Topic: “Mobile Gaming Market Trends in 2022” With 2021 around the corner, it’s time to turn our attention to the upcoming (and will remain) mobile gaming market trends in 2022.
Mobile gaming has exploded over the past couple of years. According to the latest data, there are the 2.69 billion mobile game players globally. In the addition, mobile games dominate the App Store revenue share (66%). We all can expect these numbers to grow even more in 2022.
So, what are some of the 2022 mobile gaming market trends that you should know about?
Could you keep reading to find it?
AAA mobile gaming experiences on the rise
One of the events that had the most significant impact on the mobile gaming industry in 2020 was the launch of MiHoYo’s Genshin Impact. In its first month of release, it was downloaded 15 million times and grossed over $150 million in revenue.
The superior graphics, the open-world gameplay, and gacha-style monetization set this game apart from other mobile games. Moreover, the game experience is the same as on PC or consoles. In other words, miHoYo has brought excellent single-player mechanics from PC games and AAA consoles to small screens.
Given the success of Genshin Impact, we expect to see more AAA mobile gaming experiences in 2022 and the future. Moreover, we may see more Chinese developers dominating the market. Besides the miHoYo, Lilith Games is another example of a successful Chinese game studio that has achieved tremendous success overseas.
IDFA poses new challenges for developers
Apple’s change to IDFA’s use will continue to impact mobile game advertising significantly. In addition, targeted advertising is becoming increasingly complex, directly affecting user acquisition and monetization.
The most crucial thing mobile game developers need to do is adapt to new changes and expand user acquisition strategies. Some developers may even explore offline channels.
Despite the introduction of changes in mid-2021, mobile game advertisers are still struggling to overcome the challenges of IDFA.
What is certain is that in 2022, marketing creative will become more critical than ever. This is what mobile game the publishers should invest in and know how to make their ads stand out. Another tip is integrating data science and creative teams to achieve better results.
Hyper-Casual games continue to rule the leaderboards
According to SensorTower’s Industry Trends report, unofficial titles dominated the top charts for 2020. Moreover, the episodic game Between Us was one of the most successful games of the previous year.
Many people have switched to casual games during the 2020 pandemic. According to SensorTower, “The adoption of the Top 1000 Hypercasual games grew 45 percent year-over-year in 2020.” Moreover, unofficial games crossed over 10 billion installs in 2020.
Most likely because these games are easy to play and allow people to have fun and relax during these challenging times.
The puzzle game genre is developing further
Over the past few years, the puzzle game genre has gone through many changes. The latest trend of the mobile game market, which all-match three puzzle games have embraced, adds various descriptive layers to the core gameplay.
We can see this in games like Homescapes, Gardenscapes, Clockmaker, and even new hit puzzle games like Project Makeover, which all have descriptive layers of fashion, decor, and storytelling.
This is the result of market saturation. Since it’s hard to get noticed in the match-3 sub-genre and beat giants like Candy Crush, the developers are adding new and exciting elements to their games.
Moreover, this strategy allows developers to attract a wider audience. So, instead of targeting only match-3 players, descriptive layered puzzle games can attract players interested in design, fashion, or even storytelling games.
Headlines drive consumer spending
According to SensorTower’s Industry Trends report, core gaming dominated the top charts in 2020 regarding total revenue.
This list shows core games like PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, Roblox, and Genshin Impact.
Basic games rely primarily on in-app purchases and subscription monetization models. This has proven to be the huge success. However, more and more in-app purchase game developers are starting to adopt in-game ads. It not only acts as an additional income source but can also boost in-app purchases.
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