Tag: mobile game industry

Mobile games may soon dethrone consoles

| April 18, 2013

Mobile GamesMobile games are beginning to hold sway over the game industry as a whole

The game industry is currently experience a monumental shift as a new generation of consumers and technology enter into prominent markets around the world. For the past several decades, the game industry has been solely focused on console platforms, as well as PCs. The advent of mobile technology changed that focus, however, especially as advanced smartphones and tablets became extremely popular. Mobile games have quickly become one of the most lucrative aspects of the game industry, which has encouraged developers to swarm to the mobile space in order to take advantage of this popularity.

Developers beginning to swarm the mobile space

A few short years ago, mobile games were considered little more than novelty. They have, however, become one of the most successful fields in the game industry. Consumers around the world have shown that they are exceedingly interested in mobile games of all types, sinking hours upon hours of their times into games like Angry Birds and Temple Run. As these games find more and more traction among consumers, a growing number of developers are breaking away from publishers in order to establish their independent pedigree, much to the delight of consumers.

Consoles may be in for a tough fight

As developers find more success with mobile games, they are beginning to hold more power over the game industry. The industry has long been dominated by consoles, such as the Playstation and Xbox, but mobile devices are threatening to dethrone these platforms. A new generation of consoles is expected to be released sometime this year by Sony and Microsoft, but whether these platforms will be able to compete with mobile games has yet to be seen. ABI Research, a leading market research firm, suggests that competition with mobile games may be fierce.

Research firm suggests that mobile games are cutting into console opportunities with casual gamers

According to ABI Research, mobile games have diminished the opportunities available to consoles in the casual gaming market. Mobile games have introduced consumers to a new business model, wherein they can get the games they are interested in for free or for a very small fee. In general, mobile games that do cost money are $5 to purchase, at their most expensive. The vast majority of these games, however, are free. Many of these games do have in-app purchases that are, at times, somewhat controversial with some consumers, but these have not diminished the appeal of mobile games in any significant manner.

Mobile games are becoming the heart of the game industry

| March 30, 2013

Mobile Games Heart of Game IndustryDevelopers becoming increasingly enthralled by mobile games

The game industry is currently on the verge of reaching its next generation; an era of powerful consoles equipped with cutting edge hardware. The companies behind this next generation of gaming, primarily Sony and Microsoft, are putting emphasis on the capabilities of new consoles, suggesting that they will be able to power games that provide a new level of entertainment and engagement was not possible until now. This new generation of consoles has, however, failed to hype consumers, many of whom are enthralled in the world of mobile games.

Developers are breaking away from publishers

In the past, a new generation of consoles typically meant a great deal of enthusiasm from developers. Developers have, traditionally, been focused primarily on these consoles, which served as the platform for the games they created. Over the past few years, however, smartphones and tablets have begun to replace consoles among consumers. These mobile devices have enabled a wider range of people to participate in mobile games, which have come to dominate the game industry itself. The popularity of mobile games has also lead to developers embracing mobile platforms over consoles.

Indie developers enjoy immaculate position among consumers

Today, many developers consider themselves “independent,” a term that suggests they have no ties with game publishers. The label of “indie” developer has earned several studios high praise among consumers, largely due to the concept that publishers are an inappropriate evil that is ruining the game industry as a whole. The advent of mobile games has shown that developers of all sized can find success in the industry without the backing of a large publisher. Indie ventures are often considered, among consumers, to be the purest form of game development. For developers, mobile games symbolize a way to present new ideas, but also a way to generate a great deal of profit.

Financial prospects of mobile games is not ignore by indie developers

As more developers break away from publishers and begin to focus on mobile games, console makers, like Sony, are attempting to encourage these developers to bring their games to the next generation of consoles. Sony’s Playstation 4, for example, is opening its proverbial doors to these developers, offering them tools and incentives to ensure that their games can run on this console. Many developers, however, have become irreversibly enthralled in the prospects of mobile games, and not just because of the creative opportunities that can be found therein. In-app purchases and advertising have made these games a lucrative venture that has turned a few innovative studios into multi-million dollar enterprises. Developers, large or small, are not blind to the financial implications of successful mobile games.