90% of Indian Gamers Prefer Mobile Games
Recent statistics on gaming now show that 90 percent of India’s gamers prefer mobile phones to consoles or computer games. With the mobile phone industry’s growth and relatively inexpensive data packages hitting the market, mobile gaming has become far more popular than game companies could have expected.
The New Trend
The rise in popularity of mobile games can be attributed to a few changes in the attitudes of gamers within the last decade. Besides easy-to-maintain data packages and the widespread use of cell phones, there is more of a variety of games than ever. Apps are easy to create and access, and most are of excellent quality. From Solitaire to Call of Duty, games that once required a computer can now be played on the go. The quality of cell phone games has also gone such a long way (with the introduction of newer/better smartphones every year, like the new iPhone 13, Galaxy s21or OnePlus 10), making it better and more entertaining. Mobile gamers require so much more now – from more RAM to battery life, cooling and, of course, better processors many mobile gamers pick dedicated gaming smartphones like the Asus ROG series and the Black Shark series.
“Improved mobile graphics, immersive gameplay experiences, and nascent cloud-based game streaming services continue to maintain stickiness of serious and casual gamers alike. Therefore, it’s no surprise that 90 percent of the 400 million online gamers in the country consider mobile phones as their preferred gaming device,” said Randall Fernandez, general manager of Team Vitality, in a recent interview referencing eSports gaming.
The introduction of ranking and competitions in cell phone games is another reason that more people are joining in, according to Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, who said in a statement that mobile games have become nearly as competitive as PC games.
Other Gaming Methods Becoming Popular Too
Though mobile phones seem to be the most popular gaming method, that doesn’t mean that people aren’t picking up consoles or computer games. Reports by The Power of Mobile Gaming in India, released by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and Kantar IMRB in association with POKKT, show that India is considered one of the top five growing gaming markets globally, with more people joining in every day.
Another contribution to the spike in mobile gaming is that companies and brands no longer have to rely on official Apple and Android game stores. India’s most popular mobile game is Player’s Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG), which was one of 118 apps banned last year due to security issues. Despite its removal from app stores, gamers can download the app directly from the site onto their phone and continue playing. Surveys show that individuals are loving games that have been banned from app stores, from PUBG to Indian rummy.
With India already on its way to becoming the country with the most growth in mobile gaming, we can expect to see the number of players continue to rise. Especially so in combination with the ongoing pandemic that is continuing to cause shutdowns and, in turn, increasing the interest in foreign mobile casino and apps. Though the hours spent on mobile gaming may drop when the world officially reopens – experts estimate that it is likely that these hobbies will actually continue, thus growing the mobile gaming market even further.
