The impact of tablets on games development
Microgamingâs head of product channels, Neill Whyte, on the rapidly expanding tablet market and its impact on games development.
There is definitely a shift towards tablet gaming. Tablet gaming revenues are on the rise, and as a result the gap between smartphonesâ and tabletsâ share of the mobile gaming market is closing. In 2012, tablets accounted for just over 23% of the mobile gaming market, while smartphones boasted a portion of nearly 77% â a 54% lead.
Though smartphones will still grasp the majority of mobile gaming revenues worldwide in 2016, the variance in revenue share between the two device types will shrink to 16% as tablets expand their reach to claim about 42% of the market. âWith this growth comes competition and the tablet market is incredibly fierce.
Take the second half of 2013 as an example; in September, Microsoft launched its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. The following month Nokia stepped in on the action to unveil its Lumia 2520 and a mere nine hours later Apple announced its new Apple iPad Air and the updated iPad Mini.
Consequently, there are a growing number of devices available for consumption and this presents challenges for software developers like us. The complexity of the market, its depth and its fast-paced nature are all contributing factors. But with that said, our early prediction of the growth of mobile has put us in a strong position to accommodate the increased demand.
Weâve invested heavily in structuring the business to ensure that we are at the forefront of mobile development therefore for Microgaming, the companyâs mobile games development strategy in light of the growing tablet market doesnât necessarily alter, it simply matures â more games, compatible with more devices, available to more players.