Figure 1 Mobile games have really taken off in recent years – Source: Pixabay
You do not have to be an avid gamer to realize how big video games, esports, and competitive gaming are these days. The biggest titles boast their own professional athletes and events and are featured in some of the best online sportsbooks. The top titles now rival the big traditional sports events worldwide.
But there has been one very interesting – and slightly surprising – development in the gaming world in the last few years. Where many experts were tipping virtual reality (VR) and even handheld consoles to be the big news of the 2010s and beyond, we are now experiencing a huge rise in mobile games and gaming popularity.
Mobile phones have nearly always come with the ability to play games, even before the mass introduction of smartphones. However, it is only in recent years that the games have been favorably looked upon, even compared with some of the biggest console and PC titles on the market. But why has mobile gaming become so popular?
Game Choice
Where game developers for consoles tend to have to concentrate on a narrower range of game types and styles, mobile games have been far more diverse. It seems as though we are quite happy playing the kinds of games included on the very first mobile phones and the latest blockbuster titles.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that most people have become used to using phones for all kinds of purposes at an early age now and can switch phones more easily. There is no expectation that every mobile game title needs to be the most advanced sport available. A simple card game simulator is just as well received.
Better Networks
There were plenty of reasons why the oldest mobile games were so basic. One of those was that the networks were nowhere near as advanced as today. The rollout of 5G has not been without its problems and controversies – but it has radically changed the potential for mobile games.
Greater connectivity and faster network speeds have arrived because of 5G, which has helped mobile game developers possibly more than any other factor. Mobile phones can handle far more complex games now, which has seen many long-time gamers switching to playing on this handy device more often.
Cost
We are now at a point where spending money on gaming-specific mobile devices is possible. But there is also the opportunity to pay very little for a piece of technology that allows you to play many of the biggest games in the world. This has opened up the gaming community to far more people worldwide.
All regions and communities are no longer shut out. Anyone can play, compete, and become a professional gamer with a standard smartphone. It is not just the hardware that is cheaper to buy. Mobile titles are also routinely cheaper to develop, potentially passing a saving to the gaming public.
Microtransactions
This important factor relating to the rise in popularity of mobile gaming goes hand in hand with the last point. The more attractive cost of mobile titles to gamers also brings extra revenue opportunities. Microtransactions are very popular when it comes to mobile games and work for both developers and gamers.
Microtransactions are a way of making money within a game that might be downloaded onto a device for free. This escapes the sometimes exorbitant upfront cost of a new console title for many gamers while offering the opportunity to improve the experience with smaller purchases. These microtransactions can also be a good way of updating titles and keeping games fresh for the players.
Competitive Gaming
One of the major reasons why esports have become so popular – and money-making for those involved – is the ability to compete. Competitive gaming now rivals more traditional sports, which has become possible with mobile titles as well. If anything, there is a greater scope to the potential pool of gamers.
As we have already explained, there is a greater chance of reaching a wider audience with mobile games than with console titles. With the ability to stage big mobile gaming events, organizers can further build that audience. This becomes a cycle of success, with games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, for example, becoming almost as popular as established titles such as Dota 2 and CS: GO.
Figure 2 A smartphone is so much more convenient than a PC setup – Source: Pixabay
Convenience
Many of the factors we have outlined have also included our final element – that mobile gaming is so convenient. Smartphones are the ultimate all-in-one device. There is no need to spend extra money on specific hardware or software. Gamers can download it for free and then play the same title as the best in the industry.
Mobile apps can be played almost anywhere and fill the time on a boring commute just as much as they can at a large event. We have now become so used to spending large chunks of time on our mobile devices that playing top-rated games becomes another activity for many.
Mobile gaming has opened up esports and other titles to a much wider public and pushed the boundaries of what is possible with “video games.” There seems to be no limit to how much further it can revolutionize the gaming world.
