Mobile gaming is a powerful part of both the mobile and gaming industries. In fact, over 52% of all games bought globally are mobile games. And it’s only growing. According to 2021 data from Newzoo:
Both PC and console gaming saw a slight drop in numbers, with PC gaming revenue dropping by 0.8% and console gaming revenue by 6.6%. By contrast, the mobile market has grown by 7.3%.
And, for years, games have dominated the mobile app market in general. 2023 was no different. The mobile gaming industry is expected to hit $200 billion in value this year. Currently, there are over 2.5 billion mobile gamers globally.
So, let’s take a look at the trends that shaped this massive industry last year.
A Brief Overview
Analysts estimate that the mobile gaming industry will be worth more than $370 billion by 2030. Over the last year, in this thriving industry, a lot of innovations, developments, and features were embraced.
According to Data.ai and IDC, mobile gaming is rapidly outgrowing the gaming industry entirely. It has been said to take up 61%of the entire market share.
This power is likely due to several factors. One is that mobile games are simply more accessible. While you need expensive consoles or other special equipment to play many other games, many people already have a mobile phone.
In many countries, a mobile-first tech culture has developed. This means that many people may not own any type of tablet or personal computer. However, many people own mobile phones.
Also, mobile games are characterized by their experimental approach. This is possible because they have lower development costs compared with other platforms.
Not only are they more accessible to users, but require less resources to develop.
A Rise In Subscription-Based Games
This model has become entrenched in the world of apps over the last few years. Users can subscribe to almost anything, leading to what many have called ‘subscription fatigue.’
You can now even subscribe to apps and services which will manage your subscriptions and get rid of ones you are not using, because you forgot about them.
It’s safe to say that this model is here to stay. The two main mobile stores now offer their own à la carte subscriptions (Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass).
Both cost about $5 per month to the customer. For this subscription fee, users can access about130 and 600 games respectively.
Some stats according to Grandview Research:
- The subscription-based gaming market size is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8% from 2022 to 2030.
- The total revenue for the subscription-based gaming market will reach $24.1 billion in 2030.
- The Asia Pacific region is identified as having the largest market share of subscription-based gaming (this may partially be because many countries in this region have such strong mobile-first internet cultures).
More Women Are Playing Mobile Games
Women mobile gamers are growing in numbers. This offers a massive opportunity for game developers to broaden their in-game mobile strategies and offerings.
In fact, in 2021, over half of all mobile gamers in the US were women and 65% of women played mobile games.
However, while women play a wide range of games and are a substantial share of global gamers, they are more likely to play solo or offline games.
This could partially be because women in online multiplayer games often face harassment. In fact, according to Bryter, 72% of women say they have faced some sort of toxicity in the online gaming world.
This even includes male users following them to other platforms to continue harassing them once they leave a game.
According to a Newzoo survey of US mobile gamers commissioned by Google, however, this has not stopped women from taking to mobile gaming.
64% of women prefer mobile games over other platforms compared to just 38% of men. Women also tend to play games five times or more every week. 60% of female respondents said that mobile gaming makes them feel good.
However, women mobile are less likely to identify themselves as gamers than their male counterparts. 57% of male mobile gamers identified themselves as gamers, while only 29% of women did.
Even though many women are mobile gamers, they don’t feel that the space is for them or that they belong in it. There are many opportunities here for developers to appeal more effectively to this market.
Continuing Evolution in Graphics and Gameplay
In 2023, we saw a real evolution in both graphics and gameplay on mobile. Stunning on-chip rendering blurred the lines between console and mobile games.
One example of this was “Genshin Impact.” It empowered users to enjoy console-quality visuals and open-world experiences right on their smartphones.
There are a lot of overall improvements trending in gaming. These include:
Much better lighting. Mobile games are getting better at making things look brighter and more realistic. They do this by using lots of different types of light sources. One technique used to accomplish this effect is called ray tracing.
What is ray tracing? According to Techradar:
It’s an advanced and lifelike way of rendering light and shadows in a scene. It’s what movies and TV shows use to create and blend in amazing CG work with real-life scenes. However, because ray tracing works by simulating and tracking every ray of light produced by a source of lighting, it kind of takes a lot of horsepower to actually render. This is the main reason we haven’t seen ray tracing implemented in actual games – until now.
In general, technological advances are empowering developers to create an overall improved mobile playing experience. It makes sense that this is attracting a new generation of mobile gamers.
A Decline in Hypercasual Gaming and a Boost in Hybrid Casual Gaming
Hypercasual games are essentially games that are easy to pick up and put down as you please. They have no intense storyline and a low barrier to entry. Examples of these games include things like the once-viral sensation Flappy Bird and Temple Run.
While these still are the most downloaded games globally, between 2021 and 2022 there was a 10% decrease overall in downloads for this genre of game. Hybrid casual gaming, on the other hand, saw an increase.
So, what exactly is hybrid casual gaming?
According to Picotion:
Hybrid-casual games are a fresh game style that grew from hyper-casual games. In simple terms, hybrid-casual games blend elements from different genres to reach a wider group of players and make games more engaging and profitable.
The goal of hybrid-casual games is to combine the addictiveness of hyper-casual games with the high engagement and monetization features of mid-core games.
Creators aim to create a game that’s easy to pick up and learn the ropes of like a hyper-casual game. However, it also keeps players engaged as more intense games do. Hybrid-casual games also offer more opportunities for monetization than hyper-casual games.
The Rise of Mobile Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming is attractive to mobile gamers for many reasons.
This is because, with cloud gaming, players can access a large library of games. They also do not have to worry about their device’s hardware limitations or storage capacity. This is critical as mobile games become more complex.
Due to cloud technology, all the heavy lifting to make the games function is done by powerful servers. This empowers players to stream games directly to their mobile devices.
This shift toward cloud gaming is unlocking exciting new possibilities for mobile gaming. While you used to need expensive equipment or consoles for a high quality gaming experience, that’s not the case anymore. Players can now enjoy as many high quality or complex games as they want from their mobile devices.
Many cloud gaming platforms also offer subscription-based models to users. This is likely something we will see more and more of over the coming years.
Final Thoughts on the Mobile Gaming Trends that Shaped 2023
A lot of exciting things happened in the world of mobile gaming around the world over the course of 2023! The types of mobile games people seem to enjoy are shifting, and subscription models and cloud gaming are thriving.
As more and more countries around the world develop robust mobile-first digital cultures, apps are going to become more and more important. Mobile gaming will only grow in popularity.
Are you an avid mobile gamer? What was your favorite discovery of 2023?
Comment below.
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