We can trace the history of video games back to the 1950s and 60s when the first basic games were developed. Many people believe the first video game was Pong, a simple game released on the Atari but in fact, the honour goes to William Higinbotham, who created Tennis for Two. Little did Higinbotham know at the time but his creation at the at Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1958 would have an enormous impact on the future of entertainment.
Forward to 2024 and the games available are vastly different from Tennis for Two and we now have access to a massive library of games that were not even imaginable back in the 1950s. Not only can we play video games using dedicated consoles and personal computers, but we also have the option of playing games using a mobile device. The introduction of the smartphone has seen a dramatic shift in the way people play games and you no longer must be sat at a console or PC to play high quality games.
People have huge demands on their time in the modern world, and from working and spending time with family to going out to events and enjoying the company of friends, there is not always time to play games at home. That is one of the many reasons why mobile gaming has become so popular in recent years and is set to become the future of the industry. If you take the typical working day, from getting up in the morning, having breakfast, doing exercise, travelling to work, having lunch, travelling home from work, eating dinner, and spending time with friends and family, there is little time for gaming.
However, thanks to mobile gaming, there are plenty of moments throughout the day that can be used to play games. Travelling to work is a good example and for those who travel using public transport such as buses and trains, this provides a perfect opportunity to play a game using a mobile phone. Break and lunch time is also a good opportunity to play a video game and again, this can be done using a smartphone. So, the rise of online gaming is thanks in no small part to the convenience it provides. You no longer must set aside time at home to play games, you can do it any moment throughout the day where you have a couple of minutes to yourself and access to your mobile phone.
Video games is not the only type of game people are playing using a mobile device. Online casino gaming is extremely popular, and all the leading online casinos at least have a mobile optimized casino website or even better, a dedicated mobile application. Online casino game developers are now creating games suited to the smaller screen and many of the latest online slot games have been developed with mobile players in mind.
You will struggle to find an online gaming industry that releases the number of new titles you get from online casinos. It seems a day does not go by without the release of a new online casino game, whether it be a slot game or a table game. The top mobile casinos have new additions on a weekly basis and casumo.com regularly. There are new mobile casino games to discover every week and that is one of the reasons why mobile gaming is seen as the future of the industry.
If we look at the figures, it is estimated around 2.4 billion people from around the world played mobile video games in 2019. A look at the history of mobile gaming shows it was introduced in 2007 and that means the industry has picked up 2.4 billion players in the space of 12 years, which is an incredible figure. A closer look at the statistics shows the balance between male and female players within the 2.4 billion who played mobile games in 2019 is roughly a 50% split.
The consumer base is equal and that is promising for the future of mobile gaming as developers can target both groups knowing there is a market for their game. If we look at the console gaming figures in the United States, 67% of gamers in 2019 were male, whereas 33% were female, so there is definitely a difference. Mobile game developers can produce new games mindful of the fact both groups want to play mobile games and this can lead to greater profits plus continued growth in the mobile gaming industry.
Even when people are not playing games on their mobile phone, they are often engaging with gaming related content. Millions of people have social media accounts and choose to follow pages and accounts relating to gaming. Apps such as Twitter and Reddit are home to accounts dedicated to mobile gaming and people like to discuss the games they have been playing and upcoming game releases. So, even when people are not playing games on their mobile device, they are often talking about games and that is very promising for the mobile gaming industry.
Social gaming is massive and there are now console and PC based games being released for mobile. League of Legends: Wild Rift and PUBG: Mobile are two good examples of multiplayer online games to make the transition to mobile. These games allow you to play in a team with other players from around the world and compete against real opponents. During the game you can chat to other members of your team, and this is going to become big business for video game developers on mobile phones and tablets.
While it is certainly not easy to create a mobile game, the industry is more open to individual developers than console gaming. There are countless talented game designers who do not work for the major gaming companies and mobile apps provide an avenue for them to get their game in-front of millions of people. Individuals can develop games from home and the App Store and Google Play is somewhere they can publish their game without too much difficulty. New indie games are often released for mobile phones and that is another strong sign mobile gaming is the future of the industry.
