(Photo: Shutterstock)
Mobile devices have evolved rapidly over the past decade to become one of the most popular and profitable entertainment platforms available on the market. According to Newzoo’s Global Games Market study, the total revenue for mobile gaming is set to surpass all other forms of traditional legacy gaming by the end of 2016. It’s no surprise that many game developers are now switching their focus to mobile.
With more sophisticated technology comes an opportunity to create engaging gaming apps that look, feel and play as smoothly as their previous desktop counterparts. And this isn’t just limited to one or two types of games; we’re talking all genres and all tastes covered.
Even traditionally desktop-expected games like The Sims and Football Manager are getting slimmed down for mobile release. We’ve certainly come a long way since the heyday of Snake.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
The ‘free-to-plays’
Whether it’s Candy Crush, Temple Run or Angry Birds, the likelihood is that any self-respecting iPhone or Android user has probably downloaded (or at least played) a free-to-play mobile game at some point.
Due to their mass availability and ease of access, these games have more potential to go viral than any other. Production companies have even recently bought the rights to make an Angry Birds film! And with the next big hit always just around the corner, the incentive for developers to keep on making free-to-plays is as great as it has ever been.
iGaming
The online gambling industry is continually growing and evolving to meet the needs of a mobile generation. Due to the portability and user engagement mobile devices offer, many bookmakers and casinos are investing in mobile versions of their desktop site.
We’re even seeing a rise in the number of review sites for iGaming applications, like CasinoQuest.ca which collates the best online casinos Canada has to offer. More and more mobile games are making their way onto lists such as these.
This growth is being driven by punters’ increasing desire to be gaming “on the go”, with short bursts of playing slot machines or a quick game of 90-ball bingo rather than lengthy, extended periods sat playing poker in front of a desktop screen.
The Heavyweight Contenders
As mentioned above, big desktop games like The Sims and Football Manager are now becoming more and more popular as mobile downloads. Although they may omit some of the in-depth functionality that the desktop version offers, it seems that developers and gamers alike are quite happy to download a fun, slimmed down version at a fraction of the PC version price.
The beauty for developers is that with a mobile app there is no additional production cost per unit. As for players, they can easily download the game within a few minutes and pay far less than they would by going into a gaming shop and picking up the CD version off the shelf – so everybody wins, right?
(Photo: Shutterstock)
The Future Has Only Just Begun
Mobile gaming is here to stay, there’s no doubt about it. Whether it’s free-to-play games like Angry Birds or engaging iGaming apps, people not only like being able to easily click onto their favorite game – they now demand it. In the grand scheme of things, smartphones have suddenly been a massive gaming arena in their own right, and this is only set to increase with the advent of augmented and virtual reality.
