In the last decade, mobile gaming has developed from a passing fad into one of the most lucrative segments of the gaming industry. Mobile games are among the leading apps on all platforms and are constantly being developed, improved, and promoted.
Even those who don’t play any sort of video game will recognize the most popular mobile games. In fact, advertisements for mobile games are just as common – if not more common – than advertisements for traditional video games on platforms such as YouTube and podcasts.
Considering all of these factors, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that mobile gaming has disrupted the traditional gaming industry. In this article, we’ll look at the key ways in which mobile gaming has changed the video game industry as a whole. Whether or not these changes are positive and whether they will have a lasting impact is up to the reader to decide.
Considering all of these factors, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that mobile gaming has disrupted the traditional gaming industry. In this article, we’ll look at the key ways in which mobile gaming has changed the video game industry as a whole. Whether or not these changes are positive and whether they will have a lasting impact is up to the reader to decide.
Optimization
In the early days of video gaming, games that were exclusive to a single platform were a major selling point. Each of the major consoles had at least one series that you could play only on that system. Halo was only available on Xbox, Final Fantasy on PlayStation, etc. While this exclusivity still exists, cross-platform gaming has since become the norm.
Mobile gaming has played a part in this. Being able to play mobile versions of your favorite console or PC games is a major draw for many players. Seeing how big that market could be, developers embraced optimizing their games for multiple platforms, including mobile devices.
A perfect example of the push for mobile optimization is the online casino sector. Online casinos have become a hugely popular form of gambling, and traditionally, they were developed for desktop play. Looking at the growing number of pokie games optimized on mobile, it is clear that developers and online casinos have realized that mobile devices are central to how people play games today.
Free to play
One aspect of the traditional gaming industry that no one ever expected to change was how we buy games. The first major change was the move from buying physical game discs or cartridges to buying only digital copies of games. The second major change was to move to a free-to-play system.
The leading mobile games are almost entirely free to play. Since these games demand low commitment and are free, they can attract a massive player pool. More committed players can then choose whether or not they want to spend money on the game.
In-game or in-app purchases are the new way to pay for games. While the game itself is free, players have the option to purchase upgrades, extras, more lives, and other special features. In certain cases, this format can become exploitative and in these instances, it’s referred to as “pay-to-win”.
Variety
One of the biggest changes that mobile gaming has brought to the traditional gaming industry is that it has expanded the demographics of players. Video games used to be seen as strictly for young men or children. We now know that everyone can enjoy video games, and as the stereotypes weaken, more people feel comfortable playing and talking about playing.
Since mobile games require less of a financial and time commitment, they are a perfect way for people who have never played video games to get started. In addition, the mass success of puzzle games and art games has shown developers that their audiences are more diverse than they traditionally were.
As more people are introduced to video games through mobile games, they are more likely to try playing other types of video games. This has resulted in the video game industry choosing to offer a more diverse range of games rather than focusing primarily on traditional styles like FPS and sports games.
Casual gameplay
There will always be a place for video games that require a massive time investment. Games like World of Warcraft, Skyrim, Elden Ring, and Red Dead Redemption are epics that draw players in and encourage them to devote hundreds of hours to completing the game.
However, mobile games have reminded players and developers that casual gameplay is equally valuable. Since most mobile games are meant to be played in small chunks of time, they have simple gameplay and don’t require a lot of mental or emotional investment. Casual gameplay on console and PC games also appeals to people who have busy lives and can’t devote hours at a time to gaming but still want to play. This has begun to impact the traditional gaming industry and the games it produces.
Disclosure: If we like a product or service, we might refer them to our readers via an affiliate link, which means we may receive a referral commission from the sale if you buy the product that we recommended, read more about that in our affiliate disclosure.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Tech Follows
