Times change — fact! Staying in the dark ages is not good for business which is why it’s essential for publishers to keep up with the modern gamer. The question is, how is the gaming world evolving and how can developers get noticed in what is notoriously a highly competitive sector?
Mobile Revolution
Smartphones! We love them. Not only do we enjoy texting and hitting up our friends on WhatsApp — oh no. We also love gaming on our little handheld devices which explains why games are increasingly being built in formats compatible on mobile devices.
It is estimated that mobile gaming will continue to occupy a significant market share, contributing almost 59% of the global gaming revenue by 2021, according to figures released by Newzoo. Publishers cannot consider this segment casual anymore and need to build gaming apps which cater to the changing gamer demographics.
More Women are Playing Online Games
If you thought gaming was just for men — or rather adolescent boys with a penchant for knocking out the latest trendy baddie — think again! Research conducted by IAB UK concluded that 52% of the gaming audience now comprises women says The Guardian. That’s right, females love a good old gaming session both at home and on the go with commuting hours being a great time for a mobile gaming challenge. Therefore, publishers must consider this fact and develop games accordingly — perhaps by creating more female role models or strong female leads in their games.
Gamers are Older Now
The gaming industry had a few white hairs. In fact, if we look at the age breakdown of gamers in the US in 2018, a good 23% of all gamers fall in the category of 50 and older, followed by a 20% share taken by people in the 36–49 age bracket, according to figures published by Statista. This is a significant development, since games have traditionally been associated with adolescents and young adults who typically prefer a more tech-centric lifestyle over riding bikes and climbing trees.
It can be assumed now that the average age of gamers is between 35 and 40 years old and it’s important to note that these people are not playing games for the first time. This generation has grown up with classics like Super Nintendo and has watched popular games flourish over the past couple of decades. They have high expectations and increased spending power making them a target audience for those looking to benefit from microtransactions.
Preference for the Free-to-Play Model
While some people embrace the freemium model and are willing to pay for an enhanced gaming experience — most people do not want to part with their hard-earned cash. Indeed, only 10% want to spend on additional in-game items, says an article on DW. This is where blockchain has found scope for integration into the online gaming sector. It’s kind of like the superhero of the gaming world swooping in and saving gamers from spending their precious fiat currency.
Leading mobile game aggregator, Sgame Pro™, is building a platform where gamers will be awarded crypto tokens for playing their favourite games.
Founder and CEO of Sgame Pro™, Gip Cutrino, says that since the utility token, SGM or Sgame coin, will be the sole medium of transaction, players won’t be required to spend physical cash, which will increase engagement rates.
These SGM tokens can be used by players to buy digital and physical goods on the Sgame marketplace. The platform will reward players with these tokens for their time and effort on the platform, based on a ‘Proof-of-Play’ protocol, which will establish transparency and solidity. Moreover, these tokens can also be transferred to an external ERC-20 compatible wallet.
So, if you want to know more about this innovative, cutting edge and thought leading ICO, take a peek at sgamepro.io and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.