While there may have been an ongoing battle between PC and Console gamers over the years, it is time to let bygones be bygones, because over the past few years mobile gaming has been increasing revenues. According to a Newszoo Global Games market report forecast, by 2020 mobile games will make up 40% of a 128.5 billion dollar industry. However, some experts would point out most of the mobile gaming profit is coming from in-game purchases.  Perhaps PC and console isn’t profiting because they haven’t perfected the resale. 

These past few years it’s all about game developers retooling how they sell additional content to games; some did it right, like Bethesda with some really great Fallout DLC in 2016, while others didn’t think things through like EA with Battlefront 2 in 2017. While gamers will continue to patron games that offer quality add on content...they don’t appreciate being taken for a ride. 

When looking at the E3 conference of 2017, Leo Lewis of the Financial Times pointed out, “The games on show are increasingly just the entry-point for a sustained commercial relationship between the producers and the customer.” This concept may be what allows PC and Console to regain the lead in revenue against mobile games, especially when loyal fans of games continue to consume reliable content. 

However one of the reasons mobile gaming is gaining is because of China, who had such a huge increase in smartphone use that they managed to overtake the US in revenues of the gaming market, “600 million gamers in China generated $24.6 billion of the industry's $101.1 billion global market value over 2016, just ahead of the U.S.’s $24.1 billion.” Does this mean smart phones will be the preferred gaming device of the future? Will developers start focusing on the mobile market? Even the popularity of the switch leads one to believe people like a game they can travel with. 

Time will tell what happens to the evolution of gaming from here. But as long as developers continue to create quality additional content, things aren’t all bad for PC and Console gamers although a new fight may start a new fight with mobile games taking over the market. One thing is certain: Gaming has exceeded the 100 billion revenue barrier and everyone wants a piece of the 100 billion dollar pie. Increased competition for the attention of gamers -of which there are over 2 billion- will create some exciting new content in the future. The gaming industry is in its prime.

How do you feel about the evolution of mobile gaming and how it will effect the choices game developers make? Tell us in the comments below!