Mobile Gaming in Consumer – Thematic Research

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The mobile gaming market was worth $98.0 billion in 2020 and is projected to record growth of more than 11% during the forecast period 2021-2030. In 2020, smartphones are the dominant platform for mobile games. Geographically, the Asia-Pacific region leads the global mobile gaming market in the same year. Access to 5G networks is also supporting the growth of mobile gaming in the region.

Mobile gaming is already bigger than the console and PC gaming markets combined, contributing to more than 50% of the global video games revenue in 2020. The growing maturity of streaming (supported by 5G), cloud gaming services, and mobile esports, combined with the fact that mobile platforms are close to technical parity with PCs and consoles, means most gamers will embrace mobile gaming in the next few years. Traditional console and PC game publishers like Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts are increasingly focused on mobile gaming due to its popularity with gamers worldwide and lucrative revenue opportunities.

Overview of the mobile gaming market

Overview of the mobile gaming market

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What are the main trends shaping the mobile gaming theme in the consumer sector?

Technology trends: Smartphones will be the primary cloud gaming platform over the next three to four years. This will be due, at least in part, to increasingly powerful processors, larger memory chips, 5G connectivity, improved battery life, and better screen resolution. Continuing growth in the number of smartphone users worldwide and devices’ ability to support gaming on the move will also boost the cloud gaming market in the short run. Indeed, the trend for mobile-based cloud gaming is developing with Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Nvidia, and Amazon offering their cloud gaming services on smartphones. Telcos like Deutsche Telekom and Sunrise have also launched mobile-only cloud gaming services.

Macroeconomic trends: Mobile gaming has been a vital entertainment channel for people during COVID-19 lockdowns. The industry witnessed a rapid influx of new users in 2020, which resulted in revenue increasing by more than 20% on the previous year, according to GlobalData forecasts. Mobile games apps accounted for the lion’s share of downloads and consumer spending across both iOS and Android in 2020, according to app analytics firms SensorTower and App Annie. In 2021, mobile gaming will build on its 2020 growth, although GlobalData expects the momentum to slow by late 2021 as the pandemic comes under control. Mobile game publishers must focus on retaining newly added users’ post-pandemic.

Regulatory trends: Mobile games are primarily played online, and users often give away their personal data without actively consenting to do so. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mandates that a company process data for legitimate purposes specified explicitly to the data subject when collected, effectively forcing firms to ask for permission to record and store user data. Compliance with GDPR directly impacts the machine learning algorithms commonly used by mobile game developers and advertisers to personalize content, offers, and ads. These cannot function without access to the requisite user data. GDPR also requires that all game makers operating in the EU allow users to request, access, correct, and suspend their data from privacy centers.

Consumer trends: Games such as The Sims and Animal Crossing are able to capitalize on their broad influence by bringing in fashionable brands that can be sold as add-on content or encourage the consumer to spend more time in-game. Roblox and Fortnite are other popular games that have utilized product placements and boosted the popularity of advertising brands. For many that do, their association with the hugely popular game effectively helps their own products gain as part of pop culture. Geotargeting is another tool that aids product placement. The technology allows smaller brands with smaller marketing budgets to launch in-game advertising at regional and local levels. For brands looking to advertise through placements, it is vital that in-game advertising is inherently immersive and not regarded as an obstacle to the flow of the game. This will enable brands to seamlessly reach their intended demographic base.

What are the platform classifications in the mobile gaming market?

Based upon the platform the mobile gaming sector is classified into smartphones and tablets. Smartphones are the dominant platform for mobile games. The dominance of smartphones in this market is attributable to the following three factors. 

Portability and maneuverability: Smartphones are smaller than tablets, making them easier to carry and control while gaming on the go. Tablets offer larger screens and better graphics, refresh rates, and battery support than smartphones but are also comparatively more expensive. Tablet users also typically have to pay an additional charge for cellular connectivity, which means that many users run their tablets off Wi-Fi. This makes the devices less portable than smartphones.

High smartphone penetration: Smartphones are ubiquitous and, therefore, they are inevitably the primary device through which people access games. 

The development of gaming-focused smartphones: Gaming is a key focus for most smartphone makers as it helps them attract young consumers. Asus, Xiaomi, and Lenovo are developing gaming-focused smartphones, while Apple, Samsung, and Oppo (BBK Electronics) are making gaming a critical element in new devices.

Mobile Gaming market, by platform

Mobile Gaming market, by platform

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What are the key regions in the mobile gaming market?

Geographically, the Asia-Pacific region leads the global mobile gaming market. Access to 5G networks is also supporting the growth of mobile gaming in the region. Asia-Pacific accounted for more than 90% of global mobile 5G subscriptions in 2020, mainly in China, South Korea, and Japan. SK Telecom claims that 5G subscribers use game apps nearly 2.7 times more often than 4G subscribers. GlobalData estimates that, Asia-Pacific will be the largest mobile 5G market by 2025. Thus, the region will continue to lead the mobile gaming market in the 5G era.

Mobile gaming market, by region

Mobile gaming market, by region

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Which are the leading players in the mobile gaming market?

Tencent, Activision Blizzard, Krafton, Sea, Electronic Arts, NetEase, Nexon, Netmarble, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook, Snap, Alibaba, IBM, Akamai, F5 Networks, Verizon, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, SK Telecom, KT, BT Group, Vodafone, A1 Telekom, Apple, Samsung Electronics, Huawei, BBK Electronics, and Xiaomi are the leading players in the mobile gaming market.

Mobile gaming market, key players

Mobile gaming market, key players

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Market report scope

Market size (Year – 2020) $98.0 billion
Growth rate >10%
Base year for estimation 2020
Forecast period 2021-2030
Key Platforms Smartphones and tablets
Key Players Tencent, Activision Blizzard, Krafton, Sea, Electronic Arts, NetEase, Nexon, Netmarble, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook, Alibaba, IBM, Akamai, F5 Networks, Verizon, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, SK Telecom, KT, BT Group, Vodafone, A1 Telekom, Apple, Samsung Electronics, Huawei, BBK Electronics, Xiaomi

 Scope

  • This report provides an overview of the mobile gaming theme.
  • It identifies the key trends impacting growth of the theme over the next 12 to 24 months, split into three categories: technology trends, macroeconomic trends, and regulatory trends.
  • It contains a comprehensive industry analysis, including global market size and growth forecasts for mobile gaming, details of M&A deals driven by the mobile gaming theme, and a timeline highlighting milestones in the development of mobile gaming.
  • The detailed value chain comprises four layers: creation, monetization, distribution, and device. Leading and challenging vendors are identified across three of the four layers.

Reasons to Buy

  • Gain insight into the latest sub-trends around mobile gaming.
  • Identify how consumer goods companies are using mobile gaming in their business strategies.
  • Discover how new consumer behaviors will influence mobile gaming and tablets in the years ahead.

Apple
Alphabet
Activision Blizzard
Tim Hortons
Innersloth
Spin Master
Jakks Pacific
Tencent
Electronic Arts
Microsoft
Krafton
Bytedance
Hasbro
Facedrive
Horizon Group

Table of Contents

Executive summary

Players

Technology briefing

Trends

Industry analysis

Value chain

Companies

Sector scorecard

Glossary

Further reading

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