The future of the mining industry will be shaped by a range of disruptive themes, with mobile gaming being one of the themes that will have a significant impact on gaming companies. A detailed analysis of the theme, insights into the leading companies, and their thematic and valuation scorecards are included in GlobalData’s thematic research report,Mobile Gaming – Thematic Research. Buy the report here.
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Mobile gaming refers to the playing of video games on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Mobile gaming is already bigger than the console and PC gaming markets combined, contributing nearly 57% of the global video games revenue in 2020. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 11% during 2020-2030, according to GlobalData forecasts.
The growing maturity of streaming (supported by 5G), cloud gaming services, and mobile esports, combined with the fact that mobile platforms are close to technical parity with PCs and consoles, means most gamers will embrace mobile gaming in the next few years.
5G networks allow games to be downloaded faster than current 4G networks and aid the development of mobile-based cloud gaming services and augmented reality (AR) games. With the ability to support one million devices within a single square kilometre, 5G will drive more users towards mobile gaming, especially multiplayer titles. This, in turn, will boost the growth of mobile esports.
However, not all companies are equal when it comes to their capabilities and investments in the key themes that matter most to their industry. Understanding how companies are positioned and ranked in the most important themes can be a key leading indicator of their future earnings potential and relative competitive position.
According to GlobalData’s thematic research report, Mobile Gaming, leading adopters include: Activision Blizzard, Alphabet, Alibaba, Apple, Electronic Arts, Krafton, Microsoft and Tencent.
Insights from top ranked companies
Activision Blizzard entered the mobile gaming market in 2016 with the $5.9bn acquisition of King, maker of the global hit Candy Crush Saga. In 2019, Activision launched Call of Duty: Mobile (developed by Tencent’s TiMi Studios), which became another massive hit, with 148 million downloads in its first month. Another Activision release, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, was downloaded more than eight million times on the first day following its launch in March 2021. Mobile gaming is a growing area of focus for Activision, and it plans to bring all its franchises to mobile devices in the future. Activision Blizzard is also a big name in esports and quickly transitioned its events to online formats during the Covid-19 pandemic. This allowed it to keep competitions running during the crisis. In April 2021, it announced the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2021, scheduled for June, with a $2m prize pool.
EA was one of the first major game publishers to establish a dedicated mobile gaming unit. Formed in 2004, EA Mobile produces mobile games across various genres, including fighting, puzzle, sports, simulation, and casual. Its popular, long-running mobile games include The Sims Mobile, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, and FIFA Mobile. In February 2021, EA acquired Glu Mobile for $2.1bn. It added the latter’s multi-genre games, including MLB Tap Sports Baseball, Covet Fashion, Deer Hunter, Design Home, Disney Sorcerer’s Arena, and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, to its portfolio. EA will combine its industry channels with Glu’s expertise in mobile games to take on Activision Blizzard, which is increasingly focusing on mobile gaming. EA is also developing mobile versions of its popular PC and console-based titles, Apex Legends and Battlefield. EA began beta tests and pre-registrations for Apex Legends Mobile in India and the Philippines in April 2021. Battlefield’s mobile version is scheduled for release in 2022.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Mobile Gaming.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Thematic Scorecard ranks companies within a sector based on their overall leadership in the 10 themes that matter most to their industry, generating a leading indicator of their future earnings and relative position within key strategic areas.
