Published on April 4th, 2019 | by Sunit Nandi

5 trends in the mobile games market you need to know for 2019

Developers are constantly pushing artistic and technical boundaries to satisfy the ever-changing demands of players across the globe. This has seen the gaming industry evolve far more rapidly than most industries. One of the most exciting developments has been mobile gaming. Mobile games are outpacing their console and PC counterparts and have also led to the expansion of the market. Gaming is no longer limited to a specific group of people or location. That being said, here are the biggest mobile trends to expect in the gaming industry in 2019:

Mobile Spinoffs of Major Franchises

We should expect more mobile titles of major games that were successful on consoles and PC. More people have access to smartphones than PCs and consoles, making this trend a great way for developers to make money from mobile gamers. For instance, Blizzard Entertainment plans on bringing their ARPG classic franchise to phones like Diablo for smartphones, which will be referred to as Diablo Immortal. Pokémon series is another established game that’s receiving full-scale mobile treatment.

Blockchain-Based Games

Blockchain technology, particularly Bitcoins, gained much popularity over the course of last year. The year also saw a small trend of blockchain-based games gradually growing. Since people now understand the benefits of cryptocurrencies, they are bound to warm up to blockchain-based games in 2019. A mobile game developer can provide more insights on the growing relationship between games and blockchain along with other developments occurring in the mobile gaming world.

AR Gaming Innovation

AR gaming was made popular after Pokémon GO’s success. But that’s not the only game that currently uses the real world as in-game content. Other games like Jurassic World Alive and Ghostbusters World have also tried to capitalize on the AR Gaming Innovation. This shows that developers have taken AR gaming more seriously. Expect to see more mobile games that have visual elements, as well as audio and social elements from the real world.

Cross-Platform Play

The fact that more games are available on mobile devices, PCs, and consoles has increased the demand for cross-platform play. This allows players to keep their mobile, console, and PC unlocks and stats under a single account. It also keeps friends together even when they are playing on different devices. In addition, releasing free or low-cost mobile games exposes them to millions of potential customers, thereby creating loyal cross-platform fans. There are several games that support cross-platform play like Fortnite and PUBG. Expect more of them in 2019 as demand increases.

Console-Quality Games

Mobile phones have become powerful enough to match the processing power of certain laptops. This means that console-graphics are now possible on mobile. Hardcore players still think mobile games are a bit too simplistic, not engaging enough, and have minimal features. This is, however, bound to change as hardcore players with high-end smartphones continue to expect developers to offer console-quality games. The like of Fortnite from Epic Games has already embraced this trend. The game has Pixar-style graphics, as well as splashy cosmetics that are similar both on mobile and on the PC and console.

Tags: 2019, market, mobile games, need to know, trends

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.