You can often measure the health of a broader industry by the state of emerging markets within it – and if we apply this logic to the mobile gaming sector, then we’re looking at an extremely healthy industry.
Mobile gaming has gained the respect of some of the more traditional names within the business; it has pioneered and broken new ground. Creativity has become a hallmark of the sector. Some mobile gaming titles are considered not just the most innovative but some of the most profitable gaming titles ever made.
Therefore, any potential trends or significant changes in mobile gaming patterns are picked up quickly. Gaming companies know that if they can corner any niche within this market, there’s an international market ready for them to capitalise on. Today, we will explore some of the emerging trends from this year and what could unfold as we approach the latter stages of 2024.
Consistent re-emerging trends
It’s not just new gaming ideas that emerge as trends. Many leading mobile gaming trends throughout this decade have been slightly tweaked versions of old, successful ideas or new takes on tried and tested gaming successes. Mobile casino platforms often delve into previously successful ideas. You’ll frequently see revamped versions of classic slot games or sequels to games that have proved successful over the last few years.
The best mobile casinos in the UK balance the latest trends with old stalwarts and are adaptable, which allows them to harness the newest trends and bring in more customers. Casino gaming has long been on the frontline regarding the latest mobile gaming trends. This isn’t just the case in the UK but also in the broader international gambling market, where mobile apps and games command the most user activity.
First-person shooter games (FPS)
It seems there hasn’t been a period in the last 20 years when first-person shooter games haven’t commanded a colossal audience. As far back as the late 2000s, games like Call of Duty dominated the gaming airwaves. It didn’t just dominate the genre; it branched into popular mainstream culture, becoming the best-selling computer game of its time and leaving a legacy that is forever etched into the memory of gamers.
The idea that first-person shooter games would have the capacity to move into the mobile gaming world was something that few game designers imagined possible. There’s no denying that the current crop of popular first-person shooter games and the trends that are emerging are due to an increase in the size of the screen, both in the smartphone world and smaller tablet-style devices like iPads, which has given game designers a bit more freedom and legroom to focus on designing FPS games that can capture a mobile audience.
Adaptable marketing strategies
A game design company can develop a hit gaming idea but it needs to ensure its marketing approach is relevant to its target audience. Some mobile games have become such an organic success that marketing wasn’t an issue for them.
However, 99% of games out there must set aside a decent chunk of their capital to ensure they’re capitalising on emerging marketing trends.
Many mobile gaming companies have aimed for modern marketing techniques, and throughout 2024, this has become more apparent. There has been an uptake in the number of companies looking to advertise on popular gaming podcasts and target specific gaming vloggers, particularly on YouTube, to market their brand.
We understand that targeting influencers and YouTubers is hardly a new marketing strategy. Still, many influencers have been advertising the latest mobile games on their social media platforms.
Artificial intelligence
It might seem like we’re a bit late to the party here, and although AI grabbed the world’s attention by 2022 with generative AI and other colossal enhancements, there wasn’t much in the way of mind-blowing innovation in a gaming sense.
However, given that Nvidia specialises in both AI and gaming, and for a brief period in 2024 became the most valuable tech company ever, there has been a growing demand for AI use in mobile gaming, as well as designers exploring ways to implement this technology into their designs.
While there has been talk of implementing AI into NPCs and other ideas doing the rounds, the one seeing the most traction is using AI to detect problem gambling patterns in mobile casino gaming.
It is hoped that increasing use of AI in mobile gaming will assist those with issues by breaking down complex patterns of behaviour, measuring consumer deposits quickly, and identifying any differing trends in their gambling.
Other use cases will emerge, including mobile gaming companies using AI customer service bots to assist with queries, and generative AI playing an increasing role in story writing and character development. Expect this trend to become an increasingly influential element of mobile gaming over the next five years or so.
Final thoughts
Other innovations we expect to see become more influential in the mobile gaming world include blockchain, cloud-based games and possibly VR. The logistics of VR and mobile gaming are still obstacles that the industry is looking to overcome, and given that VR is struggling so much to present itself as a viable arm of the gaming world, that is another matter entirely.
Mobile gaming platforms do not have the same issues – they’re a growing market that shows strength across an alternating range of genres, whether it be those we have discussed today or word puzzle games such as Wordle, which was a massive success in 2022.
There are even games like 8-ball pool, downloaded hundreds of millions of times on both the Apple and Google Play stores. Many of these games surpassed being classified as trends and have become defining landmarks in the mobile gambling timeline, which you would think is the goal of any company piecing together new mobile gaming ideas.
While some of these trends – such as AI, which is being implemented in video console gaming – follow broader gaming trends, adaptable marketing strategies are more specific to mobile gaming companies. As with any trend, they’re customer-driven, so wherever the demand is, ideas that are looking to capitalise won’t be too far behind.
