If, a couple of years ago, you asked gamers what their preferred method of gaming was, many would be hard-pressed to choose between console and PC gaming. Nowadays, however, mobile gaming is being increasingly popular. In fact, according to a study by NewZoo, mobile gaming makes up about 20% of the global games market; this is nearly double the market share of traditional PC gaming.
It seems that mobile games are taking cues from early consoles and combining simple design and clean graphics to take on the giants of the gaming industry. Will mobile succeed? Keep reading for more information to help you decide.
Victory for Mobile Currently, handheld gaming sales are decreasing, but gaming apps seem to grow more in popularity every day. In fact, a portable gaming report that was recently released by App Annie found that the revenues of Google Play exceeded those of gaming optimized handhelds for the first time in 2013. In addition, they were able to deduce that the combined revenue of Google Play and iOS store is approximately 4 times that of handhelds. It is safe to say, that Android and iPhone have successfully pushed portable devices created by the giants of the gaming industry out of the spotlight.
This is probably due to the high price of console games; some can be as high as $60 for the newest blockbuster game titles. Mobile apps and PC games, on the other hand, are generally “free-to-play;” most consumers spend their money on optional micro-transactions that provide them additional tools that expand gameplay. Due to the success of this sales strategy, app developers are able to create cheap, easily produced games that generate huge returns while requiring little support from the company after launch.
Important Considerations
Despite the success and availability of mobile games, PC games offer several advantages that mobile apps just can’t compare to. All you have to do is Royal Vegas online pokie games to get a taste. The mobile nature of smartphones means that most of the games developed for this medium are simplistic puzzles and game titles, as well as turn-based games like “Scramble with Friends.” On the other hand, hardcore gamers loves PC and console games because they are often very complex, massive, and they utilize powerful graphics technology to create an amazing gaming experience. In other words, “Candy Crush” cannot hold a flame to “Grand Theft Auto” when one is talking in terms of complexity.
The Bottom LineWhile it’s true that the mobile app business is on fire and, by all signs, will continue to increase in popularity, this genre still has a ways to go before it reaches the level of the games in the PC and console gaming industry. These juggernauts in the gaming world are already well established and have been successful for a number of years. This is because, although mobile gamers reach millions of people, they have not reached a level where they are capable of massive cultural and income penetration. So, even though apps are currently dominating the handheld market, PC games will not be going anywhere for quite some time.
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