From Tetris to Now: The Progression of Mobile Phone Games

Introduction

Although they might not gain as much media or fan attention as the more high-profile developments in the world of console and PC gaming—where fans eagerly anticipate the launch of new games for years at a time—it is actually mobile gaming that represents the largest segment of the gaming market as a whole.

In fact, mobile gaming is already far more extensive than the console and PC gaming markets combined. According to recent reporting by Businesswire, mobile gaming accounts for just shy of 57% of the $173 billion of global video games revenue. As of 2020, this was worth a staggering $98 billion; which is expected to grow to over $270 billion by the end of this decade – according to the predictions of mobile games industry analysts.

This captures everything from standalone mobile games to multiplayer online and other mobile games. Online casino games also represent an increasingly large segment of this growing market share, with similar growth levels anticipated.

With these figures in mind, the rise of mobile gaming at this pace and scale is a staggering achievement—particularly when contrasted to the relatively humble origins of mobile gaming just a few decades ago. Although there are other factors to consider, there’s no disputing that the progression of the quality of mobile phones has resulted in mobile phone games injecting a new dimension of life into a mammoth global industry.

Humble Beginnings

The first known mobile game was launched on a standalone device called the Hegnuk MT-2000. This bulky device came pre-installed with Tetris and was initially released in Japan in 1994. A few years later, the first mobile phone game was launched in 1997. Snake was pre-installed on the now-famous Nokia 3310, revolutionizing the mobile phone industry, and is a landmark moment in mobile phone gaming. It quickly became the most popular mobile phone in the world, shifting nearly half a billion units in just under a decade.

The mobile phone game industry took a more commercial turn in 1999 when the I-Mode platform was launched in Japan. This allowed device owners to download new and exciting mobile phone games. By the early 2000s, an increasing amount of resources were earmarked by considerable companies to explore the potential of this small niche.

21st Century Developments

Some of the highlights in the early 2000s include Alien Fish Exchange and an adaptation of Space Invaders for mobile devices. Beyond software, mobile phone hardware was also developing rapidly, supporting these increasingly sophisticated mobile games.

Of particular note was Nokia’s N-Gage device, which was a device that bridged the gap between dedicated handheld gaming devices—such as the Gameboy—and mobile phones, like the Nokia 3310, which was innovative but only had basic free games such as Snake.

Although not reaching the level of popularity its developers expected it to, the N-Gage nevertheless represented a new high-water mark in mobile phone game development.

Technologically advanced titles such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater were launched on it as Nokia looked to compete with the Gameboy. It ultimately proved more popular in Asia and was discontinued in 2005 in Western markets as updated, new home consoles dominated sales, especially during peak times such as November and December. So, while it did show initial promise, there was some way to go before mobile phone games progressed into popular culture, breaking through the barrier and becoming the multi-billion dollar industry it is today.

The First iPhone & Beyond

The subsequent most significant development came in 2007 when the iPhone was launched; it is often regarded as the seminal moment in the history of mobile technology. Not only was the iPhone the first ‘smartphone’ and represented a significant advance in mobile phone technology, but it also gave game designers a blank canvas and far more freedom to explore their designs. Apple introduced the App Store just a year later, meaning that game designers could construct DIY projects and launch them to a global audience with minimal fuss or costs involved.

The introduction of the Apple App Store was followed up by similar platforms on other devices, most notably the Android App Store. At the same time, the introduction of app stores allowed mobile phone game developers to design more sophisticated apps and reach much larger audiences. Ultimately, it was the ability to generate revenue so rapidly that it resulted in the mobile app industry exploding in terms of its size and popularity.

Mid-2010s-Present

Since then, the mobile game development industry has continued to grow. As we saw at the start of this article, it is now the most significant standalone section within the industry and is projected to continue growing its lead. While much of this is down to the accessibility of mobile phone games, throughout the 2010s, mobile phones became cheaper, millions more people could access the internet, and even the design of games contributed significantly.

Unlike home video games, many top-rated mobile games were free to download – often funded by in-game advertisements or purchases. While this model was considered dated and not profitable, games like League Of Legends and Candy Crush showed a potential market of tens of millions if the game had the right features and could capture an audience.

In contrast to console-based gaming, which requires expensive standalone equipment and offers a relatively narrow range of uses, mobile phones are easy to acquire and have a range of uses in our daily lives.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the ubiquity and indispensability of mobile phones in our daily lives have helped the mobile phone game industry grow to heights we would never have imagined at the beginning of the 21st century.

When Snake was first launched on the Nokia 3310 a little over two decades ago, mobile phones were considered a luxury and predominantly used for texting and phone calls. However, as designers realized the sheer potential and mass adoption occurred, mobile phone gaming became one of many mobile-based industries that experienced a golden age, with many believing the best was still yet to come.