History Of Mobile Gaming

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According to a blog on TechCrunch, the global gaming market is estimated to be worth $152 billion, with 45% of that, $68.5 billion, coming directly from mobile games. With this huge growth (10.2% YoY approximately) and a shower of investments, everyone wants a slice of the pie. Research stats indicates that, Gaming industry has gained on and around $9.6 B in investments, and if the investment rapidity continues, 2018-19 will observe higher investments than all previous years.

So, with the data provided, the question we wondered most was how did mobile gaming came into existence and boomed until now?

We at Spawn Point have created this blog for better understanding of the history of mobile gaming and the current scenarios of the Gaming Industry.

Mobile Gaming

Smartphones and gaming have an energetic relationship increasing by the day, attracting everyone to the easy and portable gaming methods. There are so many games you can play that have good graphics and are compatible with your phone. Although, some individuals already speculate that mobile games could compete directly to the console and PC games. Mobile gaming has already recorded more than half of worldwide video gaming income in 2019. In the following three years, what do you think will happen?

Industry specialists predict a staggering $180.1 bn in the worldwide gaming industry by 2021–and we expect a big contribution through mobile games. Mobile gaming accounts for 33% of app downloads, 74% of customer spending and 10% of all in-app purchases. Now, by the end of 2019, it expects 2.4 billion individuals to play mobile games worldwide — a third of the world’s population. In also, half of the mobile application users play games, making it as popular as applications for music like Spotify and Apple Music, and only second to social media and work-consuming communication applications.

What’s All That Craze Over Mobile Games?

Firstly, it all started in 1994, when Tetris was available to play on a brick phone to the most hyped game of 2019, “Call Of Duty: Mobile”.

In today’s world, for instance, everyone is busy with something or the other like work, travelling, spending time with their loved one, etc. which has impacted the time spent on games. Not that people have stopped playing, but they have minimal time in between their work life and personal life. Now, mobile gaming has provided the leisure of gaming while on the go. You can install games on your mobile and play it anywhere or anytime.

For Example:

While travelling
During break times
While some relatives show up and you have nothing to do
While you’re in the toilet
And many more…

There are billions of people who have smartphones and billions more are just playing games on the go. There are so many genres with various storylines, plot twists, and styles of gaming. These mobile games allow you to play on your smartphone any time you want. It’s incredible that 1000 innovative mobile games are being developed annually and are becoming popular.

TimeLine of Mobile Gaming

As you have read above, gaming has become a major part of daily life. So, let’s discuss the history of mobile gaming from where it started and where does it currently stand.

1994
TETRIS

Formerly, the year 1994 introduces the first mobile game in phone. It came as a pre-installed game on a mobile phone called the Hagenuk MT-2000. Tetris was a wildly popular video game based on rapidly stacking tetranomial shapes as is still a very popular game.

1997
SNAKE

With this purpose, three years later in December 1997, Nokia launched the very successful game SNAKE on its monochrome phones. Like Tetris, Snake also came pre-installed in all mobile devices manufactured by Nokia. In this way, the journey of the Snake game started on these monochrome phones manufactured by Nokia and continues further.

meanwhile, at the end of the year 1997, Nokia announced to launch 6110 phone in the next year. Nokia 6110 had the Snake game pre-installed as part of the package. However, there was a twist.

But, it designs the game for 2 players who would also have the same phone. By availing the use of infrared port, two-player version of the Snake game could be played.

Thus, it eventually became one of the most-played mobile game on the planet and founds over 400 million devices worldwide. In 2019, many players still plays the Snake game.

Afterward, in the year February 2000, French company Ludigames aka Ludiwap led by Michel Guillemot was found. In fact, Ubisoft and the Guillemot Corporation united for this mobile game joint venture. However, later in 2002, Gameloft name came into existence.

Steve Jackson’s Sorcery

Likewise, sorcery was a fantasy adventure game where you had to create a decision between different alternatives such as moving on to the page to advance the storyline. Ideal for server-based WAP technology; the slow pace and exploring adventures worked best.

Sorcery was a wonderfully crafted game that seemed fantastic despite the monochrome pictures that restrict to less than three thousand pixels.

Following the release of above games, it developed several super addictive mobile games. In fact, they launched the debut of Fast and Furious game in the year 2001 and then there was no looking back for mobile games.

Curious to know more?

Stay tune, Relax and drink a cup of coffee!

Till then we will be back with a super fun and informative part [II] of the ‘History of Mobile Gaming’ blog.

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