The gaming market is getting bigger and bigger every year. From small games like Super Mario and PackMan to monumental titles like Elden Ring and more recently Diablo Immortal, the gaming industry has seen a steady rise since its inception.
According to reports, the global gambling market was worth US$198.40 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach US$339.95 billion by 2027.
Reading: How to create an app game for iphone
There’s an even more interesting fact though – more than 50% of video game revenue comes from mobile gaming – a whopping $165.9 billion!
So it’s no wonder that many entrepreneurs are jumping on the bandwagon and getting into gaming (or rather into game development). However, considering the fierce competition and cost of developing a game app for iOS and Android, you’d better make sure your game is absolutely amazing if you want to be successful.
Anyway, the numbers are definitely enticing. But how does one go about designing a mobile game? What are some of the pros and cons of the industry? What should you look out for?
Well, look no further; In this article, we’ll cover how to create a game app, the myriad facets of mobile game app development, the intricacies of game design, and more.
Let’s dive in.
How big is mobile gaming?
Before you plan to design apps considering the limitations and capabilities of mobile devices, it’s worth looking at some statistics.
- In 2021, the number of mobile app downloads worldwide was 230 billion. (Source)
- In 2021, the Apple App Store accounted for 64 percent of global consumer spend on app stores, while app users purchased 21.3 billion apps from Google Play have downloaded. (Source)
- TikTok is Apple’s top revenue generator at $37.66 million. Apple’s third is Honor of Kings, a mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game. (source)
- In the US, time spent on mobile devices has reached 4 hours 29 minutes per day. The predicted time for mobile social media in 2023 is 55 minutes. (Source)
- The average age of a mobile phone gamer is 36.3 years (2014: 27.7 years). A third of all players are between 36 and 50 years old and the gender distribution is 51% female, 49% male. (Source)
The numbers show the changing demographics and reach of mobile gaming apps.
The first step to creating a gaming app that is simple but addicting is to study the market, study your peers, and lay the groundwork for your game.
Let’s see how we can do this!
Top-grossing mobile gaming apps
Image 1 .
strong> Top-selling iPhone mobile gaming apps (in the US as of January 2020)
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Image 2. Top mobile gaming app titles in the Google Play Store (worldwide, as of January 2019)
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So, we have apps like Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle or Clash of Clans to the top? What’s the secret to becoming one of the top-grossing games?
Here’s a quick look at some of their success factors.
Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle has managed to reach the pinnacle of top-grossing games with intense core gameplay, solid monetization, and driving desire by leveraging intellectual property, creating capable messaging with players, and developing meta-shifting content. Niantic CEO John Hanke says that social gameplay is the “heart of the game”.
In Clash of Clans (CoC), the things that worked best worked with a unique cast of Troops, so the emphasis on the characters, and the gaming enthusiasts develop a deep bond with these characters. So it’s no wonder that despite the developers launching the app in 2012, CoC has maintained its position as the top dog in the gaming industry.
CoC is a free-to-play app, but the in-app rewards and events keep players busy and they end up paying a bounty.
Well, that are some interesting facts. And the things that made these games so successful? Exceptional game design.
Why is design so important?
When it comes to mobile game apps, proper game design is the most important aspect of your game. To quote famous UX design guru Chris Do: “I’d rather have something [design] that isn’t technically perfect but has soul.”
Let’s start with some basics, such as B. How to design a game app for Android?
Take a moment and think; what drew you to a game in the first place? The design of course! You would most likely look at the game’s screenshots to check out the design, overall gameplay, characters, and then the game story. These elements are crucial because users who don’t like the model might not install the app.
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So if you have a game idea, you should plan or design the game accordingly and that is the design. The final product that users download is usually part of the design.
What are the benefits of excellent UX design for games?
Benefits :
- It can keep gaming enthusiasts busy for hours.
- The design inspires gamers to wait for more expansions.
- The The better the design, the higher the pay. So design deserves a lot of credit for the revenue generated by the gaming app.
It’s pretty obvious that you need to invest a lot of time in developing your app to bring your gaming UI to life. A good design will improve your monetization, retention, user experience and interaction.
Crafting a good UX can be challenging, so keep your game design checklist updated to ensure a meaningful experience for your users
As Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen says, “The best way to make money playing mobile games is to stop thinking about making money. Think fun instead.”
Now let’s start developing gaming apps.
How to start designing and developing a gaming app ?
Let’s start by building an app from scratch.
1. Understand yourself
The first step is to understand yourself (your organization). Why do you venture into the gambling industry? What excites you about gaming? What are your key strengths and what keeps you motivated?
You can do a SWOT analysis here. The inputs help you not only to look inside your company to understand your USPs, but also to look at the market and understand your competitors.
2. Market Research
Insights from the market make it easier to better understand your target audience.
Check out the hottest gaming apps or visit the App Store and browse the different categories and genres of games provide you with important insights into what is popular with players and what brings in the most revenue.
Also Read: Best Strategies to Conduct Market Research for Your Mobile Application Idea
3. Develop an idea
A good idea is the heart of a game app. Brainstorming is the most important step to a successful gaming app. You can brainstorm with your team and come up with a great idea that will keep your users engaged and engaged for hours.
