While still a relatively new industry, mobile gaming has seen a significant increase in popularity in the last decade. Smartphones are capable of a wide range of functions these days, with gaming being one of the most popular. This has been noticed by businesses as well.

In 2021, mobile games will have produced the biggest sales over every other gaming industry. In contrast to mobile gaming’s $93 million, consoles brought in $50.4 million, while PCs brought in $36.7 billion Now, we’ll look at how mobile gaming grew into the behemoth it is today, as well as the factors that contributed to its enormous success.

A Brief History 

In the pre-smartphone era, mobile phone games were little more than a gimmick. Nokia launched the most successful pre-smartphone era mobile game in 1997. The game was a Nokia 6110-compatible version of Snake.

It was also the first multiplayer game, as it let two people control two snakes through an infrared link. Handheld video game consoles like the Gameboy and PSP were, of course, available, and they were fairly popular.

For a long time, this was the only place on mobile where people could play “real” games. When Steve Jobs revealed the iPhone, everything changed. The iPhone was innovative for the time since it had a dramatically enlarged RAM size compared to other phones at the time. This started several trends in the mobile gaming scene.

Suddenly, games like Angry Birds were possible, and with each succeeding generation of mobile phones following the iPhone’s lead, more and more games were being made. Now, even full ports of classic games such as Resident Evil 4 were being brought to the small screen.

The Appeal of Mobile Gaming

Mobile gaming is appealing for a variety of reasons, but mainly, it’s because of the following:

Accessible

Phones are far less difficult to master than consoles. A touch screen is a very simple and intuitively designed interface. Throughout the 2020 epidemic, the number of mobile gamers over 45 increased by 17%. The basic teaching of mobile game principles, as well as the simplistic design of smartphones, are major elements in its success.

In terms of price, unlike the prohibitively expensive PCs and consoles, phones are substantially less expensive. Smartphones, as previously stated, are multi-purpose devices that are also rather inexpensive nowadays. On average, phones that can run apps like League of Legends: Wild Rift or Angry Birds cost between $200 to $400.

Convenient

Smartphones are multi-functional devices, so adding gaming to their list of features was a wonderful idea. People may just unlock their phones and start playing games while waiting in line or on a lunch break. They wouldn’t need to store it because it was a phone, and it wasn’t likely a large investment because it would be used for so many other things.

While many video games are not compatible with mobile devices, not everyone is a devoted gamer. The casual gamer market was previously disregarded by the mobile market. Convenience is the primary reason for the success of mobile gaming. Anyone can easily enjoy scary games online wherever they are. Consoles and computers are large investments that can only be utilized for gaming. 

Simple

Bejeweled and Candy Crush are the best examples of this quality. Although they are simple color-matching games, smartphone gamers will enjoy the visual and sense of progress. One of the first significant mobile game hits, Cut The Rope, was likewise a simple game. Many similar games might be found on flash gaming websites years ago. It was merely refined to meet industry requirements.

The most popular smartphone games are all rather straightforward. It doesn’t mean they aren’t challenging, but the gameplay loop is simple to follow. Mobile Legends may be the most involved of the main mobile games, but it still falls short of the complexity found in PC RTS games. Simply put, mobile games are more convenient to play.

Social

Smartphones are small and portable, and practically everyone has one nowadays. Asking someone what games they play is a simple icebreaker. If the game is a mobile game, adding them to the game and playing it a minute or two later is simple. Mobile gaming has aided in making the hobby more socially active.

Multiplayer games back in the day were confined to two players on a console or slow online play. Nowadays, both children and adults may just take out their phones and play multiplayer games with their pals right where they are. Because of its mobility, the social aspect of gaming is strongest in the mobile gaming community.

The Personal Benefits of Mobile Gaming

There are several benefits from mobile gaming that can enhance you as a person.

Improves Concentration

Certain mobile games require a lot of concentration. Over time, that habit will move over to all of your other activities, when done in moderation of course. For example, the games require the player to use both their sight and hearing to keep up with the beat of the visuals. Games like Piano Tiles make the player pay more attention to their sense in ways they hadn’t before.

Many studies have shown that this is the case. An article by the University of Arkansas has shown that people who play video games have a sharper focus than those who do not play video games. The brain activity shifts significantly, making the mind more adept at spotting patterns as well as generally paying more attention to the finer details.

Enhances Problem Solving

Video games of all kinds are essentially puzzles. Since puzzles are known to challenge the mind, mobile gaming does much the same. This is most prevalent in the recent trend of education games. “Gameifying” education has helped people learn much more efficiently than before. After all, a passive lecture is nothing against an active activity. 

The reason why gamification works is simple: it lets students have fun. Associating fun with learning makes it a positive experience. The addictive nature of video games might be negative when there is nothing gained. However, when combined with education and moderation, it becomes a powerful tool for enhancing a person’s problem-solving skills.

Hand-Eye Coordination

Video games, particularly fast-paced action games such as Call of Duty Mobile, are linked to improving hand-eye coordination in people. Studies from the University of Toronto have shown with concrete results that video games improve hand-eye coordination in general, not just for video games. The study put forward the idea of using video games for physical therapy.

For people with poor hand-eye coordination, be it from a physical malady or a mental condition, mobile games can act as a sort of therapy. Hand-eye coordination is a matter of practice and muscle memory after all, and video games reward well-executed repetition.  Best of all, mobile games can be done anywhere, unlike other gaming consoles.

Socialization

As previously mentioned, the social aspect of mobile gaming is one of its appeals. However, it is also one of the most concrete benefits of mobile gaming. Since everybody has a phone these days, everybody can install the same games and play them anywhere at any time.  A lot of empirical studies have been done to see these socialization aspects.

However, you don’t even need the research to see it in action. Looking at any fan group of a video game on sites such as Reddit and Facebook already shows how games have pushed for socializing among youths. In addition, mobile gaming is much easier to play with more people face-to-face than a multiplayer console game.

Stress Reduction

Studies have looked at mobile gamers playing various games to see if their in-game coping techniques were linked to their overall stress levels. They discovered that numerous individuals who felt angry during gameplay developed effective coping mechanisms to deal with their negative emotions versus people who weren’t gaming.

One significant difference between those who coped well and those who did not was the ability to take stock of their feelings and internal states. Afterwards, the steps they took to maintain a healthy balance, either by making beneficial decisions to improve their situation or by seeking help, were observed to be surprisingly effective.

Stimulates Brain Activity

Much like any muscle, the brain needs constant exercise to stay efficient. When combined with a proper diet and sleep, mobile games during your downtime keep your mind occupied. For people with hyperactive minds, this is particularly useful. It’s important to know that while excessive gaming can affect your neurodevelopment, moderately, it does wonders for your brain.

For example, in a study by Daphne Bavelier and C.Shawn Green in the late 90s, they found that quick action games improve cognition at tangible levels. The brain also becomes more sensitive to shifts, making gamers more adaptable to sudden changes. Games in moderation are brain-boosting activities, not brain-killing.

Conclusion

These are the core benefits of playing mobile games, and while they are real benefits, it’s important to emphasize the importance of moderation. To learn more about the best ways to improve your cognitive skills, head over to our website to learn more.