Mobile gaming is the way forward
According to the latest statistics, mobile gaming accounts for 43% of smartphone usage. 62% of people install at least one game within a week of owning a new mobile device. Gaming is not child’s play either; only 8% of mobile gamers are teenagers, and around 53% of people aged between 45 and 54 who use the internet play mobile games. Contrary to received wisdom, gaming is not a male preserve. The percentage of females to males playing mobile games is 49% to 51%, and almost two-thirds of the games downloaded are puzzle games.
New releases
Hundreds of new titles are released yearly, and every developer hopes their title will be the next big thing. Trusted online casinos UK are a great place to find the latest slot games, which are increasingly popular to play on mobile devices. Players love being able to have a flutter wherever they like. Great new titles include Excalibur Unleashed and Cursed Seas.
According to Pocket Gamer, the most highly rated non-gambling releases so far this year are: –
- Flash Party
- Highwater
- Pickle Pete
- Raging Bytes
- Roundguard
- Sands of Salzaar
- Super Meat Boy Forever
- Ten Dates
- Terra Nil
- The Legend of Standing
- Valiant Hearts: Coming Home
- Vampire Survivors: Tides of the Foscari
- Wavecade
Only time will tell if any of these new titles have the momentum and longevity of the big hitters that have gone before. They can all be found on the App Store and Google Play Store to download to your phone. However, some of our most popular games have been around for years. So, what is it that makes some titles a phenomenal success? Why do some titles never really get out of the starting blocks while a select few capture our imaginations and are played over and over again?
A brief look backward
It all started with a simple snake. Back in 1997, the only option was the dot-matrix Snake game which was built into all Nokia phones. With monotone sounds, it was retro even then, as perfectly acceptable games could be played on games consoles. However, it was the first proof that mobile phones were about more than making calls.
Then along came the iPhone, and mobile gaming as we know it now was born. The first-generation iPhone hit the US in June 2007. At the time, Jobs described it as a combination of the iPod, a breakthrough internet communicator and a revolutionary mobile phone. To be honest, most people did not know what he was talking about, but the early adopters and developers understood the potential.
Flappy Bird was just too good
In 2013 Flappy Bird became a viral gaming sensation. It was the first gaming app to get worldwide attention. People wasted hours flinging birds around on their mobile screens. It was popular because it was so easy and yet so hard. In addition, no matter how bad your aim was, there was no punishment for failure. The addictive nature of the game was actually its downfall. Interviewed by Forbes magazine, the developer said,
“Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed. But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down Flappy Bird. It’s gone forever”.
There were later incarnations of the game, but it was never the same. Ten years on, which games capture our imaginations, and what are the latest crazes?
The most popular games are relative golden oldies
Some games we love to play have been around for a long time. These include the ever-popular titles like Pokémon Go, Roblox, PUBG, GTA V, and Genshin Impact. Some of these games have been downloaded millions of times. Subway Surfers is the world’s most downloaded game. In 2022 it became the world’s most popular title when it exceeded 300 million downloads.
