Playing games on a mobile phone has a long and proud heritage, as anyone who played “Snake” on an old Nokia phone will be able to testify. However, that’s now considered at best retro and at worst old-fashioned, and the smartphone revolution has meant that gaming from a mobile is now a highly sophisticated experience thanks to better graphics and more choice.
This has played a role in allowing demographic groups which were previously excluded from the gaming world to get more involved. From changes in the gender dynamics of gaming to the mass-scale arrival of gamers from new markets around the world, there are plenty of ways in which mobile gaming has seen a demographic overhaul.
Women gamers
The gaming world has long since been noted for its association with masculinity. The stereotypical image of a fixed-location console gamer is a man, probably a younger man, playing alone in a dark bedroom for hours and hours on end. However, mobile gaming has really turned this around, largely because of its convenience – and now women are more able to access gaming than ever before.
The stereotypical, although by no means universal, working and behaviour patterns of women often aren’t set up in such a way to permit spare time for sitting in front of a games console – and the burden of housework and childcare which is often unfairly placed on women can mean that extended periods of idleness are few and far between. With mobile gaming, however, it’s possible to fit gaming in around everything else, and to game as and when a window of spare time arises.
New markets
Demographic changes have not been restricted to gender either. Online gaming has expanded far beyond the previous areas in which it was most popular, such as Europe and North America. Now, other markets around the world have picked up the gaming bug. One such market is East Asia. In fact, studies have revealed that the fastest-growing mobile gaming market is in fact South East Asia. In this region, revenue from mobile gaming is believed to have risen by 17% in 2018 alone.
What’s even more striking is that this accounts for almost 70% of overall income for all gaming firms – suggesting that mobile is truly winning out in the battle for gamer attention in the emerging markets. With trends like this set to only continue in the coming years, it’s likely that regions which have previously been locked out of the mobile gaming market are likely to very much remain in it as time goes on.
Older players
Mobile gaming has also changed the age range of mobile gaming too. This is due in part to the changing content and focus of many games. Older generations are more likely to have disposable income, and they may also have a proud history of enjoying a gamble here and there thanks to the heritage of High Street betting shops. As a result, the online casinos with the best technology by CasinoTopsOnline could be extra appealing to this group, and provide a way to make retirement more entertaining.
Another way in which online gaming has attracted older players is in gaming’s diversification away from mere action games. It’s unlikely that many older people would be up for playing World of Warcraft or another computer or fixed-location console game. However, it’s certainly plausible to imagine them playing brainteaser games on social networking sites such as Facebook, or by using mobile apps to play card games or chess games with players from across the world. Remember: the term “gaming” is an umbrella term which refers to all sorts of different themes and modes of play, and it is important not to take a limiting view and suggest that the only games which can be played are those which are most famous and most popular.
Mobile gaming has undergone all kinds of changes over the last decade or so, not least ones related to aesthetics and in-game experiences. A deeper and more structural way in which it has changed is when it comes to demography. From the way in which it has now opened up to women to the great geographical diversity which mobile gaming enjoys, this truly is an industry that is willing and able to evolve and adapt.
