Game development, especially for mobile platforms, has become a strong branch of the technology industry.
This is due to the advancement of smartphone technology and its greater adoption by the global population.
The development of games for smartphones has resulted in much greater scalability for the gaming industry, given the presence of users on these devices.
In the face of billion-dollar revenues and high expansion potential, even major platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which focus on social interactions, have started developing mobile games.
Thus, these companies that are part of the metaverse have embraced this innovative trend to ensure high product differentiation. They also benefit from engaging games to enhance their advertising strategies.
So, are you curious to learn more about the gaming market and mobile game trends?
Then keep reading!
Gaming Market in Brazil and Worldwide
It is no surprise that since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalization processes and technological advancements have gained years of acceleration in a short period of time.
Especially with increased social isolation, the gaming segment has experienced a rapid expansion.
Since March 2020, thousands of Brazilians have become part of the digital gaming community, and according to the Game Brazil 2022 survey, 74.5% of people in Brazil are fans of electronic games.
The same survey found that the main age group is 25 to 34 years old (25.5%), followed by 16 to 24 years old (17.7%).
Regarding game frequency, 67% consider themselves casual gamers, without a very frequent gaming routine, while 33% consider themselves hardcore gamers, playing three or more times per week.
Looking at the most preferred gaming platform, the study also reveals that 48.3% of people prefer playing on their mobile phones, while 20% prioritize consoles and 15.5% prefer computers.
Considering this, we can see the tremendous power of the mobile gaming market, with a tendency to grow even further with increased investments in this industry.
Now, let’s look at the profits. The global gaming market generates billions of dollars every year.
The global gaming industry earned $196.8 billion, and according to projections by PwC consulting, the sector is expected to reach a global revenue of $321 billion by 2026.
In Brazil alone, the gaming business generates R$12 billion per year, making the country the revenue leader in the Latin American region and the 13th in the global ranking.
The mobile game development market in Brazil
As you saw earlier, the Brazilian population is a major consumer of video games, and this statistic shows us how promising the mobile sector is in the country.
Currently, Brazil not only uses international platforms and games but also establishes itself as a developer of games for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Considering that smartphones are becoming more powerful and efficient, these devices are capable of replicating graphical representations and animations without losing quality.
While there are many opportunities in the mobile game development market, there is still a shortage of qualified professionals for these positions.
Therefore, it is crucial to have incentives that promote the professional qualification of those who wish to work in this field.
Market trends for mobile games
Now that you have an overview of the mobile gaming market, let’s look at the trends that are already present and will continue to be successful:
Cloud gaming
Cloud gaming is a technology that allows games to be streamed from remote servers.
To ensure that multiple users can access the same server without availability issues, it is crucial that the server is powerful enough to flawlessly handle video and audio.
In this model, which works for both computers and mobile devices, users can interact with the game without having the software or hardware installed locally.
Essentially, players log in to a centralized service that operates from remote servers in data centers around the world.
So even if you don’t own a powerful computer or device, this model allows you to access and play the game seamlessly.
A major benefit of cloud gaming is the ability to play without needing to purchase high-end hardware.
Additionally, cloud gaming is beneficial for developers as well, as they can sell their games as a service rather than dealing with physical copies and downloads.
Free-to-pay
Also well-known and one of the preferred models for mobile gamers, Free-to-play has unlimited potential and can be downloaded by users at no cost.
This way, players can try out a game before deciding if they want to invest time or money, and this model tends to generate higher revenues.
To generate revenue, developers introduce in-app purchases of certain items that allow players to improve their performance or overcome specific obstacles more quickly.
In most mobile games, the actions performed by the player are recorded on the local device and then batched before being transmitted to the server.
This avoids network delays, optimizing the gaming experience.
To further enhance the interaction between the game and the player, it is expected that this model will evolve with the development of technologies such as augmented reality and 5G.
Play-to-earn
Who hasn’t been invited to join a gaming community to earn some extra money, right?
The famous “rocket” games are part of what we call “play-to-earn,” where the user becomes involved as if they were part of the development team.
In this model, the intention is for the player to always be producing something for other players, creating value for everyone involved in the game.
Therefore, everyone is rewarded with in-game items or digital coins.
Once they reach a certain level in the game, users can exchange this content for cryptocurrencies or even tokenized resources on the blockchain.
The Play-to-earn model is very similar to Free-to-play in some aspects, as there is no cost to access the game.
The difference is that at some point, players need to invest real money to start earning profits in this game model.
Metaverse
It’s impossible to talk about mobile gaming market trends without mentioning the Metaverse.
This universe that holds great promise is described as a powerful intertwining of technologies in everyday life and virtual environments, including games.
Therefore, the metaverse allows us to relive and imagine how interesting it would be to enter games and simulate our presence in them.
This is no longer just talk about the future; it’s happening now with the possibilities of the Metaverse.
In fact, you can experience this with Fortnite and Roblox, two platforms that already have interactive virtual universes.
To promote the game and attract even more users to the universe, Fortnite, for example, is already hosting large-scale concerts and brand events within its digital world, which are watched by millions of people.
eSports
eSports is another trend in game development and eSports. It’s a vast world of organized competitions for digital games.
In these competitions, professional players from different leagues and teams compete in popular games.
Currently, the most well-known and successful eSports worldwide include Fortnite, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, and FIFA.
These championships offer high cash prizes to the winners, with investors from various sectors betting on teams.
These competitions are organized by game publishers or specialized organizations, which define the brackets and monitor the matches. As a result, these matches are watched by thousands of people through online streams or even on TV.
Professional players are seen as sports celebrities, with thousands of fans following them on social media and when they play on streaming platforms like Twitch, Facebook Gaming, or YouTube.
Gaming Influencers
Speaking of pro players and their popularity on social media, a major trend in the mobile gaming market is gaming influencers.
These players anticipate and set trends in this industry, especially on YouTube.
In fact, partnering with influential figures in the gaming industry can be a highly profitable strategy for game developers. They possess expertise and engagement to attract customers.
Interesting, isn’t it? And do you also enjoy playing games every week?
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*Text automatically translated from Portuguese to English.
