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[ZhugeEX]

It's estimated that worldwide revenue for smartphone and tablet games exceeded $25 billion in 2014 up around 50% from the year before.

In 2015, global mobile game revenues will eclipse console game revenues for the first time. Newzoo expects that mobile games will generate more than $30 billion worldwide; it predicts that console games will take in $26.4 billion. The firm expects sales for the total worldwide gaming market to be $91.95 billion in 2015.

The rise in Mobile gaming revenue is expected to come from mostly the APAC regions as well as other big markets such as the USA. However, In North America it's expected that consoles will still dominate: Newzoo forecasts $24.05 billion in total games revenue, with mobile games generating $7.2 billion and console games representing $11.1 billion.

Gaming is the most popular category on both the Android and iPhone app stores with more than 70% of smartphone users in the USA alone identifying themselves as smartphone gamers. Smartphone owners now spend a whopping 86% of their time using mobile applications such as games versus general web browsing (14%). According to App Annie, 2014 has seen the rise of the "Super Casual" gaming market on smartphones thanks to games like Flappy Bird which took the world by storm earlier in the year.

App Annie noted a number of key points:

1. Google Play amassed nearly 60% more downloads than iOS in 2014. A huge increase YOY.
2. iOS maintained it's large advantage in monetization, generating over 70% more revenue than Google Play
3. USA, Japan and South Korea collctively generated more revenue than the RotW combined
4. Top 5 markets for app development are US, Japan, China, South Korea & UK
5. Games was the top category for Google Play and iOS

Here is a break down of the top Games and publishers by downloads/revenue for the top 5 countries.

Enjoy!

Source 1 Source 2

 

[Nirolak]

Thanks for posting this. We don't get a ton of information of the mobile industry so stuff like this is always very helpful.

 

[Sendou]

What's even more casual than super casual?

 

[kcxiv]

I have no idea, why its so boring! the only mobile game i play is Words with Friends and even that i play once every 2-3 days when im on the crapper! haha

My phone is banned from mobile games other then that. I just find them boring.

 

[ZhugeEX]

What's even more casual than super casual?

exxxxtreeeeeemmmmeeeee casual

Thanks for posting this. We don't get a ton of information of the mobile industry so stuff like this is always very helpful.

No worries, I love posting data!

 

[vvise]

Flappy Bird is still really popular in the UK.

 

[King Gilga]

Japan not even charting on android downloads but being #1 in revenue is p crazy.

And holy shit brazil.

 

[kiguel182]

It's great to see some parts of the industry still growing at a great pace.

The lack of revenue on Android devices is worrying, specially since Android keeps taking market share from Apple. Not good at all. Google really needs to do something about it.

But the mobile growth in general is good. We are also seeing the amount of good and meaningful games on mobile to grow and since it's such a free market a ton of cool experiences are always appearing.

 

[Hcoregamer00]

Nice, I have seen myself and many others step away or reduce console gaming and portable console gaming and play more mobile games.

While the Wild West go anything nature has produced a lot of crap, there is a lot of diamonds out there. It has just begun

 

[ZhugeEX]

Japan not even charting on android downloads but being #1 in revenue is p crazy.

Japan is really amazing when you think about it.

 

[infiniteloop]

App Annie noted a number of key points:

1. Google Play amassed nearly 60% more downloads than iOS in 2014. A huge increase YOY.
2. iOS maintained it's large advantage in monetization, generating over 70% more revenue than Google Play

wow

 

[Boombox On]

I wonder how long it will take until EA makes more money on mobile than on console, because I have a strong feeling that it's inevitable.

 

[ZhugeEX]

I wonder how long it will take until EA makes more money on mobile than on console, because I have a strong feeling that it's inevitable.

In the past 12 months, EA's Mobile division accounts for around ~23% of total digital revenue whilst console accounts for around ~47%. PC and other make up the other ~30%.

Mobile revenue has grown by around ~15% YOY. Console has grown at a faster rate but that is due to the new console launches + new games and DLC.

The number of monthly active users for EA's mobile titles now exceeds 160 million.

