For a long time, renowned Japanese video game developer—Konami—focused on console and PC games like Pro Evolution Soccer, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid and the Simpsons.
With time, however, Konami discovered a new gaming niche that was growing faster than both console and PC: Mobile gaming. Since 2015, Konami has made mobile game development its primary focus, a significant shift from its tradition.
Mobile Gaming is the Future
According to Konami’s CEO, Hideki Hayakawa, “mobile is where the future of gaming lies.” Hideki isn’t the only gaming executive with similar sentiments. Fortnite’s Tim Sweeney also believes the future of gaming lies in the hands of smartphone owners.
So, what is it about mobile gaming that makes it popular in 2022? Why do video game executives and players believe it is the future of the industry?
The Free to Play Model
When you think about it, nearly every mobile game can be played free of charge. From eSport hits like Fortnite and Call of Duty to casual Match three games like Tetris and Candy Crush Saga—the Internet is jam-packed with hundreds of free mobile games.
Surprisingly, you can also play gambling games for free. On the one hand, you can play slots and blackjack through free to play apps. You won’t win any money. But you’ll have loads of fun doing it.
On the other end, you can grab the latest offerings from online casinos to play a wide range of slots and table games for real cash. To expound more, many gambling sites give free spins to new customers. You can use these free spins to play top slots like Starburst and Twin Spin before you even link your debit card.
The availability of free games means that anyone with a smartphone and access to the Internet can be a gamer. Indeed, 70% of smartphone owners download a mobile game within the first week of owning their devices. Some companies who have branched out to this platform with F2P games have met huge success. A prime example of this is Epic Games, which garnered around 116 million registered Fortnite accounts on iOS.
Increased Smartphone Ownership
Although cell phones have been around since the 1990s, smartphone rose to popularity in the late 2000s. The iPhone’s introduction in 2007 revolutionized the sector with its touchscreen and virtual keyboard.
In the next five years, Google also entered the market with the development of the Android OS. Google also began making smartphones to compete with Apple. However, selling smartphones hasn’t been a major focus.
Instead, the technology giant sells licenses to independent smartphone developers who want to run their devices on Android. By doing so, Android now commands 80% of the smartphone market.
Away from Operating Systems, 78% of people own smartphones, according to statista.com. This means more than three billion people have access to free mobile games.
Growing Internet Penetration
Along with an increase in smartphone ownership, the world is also embracing the Internet fast. Two decades ago, less than 10% of the world’s population had access to the Internet.
Fast forward to 2022 and over 60% of the world now uses the Internet regularly. In many developed countries, Internet access is more than 90%. On the other hand, the adoption of Internet activities is mushrooming in many developing nations.
Internet access is pivotal in the rise of mobile games. People need the Internet to download their favorite games. What’s more, they need the Internet to play some of these games.
In this age of multi-player gaming, the Internet is incredibly important. If you want to play Call of Duty against your friend, you at least need to have Internet access. Considering many gamers prefer to play multi-player games over career modes, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Internet penetration is helping the industry soar.
Tech Advancements
Another reason mobile gaming is on the rise has everything to do with technology. Think of graphics, processing speed, gameplay, mechanics, storylines and music.
At the beginning of mobile gaming, games were simple, bland and uninteresting. People only played these games because they wanted to experience the new phenomenon.
Today, mobile games have become so advanced that some of them are better than their console and PC counterparts. Not only do modern mobile games possess 3D graphics and high-end video resolutions, but they are also more innovative, more exciting and mobile detailed.
In other words, mobile games deserve the attention they get in 2022. To be clear, not every mobile game is great. However, games like Pokémon GO, Hearthstone, Among Us and League of Legends represent the best of mobile gaming technology.
Esports
Electronic Sports, eSports in short, is a new sport centered of gaming. At its core, it involves video game competitions. It consists of leagues and tournament organizers who bring together the best video game players in the world.
There are more than a dozen video games with eSports leagues: League of Legends, Hearthstone, CS: GO, FIFA, NBA 2K, Madden Football, StarCraft, Call of Duty and Dota 2, to name a few.
Now, many eSport games involve players competing through top-tier PC gaming machines and consoles. However, there’s also a branch of eSports that deals with mobile gaming.
The most popular mobile games for eSports include Fortnite, PUBG, League of Legends and Call of Duty: Mobile. If you’re good at any of these games, you could make a career competing in professional video game tournaments.
Legalization of iGaming
As we mentioned earlier on, you can play all sorts of mobile games, including slot machines, blackjack, poker and lotto. Mobile casino games make up a multi-billion-dollar industry.
This explains why a lot of countries are relaxing their online gambling laws. In the UK, iGaming has been legal and regulated since 2005. The industry is also legal in many EU nations.
Around the world, iGaming is either legal or operates under grey laws. In the US, for example, mobile gambling is legal in states like New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania. However, it’s a grey are in Texas and Florida.
With that in mind, online gambling is now available in a growing number of countries. In many of these nations, people prefer to gamble through their smartphones. That’s because it’s more convenient and yet they can play hundreds of games.
