Engaging in virtual entertainment for an activity that is practiced by hundreds of thousands of people every day. Gaming is invariably associated with the use of powerful personal computers or new game consoles. In fact, it is a bit different, and gaming with the use of mobile devices is gaining in popularity every year.
Mobile games are on the heels of esports
Full halls, chanting audience and players sitting in front of monitors – this is how the average European computer game fan imagines the phenomenon of esports. It is most consistent with what we can observe at the largest tournaments. In the background to the events discussed in recent years, a different image of competition on the plane of games has been rapidly developing, which may soon bring down the activity that we know – at least in terms of numbers.
It is, of course, about esport on the plane of mobile games, that is, using portable devices instead of computers – smartphones and tablets. Claiming that this trend is about to skip computer gaming may seem profane to believers of the “PC Gaming Master Race” religion, but statistics clearly show that it can happen.
The Esports Charts report on the most popular esports games in 2021 included for the first time in the ranking of the top titles dedicated to smartphones – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG Mobile. The representatives of “classic esports” were Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and Dota 2. The places in the ranking were awarded depending on the number of watched hours of broadcasts from official tournaments by fans of particular disciplines. Mobile Legends was watched for 387 million hours, and PUBG Mobile for 216 million hours. For comparison, the first place was taken by Riot Games with an audience rate of 664 million hours.
How is it possible that the aforementioned mobile titles achieved such high scores when you have never heard of them? It’s simple – games are gaining popularity in other parts of the world, mainly in Asia and Latin America. Much more popular than mobile PUBG, ML: BB breaks records in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The number of hours watched in the case of the MOBA mobile game increased two and a half times year on year, which illustrates the growing popularity of the title.
Where does the popularity of mobile games come from?
Mobile games, due to their nature, have one huge advantage over games for consoles or desktop computers – we can always take them with us. A smartphone will always be more compact and easier to use quickly than the most compact laptop. This means that we can play our favorite title not only in the designated time window, but also during a break between classes, using public transport or sitting in a barber’s chair.
Esport on the plane of mobile games is gaining popularity in the countries of Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Malaysia. These countries are not considered to be the richest countries, therefore the growing trend of mobile games can also be seen in the economic factor. The purchase of appropriate gaming equipment is expensive, regardless of whether we are talking about a console and TV set or a sufficiently efficient computer. Additionally, these are material values ​​that you can live without – we all have a phone and, apart from its entertainment value, it serves primarily to maintain contact with the world. The ability to play is therefore an accessory that has been noticed and is used regularly.
An additional advantage of mobile games is their availability – they are easily available for download from the application store or in some cases from the developer’s website. Their aspect, however, is the price, as the titles are free with elements of microtransactions. This means that mobile titles are much easier to try – you just need to download them, without paying extra.
Poland as a field of mobile games
Esport in Poland – presenting this formulation of most of us comes to mind the full Spodek during the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice. This is by no means wrong, after all, it is the largest event devoted to virtual competition in our country, which attracts the eyes of millions of viewers from all over the world.
Some may be surprised, however, that in Poland, esports in the field of mobile games are also doing quite well. For the first time it was loud about him thanks to the V4 Future Sports Festival, where Clash Royale hosted alongside such titles as CS: GO, League of Legends or FIFA 18. Ultimately, two Poles played in the grand finale, Dawid ” Bloody Dave “Czowicki and Jakub” Wrobelek “Wróbel. This happened in 2018.
Since then, the Polish community has become more aware of mobile games, and companies have decided to invest in this sector. Fantasyexpo created the first Polish Mobile League in the country, supported by Play and Xiaomi. In addition, there were tournaments organized on the initiative of other brands, one of them was the TV channel dedicated to games, Gametoon. These are just isolated cases, because there are many more initiatives on the discussed plane. They are often bottom-up, directed from fans to fans, and avoiding the flash of flash.
Mobile games in Poland are not only the domain of one company. The Polish branch of the global ESL company is also often involved in mobile games, actively participating in broadcasting such games as: Clash Royale, Brawl Stars, Clash of Clans, PUBG Mobile or Asphalt 9: Legends. In addition, during one of the Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice, a study was carried out, which shows that nearly half of the visitors use mobile devices for gaming-based entertainment.
Mobile games are the future
The biggest enthusiasts of gaming on desktop computers may soon become a minority, because mobile games are already proving to be the dominant group of players. According to the Newzoo report, in 2021, titles for mobile devices generated 52% of the income of the entire gaming industry, including PCs and consoles.
Forecasts for the coming years are extremely optimistic. By 2026, the current value of over $ 92 billion is expected to increase almost fivefold. The growth of the mobile version of gaming is also contributed to by the crisis in the field of computers – the prices of important components are still above the norm, which makes the construction of a gaming set more expensive than usual.
Also esports organizations show an interest in mobile esport. The winner of the aforementioned V4 Future Sports Festival has become part of the already inactive PRIDE organization. Abroad, players can count on involvement in teams such as Team Liquid, Team Vitality or TSM, and this is just the tip of the iceberg consisting of the most prestigious teams in the world.
The huge segment of the market did not escape the attention of equipment manufacturers either. Many of them offer phones specially adapted to games – with more efficient components, a screen with a high refresh rate or sometimes even an active cooling system. Accessories are also very popular – special overlays improving the grip, or even overlays on the fingers that improve the slide on the screen. Enterprises would not undertake the production and sale of such equipment, if the analyzes did not show a growing demand.
There is no doubt that the industry will grow and bring greater profits than its older brothers in the form of consoles and desktops. The question, however, is whether gaming on mobile devices will take over the largest arenas. Can you imagine that in a few years’ time in Spodek you will admire players who indulge in competition on phones? It sounds strange right now, but the future may surprise.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
