The gaming industry is growing rapidly, and mobile gaming is a key driver. The global mobile gaming market was valued at $94.8 billion in 2022. It’s projected to reach $139.5 billion by 2026, growing over 12% annually.
Mobile games now make up the biggest chunk of gaming revenue. But why are mobile games so hugely popular and successful? In this article, we’ll explore the fascinating history and evolution of mobile gaming.
The Early Days of Mobile Gaming
The very first mobile game was Tetris for the Hagenuk MT-2000 phone. However, mobile gaming didn’t really take off until Snake was released for Nokia in 1997. This addictive classic is still beloved today.
In the early 2000s, simple games like tic-tac-toe and Connect 4 became possible as mobile internet (WAP) emerged. Games like Alien Fish Exchange, where you bred and traded virtual fish, also gained popularity.
A big milestone was the mobile port of arcade hit Space Invaders in 2001.
The Smartphone Revolution
Mobile gaming was revolutionized in 2007 with Apple’s touchscreen iPhone and 2008’s App Store launch. This provided a central platform for developers to sell games directly to users, bypassing carriers.
Other companies followed Apple’s model. Android’s Google Play and the Windows Phone store became the other top app platforms. But Windows Phone eventually ceased development, leaving iOS and Android as the dual mobile leaders.
In 2009, Rovio Entertainment released Angry Birds – a cheap, fun, addictive physics game. It became one of mobile gaming’s first huge hits, especially after a free ad-supported Android version launched.
The smartphone revolution meant that more people had access to games. This contributed to the rise of more online games and more game developers focused on creating games that were mobile optmized. By the 2000s, online gaming platforms like online casinos were already gaining popularity which highly contributed to the boom of mobile games. It meant casino players had access to all games found in land-based casinos.
While slots were the most popular, more developers were keen to provide other popular classic games such as roulette. A few years later, players had access to live casinos where they could play roulette online against other live players.
The Rise of Freemium and Social Games
The 2010s saw social media integrated games like Facebook’s FarmVille explode in popularity. But the real game-changer was Candy Crush Saga in 2012, one of mobile’s first freemium games.
While free to download and play, Candy Crush pushed buying extra lives and power-ups through in-app purchases (IAPs). Within a year it had hundreds of millions of players spending big, raking in nearly $2 billion for developers King.
Clash of Clans further pioneered IAPs and social/multiplayer mobile gaming in 2013. Simple but highly engaging, hyper-casual games like Flappy Bird and Crossy Road were also massively popular in this era.
Recent Trends and the Future
The last few years have seen more major trends emerge:
- Cross-Platform Play: Games like Fortnite and Genshin Impact playing across mobile, PC and consoles, vastly expanding their audiences.
- Cloud Gaming: Streaming games from the cloud boosts mobile processing power.
- 5G: Faster connectivity enabling more advanced mobile gaming experiences.
- Mobile Esports: Professional mobile gaming tournaments and audiences booming.
- APAC Market: Asia-Pacific has become mobile gaming’s biggest, fastest-growing market.
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