Description
The UK Mobile Gaming Market Report identifies consumers’ attitudes towards mobile gaming, leading gaming companies and the impact of the cost of living crisis on the UK mobile gaming market. This report covers the UK gaming market share, market forecast, market segmentation and mobile gaming trends.
Current Mobile Gaming Market Landscape
The mobile gaming market experienced a pandemic-influenced surge, which is expected to tail off as consumers prioritise out-of-home leisure activities and face a hit to their finances driving them to cut back on non-essential spending. The impact of Apple’s IDFA update also means advertising campaigns will have been less effective in driving the growth of the mobile gaming market size on iOS devices.
Mobile Gaming Market Share and Mobile Gaming Trends
Despite an expected plateauing of spend in the mobile gaming market, other mobile gaming services, such as cross-game subscription platforms can continue to increase their user bases, as mobile gaming becomes even more embedded into consumers’ digital entertainment ecosystems.
Mintel’s mobile gaming market report analyses the growing pressure for the mobile gaming market to encourage more mindful playing habits, such as introducing time limits due to some consumers associating games with being addictive or even stressful.
- UK mobile gaming market size: Mintel estimates the revenue generated by mobile gaming apps to be worth £1,648 million in 2022.
- 28% of UK adults play games on their phone daily.
- 47% of Brits who play mobile games, play puzzle, trivia or word games.
- 71% of adults who play mobile games believe that gaming can be educational.
- 60% of mobile gamers have deleted a game in the past 12 months due to too many adverts.
Future Mobile Gaming Trends
The mobile gaming market has seen some significant investments and takeovers in the past year as major brands seek to further build their mobile gaming propositions. As a result, some previously unreleased gaming franchises look set to come to the mobile format for the first time, which can increase mobile’s prominence as a platform for gaming.
The mobile gaming market will continue to benefit from future hardware rollouts, such as optimised phones and headsets to support virtual reality and artificial reality gaming which is expected to become more mainstream.
To discover more about the UK Mobile Gaming Market Report 2022 read our UK Mobile Device Apps Market Report, or take a look at our Gaming Market Research Reports.
Quickly Understand
- The impact of the cost of living crisis on the mobile gaming market, including cross-platform cloud streaming services and games subscription services.
- Competitive strategies of brands operating in the mobile gaming market.
- Key launches and mobile gaming trends.
- Attitudes towards mobile gaming and the frequency of use of mobile gaming apps.
- Mobile gaming associations, including what emotions consumers associate with different genres of mobile game.
- Explores mobile gaming market size, mobile gaming market share and forecast for the value of the mobile gaming market.
Covered in this Report
Products: Games available on mobile devices.
Brands: Google, Apple, Mircrosoft, Netflix, Decentral Games, Activision Blizzard,Ubisoft, Sony, Asus, RedMagic, HQ, WordTrip, Xbox, Shadow, Vortex, NVIDIA GeForce Now, Rockstar, Zynga, Tencent, Genshin Impact, ITV, Niantic, Betta Games, Big Fish Games, Avakin Life, Overwolf, Candivore, Lunime, Smilegate RPG, PUBG, Topware Studio.
Expert Analysis from a Specialist in the UK Mobile Gaming Market
This report, written by Joe Birch, a leading analyst in the UK mobile gaming market, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
Major gaming brands are targeting the mobile format for prestige releases and technology manufacturers are pushing new hardware solutions for an optimised mobile gaming experience. Despite a slight slowdown in revenues in the past year, mobile gaming is still an entertainment powerhouse that brands need to prioritise to connect with a broad base of engaged consumers.”
