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Mobile gamers are one of the biggest audiences in the industry, and understanding them is key for many game developers and publishers. In GamesBeat Summit 2022Lexi Sydow, head of market insights at Data.ai (formerly App Annie) gave a talk titled “The State of Mobile Gaming” and recent trends on the platform. this.
One of the highlights Sydow mentioned is that mobile gamers can enjoy a wider selection of games. While old favorites like Candy Crush Saga still dominate, new games like Genshin Impact are also making waves. Mobile gamers are more willing to try different genres and play styles, and the mobile trend suits those tastes.
Types of mobile games and who plays them
“We’re seeing a massive expansion of the types of gamers and the types of games they’re playing… We’re seeing a lot of exciting areas emerge, new genres,” Sydow said. It’s a mix of both favorites and new hits, she says. In particular, she noted Subway Surfers, the second most downloaded game in Q1 2022. “They’re about to hit 2 billion downloads in their lifetime, which will make them the most popular mobile game in the world. Most downloaded ever. We see that there are still some games that are doing very well and have been doing well for a long time. Subway Surfers is definitely one of them.”
Sydow also notes that some of the top games in the US – specifically in the top 10 – have female audiences. These include Roblox, Homescapes, and Candy Crush Saga. “Normally people think gamers are more male-oriented, which may be true… but on mobile, what was really interesting was that we actually saw in February: Out of 10 games. top in the US by spending, six of which are female. . That is really impressive to see. ”
Some demographics favor certain types of games over others. “You see word games and word puzzles leaning towards a slightly older demographic base. But we see that it’s not just young gamers, and as we’ve seen before, it’s not just men. It’s a cross demographic and they’re growing very quickly.”
Impact of IDFA
In addition to general trends, Sydow also commented on Apple’s move to subvert IDFA – allegedly aimed at protecting consumer privacy. This doesn’t have as much impact as you might think about mobile game ads, she says. In fact, they brought in more money than ever before.
“We saw $295 billion spent on mobile in 2021, up 23% year-on-year, and it is poised to hit $350 billion globally this year,” Sydow said. “. “That includes branding versus in-app install ads, so it’s like the entire ecosystem. We didn’t really see an impact there from IDFA in terms of total placements. I think you’ll see a bit more clearly how the ads are working. But there’s still a really strong need to place them to get some attention on mobile. “
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