The mobile gaming industry has benefited significantly from technological developments and the global 5G rollout. As consumers become ever more reliant on mobile devices for regular day-to-day tasks, communication, and entertainment, it was inevitable that their gaming capabilities would be explored.
The online gambling industry has made the most of mobile access for years, with PokerStrategy US expert Sofia Rebuck explaining that bettors can enjoy a wider choice of games and payment methods, as well as improved access in prohibitive regions.
However, the latest news from the gaming industry indicates that it is not just betting operators benefiting from mobile gaming tech, with some of the top developers and titles enjoying unprecedented success.
Free-to-play open-world games have proven to be popular among mobile gamers, and Wuthering Waves by Kuro Games celebrated its first year on mobile platforms with news that it generated more than $317 million in that time. Wuthering Waves was not alone in its success, with Grow a Garden, the pet and garden simulator on Roblox, setting a new record for concurrent users.
The game has peaked at 8.9 million users, significantly more than the 3.2 million recorded in 2018 for BUPG: Battlegrounds. The diverse nature of Roblox and the ability for players to create and enjoy new content have made it an extremely popular mobile game.
Epic Games has also enjoyed impressive growth as its mobile store's general manager, Steve Allison, revealed at Unreal Fest. Their mobile store has now hit 40 million installs, with a target of 70 million set for the end of this year.
Mobile gaming has developed to provide consumers with fun and addictive games like Snake and Flappy Bird, as well as high-quality gaming experiences that make the most of state-of-the-art mobile devices, high-speed internet connections, and innovative developers.
In 2016, mobile gaming was revolutionized by the release of Pokémon Go. This game harnessed AR technology and provided players with a gaming experience that integrated the real world into the game. Players could choose to use a computer-generated background when catching Pokémon or use their phone cameras to catch them in real-world settings.
The game required players to get out and about, and even had to issue a warning that players should be aware of their surroundings and never play while driving. At its peak, Pokémon Go welcomed 232 million monthly players; this figure is closer to 90 million now, which is still incredible.
The game sparked a variety of similar titles, including Ghostbusters and Jurassic World, but Niantic's Pokémon Go remains the most popular option.
It has now emerged that Scopely has completed the purchase of Niantic’s licensed games business in a move that will see its development teams and game titles, including Pokémon Go, Harry Potter Wizards Unites, Pikmin Bloom, and Peridot, fall under the Scopely umbrella.
The $3.5 billion sale of Niantic's gaming division, as well as the recent successes recorded by other developers and mobile game titles, underline the strength the industry is showing, with continued tech developments set to help even further.