Joe Birch
Consumer Technology Analyst
Table of Contents
-
Overview
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Products covered in this Report
-
Executive Summary
- Mobile gaming still has a bright future despite current slowdown
- Figure 1: Mobile gaming outlook, 2022-27
- The market
- Market size and forecast
- Figure 2: Market forecast for mobile gaming, 2017-27
- Further investment in AR and metaverses presents opportunities for mobile gaming
- Growing smartphone ownership can boost the sector
- Hardware innovations will continue to improve the mobile gaming experience
- Companies and brands
- Google announces the shutdown of its Stadia Project
- Microsoft buys gaming giant Activision Blizzard in biggest deal in gaming history
- GTA publisher Take-Two acquires Zynga to take lead role in mobile gaming
- Netflix boosts its emerging mobile gaming division with Ubisoft tie-up and gaming studios acquisitions
- Sony announces it is setting up a PlayStation mobile division and acquires Savage Game Studios
- The consumer
- Slight increase in overall mobile gaming audience in 2022
- Figure 3: Use of mobile gaming apps, 2020-22
- Hyper-casual drives the sector’s reach, but many genres appeal
- Figure 4: Genres of mobile games played, 2022
- Game streaming services’ growth can be threatened by the cost of living crisis
- Figure 5: Use of game streaming service, 2022
- Promote family-friendly content to boost game subscription take-up
- Figure 6: Use of game subscription services, 2022
- Mobile gaming genres evoke different emotional responses
- Figure 7: Correspondence analysis, fieldwork July 2022
- Use mobile gaming as an avenue for product engagement
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, 2022
- One in three mobile gamers have bought physical peripherals
- Figure 9: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, 2022
- Let your brand be heard in-game
- Figure 10: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, 2022
- Mobile gaming still has a bright future despite current slowdown
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Issues and Insights
- Despite mobile gaming’s cheap entry point and stellar successes, the sector is not immune to the financial hardship consumers are facing
- Bundled entertainment propositions could gain traction as consumers seek value
- In a crowded marketplace for mobile gaming apps, create a content aggregator to help consumers wade through the choices
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Market Size and Performance
- The pandemic boosted mobile gaming’s revenues, but prospects look more modest
- Figure 11: Mobile gaming outlook, 2022-27
- The pandemic has led to a longer-term boost in time spent playing mobile games, but downloads drop slightly
- Figure 12: Quarterly hours spent in mobile apps by category, 2019-21
- 2021 was a record-breaking year for revenues
- Slowdown in mobile gaming revenues evident in early 2022
- Figure 13: UK consumer spend on App Store and Google Play Store games, 2014-21 and H1 2022
- Drop in overall app and gaming spend in July 2022
- Figure 14: UK consumer spend on App Store and Google Play Store apps and games, July 2019-July 2022
- The pandemic boosted mobile gaming’s revenues, but prospects look more modest
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Market Forecast
- Positive long-term prospects for mobile gaming despite post-pandemic retraction in revenues
- Freemium model will dominate as consumers face cost pressures
- Figure 15: Market size for mobile gaming, 2017-22
- Figure 16: Market forecast for mobile gaming, 2017-27
- AR and immersive metaverse games can diversify mobile gaming
- Improved connectivity, screen size and hardware can enhance mobile gaming’s experience
- Investments in game companies’ new platforms and experiences can cement mobile gaming’s influence in the entertainment sphere.
- Learnings from the last income squeeze
- Mobile gaming can be a platform for retro game collections
- Forecast methodology
-
Market Drivers
- Inflation is the key concern for consumers and brands
- As a result of cost pressures, consumer’s financial sentiment hits a 13-year low
- Figure 17: Household financial sentiment index, 2009-2022
- Increasing smartphone ownership amongst older audiences can boost app uptake, but consumers are mindful of their gaming habits
- Figure 18: Personal ownership of smartphones by age, 2018-22
- 5G and full fibre rollout will continue to power mobile gaming experiences
- Blockchain will give rise to more decentralised apps
- In-game skins and NFTs will be lucrative revenue streams for games and brand collaborations
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Launch Activity and Innovation
- Hardware innovations will continue to improve the mobile gaming experience
- Sony launches new pro gaming phone
- Asus launches two more ROG phones, whilst RedMagic launches another pro gaming device
- Major phone brands tailor features to boost mobile experience
- Logitech and Razer plan new mobile gaming devices
- New controllers aim to create more tactile mobile gaming experiences
- Figure 19: Razer Kishi V2 Controller for iPhone, July 2022
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Competitive Strategies
- Brands make significant investments in mobile gaming
- Microsoft buys gaming giant Activision Blizzard in biggest deal in gaming history
- GTA publisher Take-Two acquires Zynga to take lead role in mobile gaming
- Tencent invests £258 million in Ubisoft
- Netflix boosts its emerging mobile gaming division with Ubisoft tie-up and gaming studios acquisitions
- ITV also looks at mobile gaming to reach diverse non-linear audiences
- Sony announces it is setting up a PlayStation mobile division and acquires Savage Game Studios
