I play a fair number of mobile games – I have things like Downwell, Lara Croft Go and Alphabear on my phone and you’ll often find me sitting playing those games – just not when I’m at home, and have bigger, arguably better games to play. Unless I’m having a bit of toilet time, that is.
For me, mobile games are – unless I get horribly hooked on something spectacular – largely just little digital distraction, used to while away the time. Generally while waiting, or in a queue.
And it seems I’m not the only one. As many have long suspected, most people who play mobile games do so to take the boredom out of waiting. That’s according to research firm EEDAR, anyway – and it’s specific to the US market. Or at least, their research is. I think taken as a bit of a microcosm, it’s probably something we could expect to see nearly globally. The biggest reason, it seems, is that mobile games offer short session lengths, so they’re not too engrossing and can be done on the go. People like mobile games, I guess, for being mobile games. Shocking.
The mobile games market is estimated to be around 154 million users strong – and there’s a great big push – and a lot of success – for mobile games that feature some sort of massive, online multiplayer – as we’ve seen in games like Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. EEDAR’s data, however, suggests that a pretty small proportion of the mobile games audience is actually keen on multiplayer games.
EEDAR says that although 74 percent of North American mobile game players play to kill time, just 12 percent wish to interact with others, and 16 per cent want to compete.
Last Updated: April 12, 2016
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 12, 2016 at 10:44
Mobile games: for when I’m waiting around or bored, & can’t do something better.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 10:53
http://mainframereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/shoppin-on-the-john.png
HvR
April 12, 2016 at 10:55
*Reads the about the latest innovation in toiletpaper and cleaning technology from the back of the packaging
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 11:04
XD
Ryanza
April 12, 2016 at 11:30
My snake got so long while playing snake on Nokia phones while on the toilet passing time.
iusedtobe(a)regular
April 12, 2016 at 11:50
I dont see a “While on the toilet” option on that graph.
DragonSpirit009
April 12, 2016 at 11:56
90% of the time I play Lara Croft: Relic Run. Only because it doesn’t really use internet. Oh and it’s free. My other apps use internet which I only play when I go home on weekends.
BakedBagel
April 12, 2016 at 12:57
Now tell me again how mobile gamers love games and the industry should pander to them.
Tsek. Like everyone else. People play mobile games to pass time.
No one likes to wait. So they will purchase that R100 microtransaction hoping there shitting time is that much more entertaining
Megzus Digital
April 16, 2016 at 09:00
Currently what you say is mostly correct (i play advanced console like games when on the subway) but things will probobably change in the near future where mobile games will eat into the market share of console and PC games for a few reasons.
1) Screen casting , things like Chromecast and Apple TV mean that you are your mobile game on your TV screen. I’ve actually done this at gatherings and it was a big hit!! But even if someone does this solo or online multi player, its almost equivelant to a console as you can get AAA quality console like games on mobiles.
2) Android, Apple and Amazon TV boxes. These offer TV on demand services but also offer games making them console replacements. The games are cheaper , easier to access and as mentioned above, they even include high end games. Maybe
3) Powerful Phones; now phones are super powerful by default, and as long as someone has a 32GB internal hard drive then they can get many great games and factored with the two points above once that culture shift takes place where people cast / project their phones game onto their TV then it won’t just be as your article mentions.