The need for mobile game apps development has exploded, thanks to the addictive nature of the games and widespread acceptance of playing games on the mobile. Millions of games applications have been and are being developed for different smartphones and among them, Android has a lion’s share. No wonder Android is highly popular among other device makers and users alike. All credit goes to Google for bringing such a smart and flexible technology. A whooping majority of Android video games are free and from the remaining ones, free levels are available which with highly customized and compelling features, hook the users’ attention.
Android is open source and has a worldwide Smartphone market share of 75% in 2013, with 500 million devices activated in total and 1.3 million activations per day. 103 Android apps are downloaded every second. South Korea is the most app-crazed country, followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S. The Android operating system consists of 12 million lines of code including 3 million lines of XML, 2.8 million lines of C, 2.1 million lines of Java and 1.75 million lines of C++!
If you thought these stats regarding Android are amazing, let’s take a look at some interesting facts about mobile game development, in general:
- Mobile gaming revenue would shoot up dramatically in a couple of years. A market research firm reported recently that game sales on tablet and mobile phones touched $900 million approximately in 2010 and this figure is double of what it was in 2005. This research firms expect the sales to hit $1.5 billion by 2014-15.
- The multiplayer games are becoming highly successful indicating the fact that people like to play games with their friends. Some of these games are topping the charts, irrespective of whether they are free or paid. With social being the in-thing now, multiplayer games would rock the rating charts.
- It is the free-to-play games that provide a larger portion of the revenue to the App stores. The games offered for free make up 65% of the revenue. Although the game can be played for free, the revenue is earned by way of the goods purchased virtually inside the game app or by way of ads. The top titles in the App store that are considered gross contributors are free-to-play games.
- Big companies such as Rovio, Chillingo and BigFish do not spend anything on advertising yet they are able to send their apps to the TOP10 in the US App store. This is done by using their existing applications to promote the newly developed apps.
- The mobile apps being developed for the 2G/3G/4G network connection have to be tested qualitatively and this process involves using them on highways, on trains and even through tunnels.
- Although HTML5 technology is considered the latest technology for developing games, it is not appropriate for developing high end games because of performance issues.
- Certified psychologists are being employed by professional gaming developers to help them with the tutorials and game start issues. It is observed that most gamers are more engaged during the first session of play and this increases their chances of turning into paid gamers.
- A game’s sanctity or genuineness is adjudged from its position in the App store. If an app holds a high rank position for a few days, it is considered to be genuine and not a scam.
- The free-to-play games are no doubt more popular than the paid ones as only 3% of the gamers pay money for mobile games. However, the consumers that do spend money on freemium games contribute around $14 per transaction on an average in purchasing goods-in-app.
- In an effort to optimize their monetization process, many developers use the process of checkout on known and credible websites like eBay and Amazon.
- The Android game developers carry our pre-installation deals with various carriers as a strategy to distribute games on the Android devices.
- Rovio, the developer of the very popular game, Angry Birds is moving on from becoming just a mobile app development company to an entertainment company as it is earning high revenues through the sale of gadgets, licensed and all kinds of angry bird toys.
- One of the best ways to get large number of consumers to try a newly launched game is an invitation sent via SMS. The strategy to send SMSs works equally well for a game or a mobile app.
With each passing day, the mobile phone industry is witnessing alarming growth as the technology it runs on, evolves and matures. With the increase in the popularity of the Android phones, the number of apps available for the platform also has rocketed. Popular Android games used across the globe are Enemy Lines, Top Defense, Dungeon Hunter 4, Guncrafter, Jetpack Joyride, Dark Avenger, Best shooter, Retro favorite etc. Android beat out Apple's iOS and other operating systems by a considerable pace.
Top mobile app development companies are investing time and effort in mobile game app development. Millions of developers work for this industry and make some of the best games so that users keep returning to play the games again and again. Most Android users have a favorite game – be it a puzzle game, titles from arcade and action genre or sports simulations – highly likely that there is a game which has captivated every user in some way. With Android tablets and smartphones picking up steam, Android game developers have pressed ahead on exploring Android game development more innovatively than ever.