 

[Cyd0nia]

In 2015, global mobile game revenues will eclipse console game revenues for the first time. Newzoo expects that mobile games will generate more than $30 billion worldwide; it predicts that console games will take in $26.4 billion. The firm expects sales for the total worldwide gaming market to be $91.95 billion in 2015.

This only tells us how strong the market is as a collective, it tells us nothing about how lucrative or cut throat competitive it is. Fact is these app stores represent a large number of individuals and developers both big and small, I'm sure one or two of the big guys make great margins but for a lot of people it's probably like trying to fly a kite in unknown weather. The big hits aren't always what you expect. The same can be true in the regular game industry but more often than not you kind of see the big AAA commoditized and mid tier software coming a year or so down the line and get a good feel for where the market is going to go a lot of the time. Mobile is an important sector and can be a valuable revenue stream but qualitatively, in the products, and in terms of feasible risk reward opportunity - I feel like it's a totally different kettle of fish.

 

[superseohyun]

well Granblue fantasy is pretty good i have to admit.

 

[Otakumegane]

Mobile gaming is just going to eat up console gaming at some point eh?

 

[1st Course]

LINE too strong. Them stickers prints money.

 

[AstroNut325]

Just WHOA at the lack of Zynga from any of those numbers!

Edit:
Wait... nevermind. A few made it.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

I wonder how long it will take until EA makes more money on mobile than on console, because I have a strong feeling that it's inevitable.

EA still has mobile studio in LA and they have no console studios in LA, I think they have more mobile developers in California than they have for console/PC development.

Just WHOA at the lack of Zynga from any of those numbers!

Zynga has been struggling in mobile forever. They poached a bunch of EA people back in 2010 or so but it never panned out and they closed up the studio a couple of years later. Last I heard they're trying to target "mid core" mobile games and some casual stuff, but they don't really have a solid plan.

This only tells us how strong the market is as a collective, it tells us nothing about how lucrative or cut throat competitive it is. Fact is these app stores represent a large number of individuals and developers both big and small, I'm sure one or two of the big guys make great margins but for a lot of people it's probably like trying to fly a kite in unknown weather. The big hits aren't always what you expect. The same can be true in the regular game industry but more often than not you kind of see the big AAA commoditized and mid tier software coming a year or so down the line and get a good feel for where the market is going to go a lot of the time. Mobile is an important sector and can be a valuable revenue stream but qualitatively, in the products, and in terms of feasible risk reward opportunity - I feel like it's a totally different kettle of fish.

Right now, from experience, there's only really two ways to be profitable in mobile. Either you're an incredibly low budget, low team size Indie studio (think Servo LLC which was basically 3 people) or you're a giant company shitting out new games every 2-4 weeks. If you're a mid sized (10-40) person studio trying to devote all your time to 1-2 projects you've already failed.

Also licensed IP is HUGE in mobile, because it provides instant familiarity.

 

[Tak3n]

I have to say on iOS the gaming is amazing, android is excellent to, but a bit to fragmented for my liking and I imagine a nightmare to develop for with about a billion different phone combinations to support...

Long may it continue

 

[diablos991]

How is LINE making money? Isn't it a free messaging app?

EDIT: Just looked at the app. Looks like they have something called LINE Pay. Probably high revenue due to people paying for media.

 

[User 479360]

I don't doubt it. But for some reason, I just can't get into any mobile games.

 

[ZhugeEX]

I don't doubt it. But for some reason, I just can't get into any mobile games.

Me neither tbh.

The only mobile game I've played in the last year is Puzzle & Dragons.

I did used to play some of the big ones like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja when they first came out. But yeh, mobile gaming is something I do very rarely these days and as above I've only played Puzzle & Dragons recently.

 

[Shengar]

All of this nice and concise data, but I can hardly worked up my enthusiasm somehow, if not actually kills it.

\

This two last data shows how different the market between iOS and Google eh? While I don't think whatever Google do will make the third world countries in Top Download started buying something due to many reason and factor, it would be still nice if Google makes it easier for developer to thrive in.

exxxxtreeeeeemmmmeeeee casual

they will buy one mirrion IAP