The COVID-19 situation has been changing industries and whole country economies since the virus took the world by storm. It has been a game-changer (pun intended) for gaming industry trends, too. There were many issues in the gaming industry connected with hardware launches, gaming trade shows, and other gaming events as a result of the pandemic. Yet, the mobile game industries’ latest news and developments look very promising on the software side.
More Free Time = More Game Downloads
As people practice social distancing, having more free time has affected people in unexpected ways. Many of us have turned to use this free time to download and play games on our mobile devices. This has allowed us to entertain ourselves and to escape the flow of negative Coronavirus news.
The Rise of “Freemium” Games
More game downloads mean a growing active customer base for games that use the right marketing strategies. Making the game free might be one of those. Mobile gaming industry trends report audience growth for “freemium” games. These games are free at first, but they offer in-app purchases for different features.
The statistics for in-app purchases have not changed a lot during Coronavirus. Most people do not feel they can allow themselves to spend money on entertainment. However, new audience acquisition can have a direct influence on the growth of in-app purchases.
The Rise of Boredom Busters
Sitting at home is a great challenge for some people. Tik Tok videos make it clear that people get “Bored in a house, bored!” People start searching for ways to combat boredom, which has affected the game choices people make. They want several things from their games, such as instant gratification, mindlessness, and connecting with others. The games should not be too complicated to learn and must not drain too much mental energy.
There are several ideal candidates for this spot: casino slots, puzzles, and triple matches, and fantasy sports.
Slots
Amid the lockdown, many people have discovered online free slots. A vast variety of online casinos offer mobile apps with thousands of demo versions of slot games. These games are easy to learn and give you the necessary joy boost as a result of quick wins. If you decide to play for real money, you might even earn some money and double the joy!
Puzzles and Triple Matches
Mindless and colorful games like Candy Crush, Bewitched, and Two Dots are affecting people in positive ways. Colors help combat the gloomy news, anxiety, and even depression. The repetitive actions help people kill time and make lonely evenings more fun.
Mobile eSports and Betting
All the sporting events have been canceled due to lockdowns all over the world. The fans, as a result, turned to fantasy sports and eSports. Many bettors, who were usually betting on live games, started searching for new markets and stumbled upon eSports betting. With mobile applications in this category in place, the growth in their downloads is as clear as day.
What do Gaming Brands Need to Do?
Coronavirus has been creating issues in the gaming industry on the side of hardware engineers. But the software developers, product, and marketing teams are having quite a productive couple of months. They can still work as they have been doing with only minor tweaks to their daily routine.
We have mentioned that new audiences turned to game during the coronavirus pandemic. The brands need to input twice the energy to keep the new users as well as cater to their usual players. As the audience is growing, the primary marketing targets can change. Brands might have to partner up with new companies, publishers, and developers to find ways to deal with those changes. They need to try new marketing strategies and content platforms for better results.
Conclusion
Experts in Android gaming are positive that the growth trends are going to continue, and the impact of COVID-19 is certain to leave a mark. The way the pandemic is affecting game development trends opens many opportunities. The virus is not going anywhere anytime soon, so we all expect to see more considerable market growth for Android games.
About the Author
Eliasz Nowak is an expert on gambling, a roulette enthusiast, and a cat-lover. He is especially interested in helping people find the best online gambling platforms and gambling trends.