Android has leveraged its developer community to build wide-ranging gaming apps that run on a whole variety of devices. Whether its pushing the envelope with space age graphics, or exploring 3D inside out, Android game development is always exploring higher limits. Android game development is a hot field of innovations, a challenge for apps builders and developers across the world. Credited with turning over 300 out of the box concepts into powerful Android mobile apps, you must bank on Android game developers to deliver the best launching pad to Android gaming app.
We provide mobile game app development services. If you would like to know more about our expert mobile app programmers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.
A number of recent reports have highlighted how the sales of mobile devices have surpassed that of desktop computer, laptops and notebook. Along with allowing users to stay connected with their loved ones, the mobile devices also enable them to access a wide range of information and content on the go. The unrivaled popularity of mobile devices has created huge opportunities for developers and resellers to launch new mobile apps at frequent intervals. But the mobile application development process becomes complex and complicated due to constant changes in the habits and choices of users.
Most developers also have to write different code to target individual mobile operating systems. For instance, a programmer has to write different code each time to target the Apple, Windows or Android devices. With more and more mobile devices being designed with multiple operating systems, it has become essential for each programmer to pay attention to minute details, along with possessing in-depth knowledge and adequate expertise. At the same time, a developer also needs to concentrate on creating an application development environment that makes it easier for him to build apps that can seamlessly run on major mobile operating systems.
Factors that will Affect the Future of Mobile App Development
1. HTML5: Often developers look for options to avoid longer lines of code. HTML5 is popular among mobile application developers due to its effectiveness in pushing a single app across popular mobile platforms. The developers can easily implement the same concept for multiple platforms without writing different codes. Along with saving the time and efforts of programmers, HTML5 can further make the development faster and more cost effective. Nowadays, HTML5 is also being used to build a variety of mobile application including ecommerce, social media and gaming. However, the developers still have to ensure that the UI design customized for specific mobile app must fit into HTML5 model perfectly.
2. Hybrid Apps: Similar to the native and HTML5 apps, the hybrid applications will also have a huge impact on mobile app development. Despite being hugely popular, HTML5 is still not compatible with all mobile platforms and browsers. So programmers often have to use alternative technologies to make multimedia-rich applications with Digital Rights Management. As a combination of native apps and web apps, the hybrid apps are considered to be more flexible and versatile. The hybrid apps are still popular as a powerful alternative to HTML5. Also, the developers can avail the advantages of native apps, and run their applications without requiring any internet connectivity. Along with HTML5, the hybrid apps will also affect the future of mobile application development.
3. More Enterprise Applications: Each business has to frequently explore ways to reach out the most relevant customers. With more and more people using smartphones, many businesses will create their own apps to bong with their existing customers and clients. Many local stores and restaurants have already launched downloadable apps that allow customers to place order even before reaching the location. The apps further enable the small businesses to attract customers by offering discounts and attractive deals. Similar initiatives will be taken by the large businesses to launch apps that targets their customers directly. At the same time, the big companies will try to use more innovative ideas to make their mobile applications viral among all types of users.
4. Cloud-based Services: Many people even use their smartphones and tablets to access information and content at their own pace and convenience. The way people want to access information will make cloud-based services popular. Along with capturing, storing and uploading files from their computers and mobile devices, the users will also look for options to edit and remove the data on the go. Also, the changes made by a user need to reflect on several devices immediately. So many developers will build mobile application by integrating the cloud storage and existing online services. However, the mobile application has to provide the speed and feeling of a web browser, along with having online storage and sync capabilities.
The rapid growth of mobile app industry has further made it essential for developers to make their applications competitive. This has made it imperative for mobile app development companies as well to observe the latest trends in user demand and ensure that their development teams are exposed to the latest in the mobile app development space.
We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to know more about our expert mobile app developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.
