to PC or console gaming. Even if they did invest in a PS5 or Xbox, they would likely still play on their mobile, too — after all, some 78% of gamers play games on their smartphone.
It Influenced Other Games
The most popular mobile games can also be considered some of the most popular titles of all time. When you look at the numbers — some 255 million people play Candy Crush, for example — then it’s clear that the developers of these games did something right. Evidence of that doesn’t just lie in the number of players, but also in the other games that those titles inspired. Candy Crush inspired Sweet Bonanza, one of the most popular slot games of recent years, as well as Cookie Jam, Best Fiends, and Bejeweled Blitz. Clash of Clans, a hugely popular mobile game released in 2012, has even inspired console games such as Halo Wars 2 and CastleStorm.
Video Game Business Models
What’s fascinating about mobile games is that, though they feature industry-leading technology and gameplay, they’re mostly free to play. Today, virtually all of the leading mobile games — including Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Marvel Snap — can all be played for free, though of course, it’s possible to make in-game purchases.
The success of this strategy inspired game console game developers to incorporate them into their own business models.
It Encouraged Cross-Platform Play
Gamers have been clamoring for cross-platform play for years. It wasn’t until mobile gaming became a global sensation that they got what they wanted. Some of the world’s leading game developers have invested heavily so that players can effortlessly switch from playing on their consoles to playing on their mobile devices. A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable that a game as complex as Genshin Impact could be played on a variety of devices, yet today it’s not only possible — it’s easy. The Elder Scrolls: Blades, Asphalt Legends Unite, and Hearthstone are just a few of the other titles that offer a great cross-platform experience.
It Helped Expand The Gaming World
Finally, mobile gaming helped to expand the gaming world. In the past, gaming was something you’d do at home, after work.
Now, thanks to mobile gaming and cross-platform games, you can play whenever and wherever you want. Whether it’s a short game on the train as you go to work or a long session at home, gamers can make gaming as big a part of their world as they want to.