“You got games on your phone?” This phrase might have become a meme in the past few years, but it also showcases just how deeply mobile gaming has embedded itself into pop culture. While many of us use our phones to catch up with friends, scroll through social media, or check our emails, chances are we’ve likely got at least one mobile gaming app to help us pass the time.
The most popular Apple App Store category by share of apps is Games, with a share of 11.96%—which is telling. And with slot apps also growing in popularity, are our mobile phones turning into consoles of their own? How did we get to this point? Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Gaming Before the Smartphone
Before the smartphone, gaming was a location-bound experience. Gamers had to travel to arcades to play classics like Space Invaders and Pac-Man or boot up their console to spend a couple of hours immersed in their favorite titles. The act of gaming wasn’t as casual as it was now. Like many other activities and tasks in everyday life, it was much more intentional. You had to set aside time to travel to the location and wait for the game to load before you played for a long enough time to really get into it. We weren’t blessed with hyper-fast loading times and the instant play we have today.
When handheld consoles became popular, they acted as the precursor to mobile gaming. Gaming wasn’t limited to a time or place anymore. Thanks to devices like the Game Boy and the Nintendo DS, it became a portable, anytime-anywhere experience. Of course, there are discrepancies between both, as their processing powers differ, and the gameplay experience itself is vastly different.
Mobile Gaming Comes Onto the Scene
One of the first mobile games many of us remember was the Snake game on Nokia phones. It was minimalistic, relying on basic pixels, and let players enjoy a quick game while waiting for the bus or during a break from shopping. As the game required only four buttons to play and could be played in short bursts, it could be easily introduced onto other phone makes and models, attracting players of all ages.
Mobile games were limited to what the technology could handle at the time. It wasn’t possible for phones to support graphic-intensive games like Call of Duty Mobile or Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The hardware back then was modest, and so developers were forced to come up with games that used simple mechanics.
But as we saw, time passed, and technology grew to levels we could’ve never imagined. The smartphones we have today are powerful, equipped with advanced chips, GPUs, ample storage capacities, and incredible OLED and retina displays. They’ve got all the makings of a console in themselves, which is why developers were able to provide the console-quality experience. There are even phone accessories like attachable gaming triggers, mobile game controllers, stands, and gamepad mounts to enhance the experience.
How Mobile Gaming Changed the Gaming Industry
Mobile gaming is no longer just a niche market anymore. It’s completely transformed our perception of gaming and has ushered in a wide demographic of players. The stereotype and depiction of the “gamer” has changed. Gone are the days of musty basements, dusty consoles, and violent games—mobile gaming has introduced various genres, such as word games, cozy games, adventure games, and more, to people from all walks of life.
Gaming is now democratized and accessible, and people can choose what, where, when, with whom, and how long they want to play.
Why Is Mobile Gaming So Successful?
Apart from the sheer convenience of being able to play any type of game at any time, mobile gaming has garnered attention for the following reasons.
Low Barrier to Entry
Gaming was formerly a pastime that required purchasing a PC or console and games at less-than-favorable price tags. Not everyone saw it as a smart investment, especially if they considered themselves casual gamers who weren’t looking to play shooters, story games, or niche genres. Thanks to mobile games, however, they can easily scour their respective app store and discover what’s out there. They can try games without any commitment at all, which only increases the accessibility.
The Diversity of Free Games
Mobile gaming, for the most part, operates on a free-to-play model. While some optional in-app purchases and games come at a small fee, it is chump change compared to the growing price tags on console or PC games. There’s an unreal diversity of games out there too: racing, strategy, puzzle, action, arcade, and more, catering to all types of gamers. Even less tech-savvy people can quickly pick up and enjoy games like Candy Crush or Wordscapes.
Consistent Game Updates
Don’t be mistaken—console and PC games are well-supported, with major updates released throughout the year. The difference is that mobile games rely on smaller, more frequent updates, which keep them running smoothly and maintain their engaging quality. Good Pizza, Great Pizza is a prime example—a charming cooking simulator with event updates, limited-time ingredients, seasonal décor, and more that keep players hooked.
