How mobile gaming is starting to dominate the industry

Mobile gaming has skyrocketed in popularity over the course of the last few years. Believe it or not, it is set to overtake PC and console gaming in terms of popularity and profitability.

Whether or not you have ever played a mobile game before, you are very likely to already be familiar with games such as Candy Crush and Angry Birds – or at least have seen the spin-off movies inspired by these games.

There are a number of key reasons why mobile gaming has taken off and shows no signs of slowing down – some of which may surprise you. Keep reading to learn more about how and why mobile gaming is coming to dominate the industry.

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Increased accessibility

One of the primary reasons why mobile gaming has become so popular is that it is much more accessible. First off, the video game industry has a bit of a reputation problem, often seen as being primarily a source of entertainment for straight, white men. Mobile games do not have that same reputation problem – if anything, mobile games skew to the feminine. This means that the industry is less intimidating and feels more open to all.

Secondly, mobile technology is much cheaper than other forms of gaming technology. While this may seem obvious, consider the price of a system such as the PS5 or a good-quality gaming computer and compare that with a solid smartphone of any brand.

There is a huge difference in price before you even factor in the games, consoles, gaming keyboard and other associated gear. The difference in price between mobile gaming and PC and console gaming is significant, which means that many more people can afford to play mobile games than PC or console games.

Thirdly, mobile technology and data infrastructure are developing around the world. Only 10 years ago, there were many places in the world, particularly in developing nations, which lacked any form of data coverage. The people who lived in these places mostly did not use mobile technology because of the chronic lack of infrastructure.

However, fast forward to 2022 and there have been wide-scale rollouts of data infrastructure, including cables, towers and fibre. This has allowed individuals from developing countries around the world to get online easier and faster than ever before. The increased accessibility of mobile devices has driven the rise of mobile use – and mobile gaming – around the world.

Sectors of surprising growth

The mobile gaming industry is extremely diverse and varied and has a number of segments that may surprise you. One sector which has witnessed an exponential amount of growth over the last few years has been the online casino industry.

The very first online casino games were launched in 1994 and they looked incredibly different from the games we know of today. The very first online casino games were closer to Snake and Pong than anything else.

Since then, online casino games have developed to the extent that there are thousands of different games from dozens of game developers. If you can think of a hobby, aesthetic or sliver of pop culture, you can rest assured that it has already been adapted and re-adapted into a series of high production value online casino games with excellent graphics and audio.

The industry for online casinos has dramatically developed throughout the last five to 10 years, in part because of the technological advancements in the space, and also due to the relaxation of regulations concerning online gambling. One of the biggest steps forward for the industry was the introduction of mobile apps for the online casino industry.

One of the most popular forms of mobile gambling is sports betting. Most players would agree that it's much less fun to sit at your desktop plugging away at different bets than to be at a match or pub with friends and betting through an app. The introduction of mobile gaming has really revolutionized the sector. It is hardly surprising that every year thousands of new games are launched which are fully optimized for mobile play.

Game diversity

Another fact that may surprise some readers is that there is an incredible range of different genres of games available for play on mobile. There are many stand-out games that have brought new life into the world of mobile gaming as a whole.

Mobile games are generally cheaper and easier to make. In fact, nearly anyone can make a mobile game these days, even with incredibly limited development experience. This creates a lower bar of entry and has resulted in a great boom of creativity in the industry.

In the past, only massive conglomerates such as Nintendo, Microsoft and EA could create video games because of the huge investments which were needed in terms of capital, talent and resources. As a result, fewer games were made per year, and it could be argued that developers preferred to play it safe with their chosen demographics.

Instead, there are now thousands of different niche development companies which create fun, interesting and hyper-creative mobile games every year. The level of diversity has increased by several magnitudes and there is now truly a game for everyone.

As the games have diversified, so too has the industry. The industry has opened up and people from all backgrounds have found their calling in designing, developing, demoing and launching video games. This has led to a more inclusive, innovative and dynamic video game industry, which is more likely to stand the test of time.

These are just a few of the most significant reasons why the mobile gaming industry is growing in size. As the industry continues to swell, it is likely that we will all see increased innovation in the industry as development companies attempt to differentiate themselves. This will only mean more fun, engaging games available for all of us on mobile, which is certainly not a bad thing!