Gaming
gaming. Instead, games can be accessed from anywhere and by anyone. However, despite the rise in mobile gaming, we still see clear space
in the market for home consoles, in part driven by its more immersive quality and the rise in new technologies, such as VR headsets. In fact, over the past nine years, consumer spend on home console games has actually increased by over $10 billion, indicating that the industry will continue to thrive, perhaps just at a slower rate than mobile.
What has driven the popularity in mobile gaming? One of the central factors behind the explosive growth of mobile gaming is the pandemic. Despite mobile games having been on the market for many years, lockdown drove new audiences to their mobiles. People that may not have otherwise ever thought to explore games on the App Store, now had more time to fill and with hundreds of genres available, there are apps which cater for all markets. Te democratisation of mobile gaming is also a central factor. Gen
Z is a ‘mobile-first generation’ - they’ve grown up with devices as the norm, so have naturally taken to gaming from their phones. However, interestingly, it’s the ‘boomer’ generation, which have really begun to engage with mobile games. Te perception of gaming being a time and financial commitment has changed drastically, and now, older generations are taking advantage of the simplicity and affordability of accessing games via their mobiles.
Can you explain this new phenomenon around hypercasual gaming? A hypercasual game is a mobile video game which is easy-to-play, oſten free-to-play, and features very minimalistic user interfaces. Flappy Bird and Bridge Race are two examples of popular hypercasual games. Last year, the genre alone generated a total of 15 billion downloads. Te beauty of these games is in their simplicity. Tey’re characterised by being light-touch, simple, short and not overly stimulating. As a result, users will revisit them to play another game, as they’re seen as being easy, fun and quick. Te hypercasual genre can also be broken down into further
sub-genres, such as ‘action.’ While these sub-genres may have a clearer theme, such as army or warcraſt, they still follow the same overarching pattern of keeping things simple. As a result, these games can incorporate the immersive, thematic experience built into console games, but with the quick, simple appeal of other mobile apps, making them perfect for all users.
Which games are making the most noise right now? Increasingly, we’re seeing core games, which can be played at home over consoles and with player-to-player capabilities expand into the mobile market. Tey’ve been incredibly successful. Aſter a triumphant run on PC and console,
www.pcr-online.biz
it was little surprise when EA confirmed that a mobile version of Apex Legends would launch this May. Te impact was immediate: 15 million people pre-registered for the game ahead of the official date. Call of Duty: Warzone is another popular console game that’s set to launch on mobile devices in 2023. We expect this trend to run and run.
Do different demographic groups interact with mobile games differently? Mobile gaming is a largely democratic space, with apps suited to all groups. Unsurprisingly, in the UK, Gen Z leads in terms of adoption - 54% of the top 1000 grossing mobile games skew towards Gen Z, up from 35% two years ago. Nevertheless, we’re seeing a growing adoption of gaming across the millennial and boomer generations as mobile usage becomes the norm. Tere’s also been a vast increase in gaming adoption amongst
women in the UK, with 44% of the top 1000 grossing mobile games skewing towards females, up from 27% two years ago. When we take a closer look at the specific games favoured by females, Roblox comes out on top, with users being 10% more likely to be female. Tis points to the popularity of the more immersive, real life qualities of metaverse games.
What has been the most interesting genre to watch in 2022? Breakout games and genres represent those, which have gained rapid traction, either by high consumer spend, downloads or time spent. Tis year, we saw the rise of Anime gaming - a niche, yet highly popular genre. Interestingly, Anime game audiences accounted for $1 of every $5 spent through the app stores on mobile games in 2021, yet global usage penetration was less than 3%. Tis highlights a small, yet highly engaged audience. Anime games have yet to reach the mainstream, but are picking
up steam globally. Global downloads grew 15% year-on-year in 2021, and grew 50% from 2018. It’s definitely an interesting genre to keep an eye on!
What are you most looking forward to in 2023? I think 2023 will be an interesting year. We’ve seen some major changes and breakout trends in the gaming industry, thanks to the pandemic driving new audiences to their devices. I’m looking forward to seeing how the dust settles as we continue to return to a new normal. I also think it’s undeniable, 2023 will be a big year for the metaverse.
We’ve already seen the popularity of metaverse games, like Roblox, so as the industry dives deeper into its capabilities, I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.
November 2022 | 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
