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Why is mobile the most profitable game development market?

A new day – a new game. Everyone already knows that the market for mobile games is thriving every day. And not just “on the sly,” but at a tremendous rate. After all, every year we see how mobile games are winning world awards and breaking records in profit.

So why mobile games? That goes without saying, mobile games are quite popular these days. And small wonder, because modern games for smartphones have many advantages.

The main advantages of these games are accessibility, convenience and mobility. You can download your favorite game from Marketplace and play it when you are in a cab, waiting for your order in the cafe, at home when there is nothing to do. Generally, no matter where you are. And for this you don’t  have to buy a computer or a game console – a smartphone is enough.

But the mobile gaming market is growing and constantly changing, our game development projects are proof of it. And what was cool yesterday may be uninteresting today. So it is extremely important to follow the market and its trends to stay ahead of the curve.

What is the most profitable geo-market for game development?

Every year about 1 million apps are published in the storerooms. During the last year the level of games consumption has changed greatly. Thus, in terms of revenues from mobile games in 2021, three countries have become the top leaders in the world:

  • China. The income amounted to 56 billion dollars;
  • The United States with revenues of 43 billion;
  • Japan, which has collected 20 billion dollars.

If you count the number of downloads, China has 98 billion, India has 26 billion and the United States has 12 billion downloads which they were the top three in the mobile gaming market in 2021.

As a result, Google Play revenue is growing faster than iOS App Store revenue, 6% to 13.2%. 

Aren’t the numbers surprising? And that is far from the limit. Every day these figures increase several times.

Mobile Game development most popular genre in app stores? 

By type, we can divide the mobile games into several categories. Namely:

Entertainment games

These include puzzles, casino, arcades, RPG, strategies, sports, simulators, shooters, etc.,

These games have recently become very popular not only among children and teenagers, but also among adults who will never refuse to move into the world of virtual reality, where their own laws apply and you can take a break from your worries for a while.

Entertainment game has many advantages: it brings people of all ages together, lets spend time more intensely. Just by playing entertainment games you can easily escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is noted that people in routine waste a lot of nerves and get negative emotions, while playing entertainment games on a mobile phone they will reduce stress. 

Educational games

For example, educational games, intelligence and logical, action and adventure, for all ages. 

The advantage of mobile games lies in their development side. Surely, no one will argue with the fact that not only children, but also adults should develop themselves all the time, while there is not always enough  time for this. 

Many studies have proven that educational games can improve imagination, math skills, reaction time, memory, intelligence, etc. Another advantage of this game genre is that it has the same effect as reading books or playing sports. This is a great alternative to the usual methods of development. 

5 Most popular mobile game genres by revenue 

Statista conducted an in-depth analysis and identified the TOP mobile game genres that attract users and drive company revenues.  In 2021, the most downloaded iOS mobile game genres in the United States are:

  1. Puzzle (21.18%)
  2. Casino (18.9%)
  3. Strategy (17.17%)
  4. RPG (14.23%)
  5. Simulation (10.4%)

Mobile gaming trends. What exactly do the users like?

According to statistics we showed above, of course, entertainment games are in the lead. After all, they download just the same to be entertained and for a time to forget about the daily grind. Sometimes you can not notice how one game does not let you tear yourself away from the phone screen for a few hours.

Popular mobile games

Games, the latest in the global entertainment industry, are becoming more popular and more interactive. Developers embrace new technologies. Mobile phones have long evolved from being a means of communication to being multi-functional multimedia devices capable of satisfying so many of their owners’ needs, whether it’s music, video, Internet access or games. Mobile entertainment dominates the gaming industry. 

With so much content on Google and the App Store, it can be hard to find the right game. This is the main problem when there are hundreds of clones with almost identical icons and names. The easiest way to understand this is to highlight the key players in the mobile market. 

The number of downloads is of course important, but game developers are more focused on what makes money. In any case, the mobile gaming market will constantly change. The arrival of large companies can create the right level of competition to improve the quality of the industry. There is no room for doubt, mobile game development can change beyond recognition in just a few years. 

How to choose a mobile game development studio?

When selecting a company that offers game development services, first of all, be careful whether there are similar projects in their portfolio. A studio that has never done it is not the best option, especially when they say there is nothing difficult even with no experience.

There’s a big chance they won’t be able to identify your target audience, get them interested in interesting mechanics, or find a winning hook to stand out from the millions of similar games.

Here we would like to provide a simple but effective list of good qualities to choose a suitable game development company or partner from various game development outsourcing companies:

  • They Understand the requirements for your game
  • Take a look at the portfolio
  • Get familiar with design trends:
  • Query market time for application delivery
  • Find out about customer reviews
  • Developer’s technical ability
  • Learn more about client approach

Outsourcing game development is risky. However, that shouldn’t stop you. After all, life itself is risky. However, you must be careful to maximize costs and profit from your ideas.

Make your game epic with Stepico

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Rely on a skillful Game Development Company

Stepico team doesn’t stand still. Every day we develop games and provide game development services for almost any category with a large technology stack for the key platforms: android, ios, webGL, desktop, consoles. Our talented specialists always go beyond the limits and use only innovative approaches to create impressive projects.

Bring your most exciting ideas to life with Stepico. Feel free to get in touch with us and discuss your project!

Choose Stepico and step into the future!

Andrii Titov - Chief Executive Officer
Specialties: Game development, mobile (Android/iOS development), customer communication, team management.
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