- Brands ramp-up spending on game launches
- Blizzard Entertainment has the biggest launch in franchise history with Diablo Immortal
- Genshin Impact is becoming the most expensive game ever made
- Audio advertising looks to shake up the in-game ad model
- Brands bet on AR gaming
- Niantic looks to create platform for real-world immersive apps
- New headset launches can pave the way for new mobile gaming interfaces
- Esports sees increasing presence in mobile gaming
- Challengermode esports platform launches new app
- Google announces the shutdown of its Stadia project
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Advertising and Marketing Activity
- Advertising activity boosted by new entrant
- Figure 20: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on mobile gaming apps, 2017/18-2021/22
- Digital advertising drives overall advertising spend
- Figure 21: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on mobile gaming apps, by media type 2017/18-2021/22
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- Figure 22: Top ten advertisers on mobile gaming by campaign and channel, 2021/22
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- Advertising activity boosted by new entrant
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Frequency of Gaming
- Slight increase in overall mobile gaming audience in 2022
- Figure 23: Use of mobile gaming apps, 2020, 2021 & 2022
- Prioritise mobile gaming over other entertainment mediums to reach the youngest audiences
- Figure 24: Use of mobile gaming apps, by gender and age, 2020, 2021 & 2022
- Younger generations are the keenest daily players
- Incentivise and monetise mobile gamers’ attention
- Figure 25: Use of mobile gaming apps, by generation, 2020, 2021 & 2022
- Slight increase in overall mobile gaming audience in 2022
-
Genres Played
- Hyper-casual drives the sector but a broad range of genres appeal
- Figure 26: Genres of mobile games played, 2022
-
- Figure 27: Genre of mobile games played, by age and gender, 2022
- Cross-pollinate gaming genres to create new titles
- Look at recurring revenue models for the most-played games
- Figure 28: Frequency of mobile game played, by genres of mobile game played, 2022
- Gamers play a range of genres so an aggregator of games can drive visibility and discovery
- Figure 29: Repertoire of mobile game genres played, 2022
- Hyper-casual drives the sector but a broad range of genres appeal
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Use of Game Streaming and Subscription Services
- Game streaming services can be a convenient, value option for gamers
- Figure 30: Use of game streaming service, 2022
- Financial precariousness will dent subscription cloud services’ growth
- Google Stadia’s sudden closure opens up opportunities for other streaming services
- Promote family-friendly content to encourage multi-player households
- Apple One could appeal as consumers look for most cost-effective entertainment options
- Look to tie-ups with mobile network and broadband providers
- Figure 31: Use of game subscription services, 2022
- Netflix’s pivot to gaming has got off to a modest start, but mobile gaming can play a role in reinventing the company
- Strategic investments will power Netflix gaming’s capabilities
- Gaming can cross-pollinate existing IP and be the source of the next streaming hit
- Playable content can blend video watching and gaming
- Game streaming services can be a convenient, value option for gamers
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Mobile Gaming Associations
- Mobile gaming genres evoke different emotional responses
- Figure 32: Correspondence analysis, fieldwork July 2022
- Figure 33: Mobile gaming, July 2022
- Focus on self-improvement to develop and connect with female gamers
- Mobile gaming’s success can be undone unless a healthy relationship is established
- Consider rewarding downtime
- Mobile gaming genres evoke different emotional responses
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Attitudes towards Mobile Gaming
- Boost engagement with educational upsides of mobile gaming
- Figure 34: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, 2022
- Immersive gaming experiences can draw engagement
- Figure 35: Attitudes towards mobile gaming using headsets, by generation 2022
- Immersive worlds can offer consumers a chance to experience franchises like never before
- Use mobile gaming as an avenue for product engagement
- Some gaming genres drive in-app purchases
- Figure 36: Made an in-app purchase by genre of game played, 2022
- Promote physical hardware to tap into mobile gamers’ passion
- Figure 37: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, 2022
- Boost engagement with educational upsides of mobile gaming
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Mobile Gaming Advertising
- Whilst advertising powers discovery, too many adverts result in churn
- Figure 38: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, 2022
- Incentivise gamers to reduce churn and boost attention
- Audio advertising creates opportunities for brands to promote their sonic identity
- Let your brand be heard in-game
- Whilst advertising powers discovery, too many adverts result in churn
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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Appendix: Forecast Methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals for mobile gaming sector
- Figure 39: Lower-bound, central and upper-bound forecast for mobile gaming apps, 2021727
- Market drivers and assumptions
- Forecast methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals for mobile gaming sector
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