We’ve seen substantial changes when it comes to the accessibility, and capabilities, of smartphone tech in the last decade.
Last year, smartphone vendors sold nearly 1.5 billion smartphones worldwide as mobile and internet adoption continues to increase in both the developed and developing world. Smartphones have come a long way since 1994, when the first smartphone, the IBM Simon, was released. Even though the IBM Simon was an analogue cellphone, it had email, calendar and fax functions.
These three features were very advanced for the time, and they foreshadowed the capabilities of the modern smartphone, such as the iPhone, which lets users input appointments on a digital calendar and send faxes through App Store applications like FAX, designed by mobile apps developer Municorn.
This growth in global smartphone usage comes as entertainment sectors like mobile gaming have also increased in popularity, causing many reputable gaming operators to pledge to increase their offerings of mobile games over the next few years. Most recently, Sony (the Japanese company behind PlayStation) did exactly that, announcing at the end of May that it would double its games for mobile by 2025.
According to reports, only 10% of the gaming company’s titles are currently available for mobile. However, this figure will jump to 20% in three years as Sony tries to expand its reputation and become universal. TechRadar has stated that Sony doesn’t want to be confined to the console segment of the gaming market anymore, which is admirable since success — and Sony is very successful — should never lead to stagnancy or a lack of innovation. As customers grow and their interests and needs change, they want businesses to change with them, and that’s what Sony is doing.
By 2025, half of Sony’s new release lineup will be on PC and mobile.
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Sony will also reportedly increase its live services, which aligns with another trend we’re seeing in mobile gaming: the use of live technology. A significant contributor to the mobile gaming industry’s recent success has been the iGaming market, which has witnessed exponential growth over the past five years due to its inclusion of developing technologies like live-streaming technology.
Today, many online casino operators offer live PC and mobile games, which are hosted by real dealers live-streaming on video from a studio. According to CasinoSmash, these games replicate the traditional casino experience, and the independent review site states there are live dealer games for everything from baccarat and blackjack to roulette. These casino platforms also tend to offer live customer support, which is essential for any online business dealing with real money.
2025 will be a monumental year for the mobile gaming market as traditional players like Sony enter the space by increasing their offerings and taking a page from established mobile contenders like iGaming operators. Likewise, further advancements and the adoption of 5G technology will also help the mobile gaming market grow over the next three-five years. That’s because 5G technology offers improved user interfaces and reduced lag times, which may cause many gamers to switch their PCs out for mobile devices. Not to mention, mobile gaming is accessible from anywhere, whenever. This flexibility and accessibility will be two key selling points moving forward.
When Sony announced its plans to double its mobile games selection by 2025 at the end of May, no one was surprised. Likewise, when Netflix rolled out five mobile games on its platform last year, people expected the announcement. The revenue potential of the mobile gaming market is high and visible to anyone with an interest in emerging and future technological trends.
