As our point of departure, we look at the revenue and expected revenue generated by mobile games from 2017 through 2027. A clear trend emerges as we extrapolate from 2017 to the present day, with steadily increasing revenues in billions of dollars generated by the mobile gaming industry. For example, in 2017, $54.98 billion in revenues was reported. That figure surged to $99.19 billion by 2021, at the height of the pandemic.
Since then, mobile revenues have subsided somewhat, tapering off to $82.40 billion in 2022, rising to $89.25 billion in 2023, and hitting $98.74 billion by the end of 2024. Industry analysts project $118.90 billion in 2027. These market insights are based on an ever-growing body of data collected by software developers, gaming developers, players, and smartphone manufacturers, et al.
The average revenue per user is consistently ticking higher, with a figure of $46.70 recorded in 2017 versus $57.64 in 2024. If we extend our timeline, statisticians estimate an average revenue per user of $64.26 by 2027. These figures reflect consistent growth in the mobile gaming industry from a player and developer perspective.
This bodes well for sustained expansion of the mobile gaming market. Another important metric to factor into the equation is revenue growth (year-on-year). There was a steep decline between 2020 and 2022, and a sharp and steady increase ensued through 2024. The industry is expected to maintain revenue growth in the region of 5.8% – 7.0% through 2027. By economic standards, this is a healthy revenue growth rate.
*Source: https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital-media/video-games/mobile-games/worldwide#revenue
We see evidence aplenty of popular gaming platforms catering largely to mobile players. For example, leading social gaming platform Zynga is rapidly climbing the ladder as the
preferred gaming hub for mobile players on iPhone and Android devices.
Statista lists the most popular mobile gaming apps published by this developer for 2024 (year-to-date), and several top names factor in the rankings, notably Cashier 3D, CSR 2 Drag Racing Car Games, Merge Dragons!, Top Troops: Adventure RPG, Golf Rival, High Heels!, Farmville 2 – Country Escape, Empires & Puzzles: Match – 3 RPG, Zynga Poker – Texas Holdem Game, and Words with Friends 2 Word Game.
Most folks are well familiar with the social poker games at this developer, thanks to the world-class Zynga poker guides they provide, their free poker games online, and the sublime variety of poker variants on deck. Each option adds value to players, with plenty of star-studded entertainment in HD video. Plus, multiplayer functionality cuts a swath with players, allowing scores of poker fans to enjoy the action simultaneously.
How is mobile gaming impacting traditional gaming?
There are two schools of thought on this topic: mobile gaming supplements the organic growth of traditional gaming, and mobile gaming supplants traditional gaming. Evidence suggests a sharper growth in mobile gaming versus declining growth in traditional gaming. Among the many positive characteristics of mobile gaming are the accessibility of this option, and its ubiquity. Gaming is not restricted to online gaming on a workstation or desktop, at home, or in the office.
Players can literally take the action with them wherever they go provided there is an active Internet connection. This is particularly true of live gaming sessions where communication is required between players and servers, typically via the cloud. There have been dramatic and unprecedented advances in technology, particularly Internet communications. As we barrel ahead into 2025, we see evidence aplenty of widespread proliferation of 5G networks.
From an economic perspective, mobile gaming is where most of the money is being invested. Venture capitalists understand that smartphone-based gaming is where it’s at. So, they are expanding their offerings to cater to this rapidly growing market. We already see evidence of this with Google and Apple. Things Like Google Play Pass and Apple Arcade are wildly popular.
Plus, all the investor interest in these mega hubs is drawing in additional funding for other related mobile gaming networks. It’s a domino effect with positive implications. Importantly, the mobile gaming phenomenon is not a trend or a fad; it’s a reality that is sweeping across the nations of the world, and becoming the new norm. We see evidence of this with eSports, competitive gaming, social gaming, gaming communities, and social casino sites too.
There are people who believe that mobile games are destroying the traditional video game industry. There is no doubt that mobile is drawing in scores of players who were heretofore PC or Mac-based players. But innovation lies at the heart of gaming activity. This is particularly true for the mega game producers like Nintendo, and scores of others. They understand that heavy investment in mobile is necessary for their continued survival. If not, they risk redundancy much like Blackberry when Apple’s iPhone hit the mark. Companies that fail to move with the times are often relegated to the annals of history.