The good thing – a well-planned app can be an instant hit, and you can use the app with touches of the latest technologies like AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality).
The equation is quite simple – you first work towards creating a great idea and then work towards making gaming Delivering perfect gameplay to enthusiasts.
4. Create a story
A successful game needs a brilliant story. When you create a storyline for your game with a whole world of characters, victory parameters, surprises, fun elements and rewards, players will praise the gaming experience.
Once your players immerse themselves in the story, they only will take it to a higher level, inspire them and attract new users.
5. Winning Design
Creating a winning game design can be complicated. The design team has to pay attention to details and bring life to the characters, the graphics and the overall look and feel of the game.
It is crucial to combine a good user experience with the game’s graphics and logic. It’s better to take your time to revise the design because a bad design of an app could spell disaster for your business.
On the other hand, an exceptionally awesome design that has a simple style contributes to be a significant differentiator for your game.
6. Identify important platforms
If you plan something on mobile, you have to think about the platform. The first choice is typically between Android and iOS.
You can also opt for a hybrid model. However, you must consider the additional costs involved in developing a game for multiple platforms.
7. Create a monetization story
A game is a huge investment.You invest money not only in your development team, but also in various other talents (like artists and voice actors) as well as hosting. Of course you want your game to be successful and have a good ROI.
Monetizing your game is always a difficult decision. On the one hand you’re worried about ROI, on the other hand you don’t want to do everything Diablo Immoral to your players. You can consider choosing the premium method or the freemium model to make money from the app. Some popular ways to achieve this are:
Advertising
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You can incorporate a pay-per-click revenue model to monetize your game. Using a PPC model is very popular these days as it generates an incredible ROI. According to Google, for every dollar spent on a PPC ad, a business can get two dollars back!
You need to be careful with the placement of the ads as they could and could prove to be annoying counterproductive. You can also allow the user to opt for an ad-free version.
In-app purchases
An effective way to earn revenue from players achieve is go for a freemium model. Purchases could be around 2% for Android and a little more for iOS; Still, it is very useful for monetizing mobile games.
Premium Versions
You can offer a free trial or a demo before asking the players to opt for premium versions.
You can opt for a one-time payment model, but that might affect the number of downloads for your game as people are much more reluctant to pay full price for mobile games to pay.
Typically, only high-quality games with extensive production times and costs from major developers choose this model.
Pay-per-Download
For games with any high investment, you would use this strategy.
8. Decide Technology
Once you’ve formulated the game idea and identified the platform, you need to plan the design tools and set up the development processes. Native development is a popular choice when you’re looking for performance.
Native game development for mobile devices typically involves using languages native to a device platform to code them. So you can opt for Java for Android or Swift for iOS. You would also find that game development uses web technologies like JavaScript, CSS, and HTML5.
Another handy tool for creating games is Unity 3D, and there are many other tools like Xamarin, Marmalade, or Kokos 2D. Choosing the right technology can directly impact your game’s performance and usability in the future.
9. Are you looking for a reliable development partner
Selecting a reliable and experienced game app development team like Imaginovation can literally turn your idea into a digital reality. The more complex your gaming idea, the more experienced developers you need to support your initiatives. Finding the right developers for your app, designers and other experts could be the key to your success.
10. Testing is key
Game testing is an essential part of mobile gaming. You can hire a QA and Beta tester and test your app to fix bugs and fix errors.
Testing at every stage, whether as a prototype or final product, ensures a smooth gaming experience.
11. Support and Maintenance
Once you’ve launched the mobile game, you can schedule support and maintenance for a better gaming experience. Keep updating your game as this will inspire players for new features, new rewards and new surprises.
Planning each stage of app development can ensure that your final version becomes a reality. So stick to a systematic approach to development as this will help provide a high quality app that gaming enthusiasts can enjoy
What kind of games can you create?
With billions of gaming apps for Android and iOS it is possible to start creating a gaming app with the target audience you have chosen. Here are some gaming app categories:
Puzzles and Word Games
Sudoku provides a high percentage of interactions. A study highlights that around 38 million users play jigsaw puzzles monthly and such games have maximum durability. Now that’s interesting!
Simple jigsaw puzzles or math puzzles are also very popular and extremely easy to create. You can choose from the countless game options at any time and be sure that you will make a profit.
Strategy games
Games like Clash of Clans (CoC) are highly addictive and a testament to their popularity. Creating strategies can be challenging and fun – the app created can be engaging and also generate good revenue.
Arcade Games
Arcade Games attract a lot of attention and are popular with gaming enthusiasts.You need a good storyline and difficulty levels that give you a sense of competitiveness.
So start developing your dream game, come up with a great idea, develop a strategy and make your idea a success.
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Use your imagination to create a successful mobile gaming app
Your gaming app idea needs to be supported by a systematic development approach. At Imaginovation, we have helped many startups and companies create successful mobile gaming apps.
If you have an idea for a gaming app and want to turn your idea into a digital reality, contact us .
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