Mobile gaming is continuing to grow in popularity and is the second most popular activity for consumers who use multiple devices, according to new research by Verto Analytics.
Its new report, Who Is the Cross-Device Consumer?, reveals that the average consumer spends more than 22.5 hours per month on social media and communications apps, followed by games (14.75 hours), web browsers (10.5 hours), and entertainment such as video and music streaming (9.75 hours).
The report also profiles the typical “super mobile gamer” — defined as a user who spends more than twice as much time on mobile games as the average user. She is a 39-year old woman who plays an average of 127 gaming sessions a month and spends most time on Pokemon Go, Candy Crush Soda Saga, and the original Candy Crush Saga. The top apps in terms of number of sessions per month are Pokemon Go, followed by Words With Friends and Candy Crush Saga.
A separate report published last month predicts that the global games market will generate $108.9bn (£84.1bn) in revenues in 2017, an increase of $7.8bn (£6.0bn) or 7.8% from the previous year, with mobile accounting for 42% of the total.
The Global Games Market Report from Newzoo says that overall, digital game revenues will account for $94.4bn (£72.9bn) or 87% of the global market. Mobile is the most lucrative segment, with smartphone and tablet gaming growing 19% year-on-year to $46.1bn (£35.6bn).
Looking more closely at the predictions for the mobile segment, the report says that more than three-quarters of mobile gaming revenues in 2017, or $35.3bn (£27.3bn), will come from smartphone gaming, with tablet games accounting for the remaining $10.8bn (£8.3bn). Sales of tablet devices have fallen in recent years, but with 280 million tablets used actively, this segment still contributes significantly to the success of mobile games.
And the growth of mobile gaming is set to continue. Newzoo expects mobile gaming to represent just over half of the total games market by 2020.
