The trend toward a mobile-first mindset in digital publishing is nothing new. However, new data from a recent report by SuperData Research suggests that mobile publishing — at least for the video game industry — is more than just a promising future; it’s a dominant reality.
Indeed, in 2016, mobile titles raked in $41 billion USD for publishers. Meanwhile, PC games garnered $34 billion USD, and console titles drove a modest $6.6 billion USD in revenue. Of course, it must be noted that mobile titles were the strongest in APAC, with North American and Europe trailing considerably behind. Nevertheless, mobile titles still garnered more revenue in North America and Europe than did free-to-play or premium PC or console games.
So what does this mean for publishers? First, don’t expect the mobile-first surge to be limited to just games. When chatting with AdColony CEO Will Kassoy about his predictions for 2017, he noted:
“As we head into 2017, it’s becoming more clear to us – and I think to the media landscape at large – that the next generation of media companies are all mobile-native. If you consider where consumers are getting consistent value to their lives on daily basis, whether it be a fantasy football app that they update during their lunch break or a streaming music app they listen to while they work out, it’s companies that were born of mobile that are serving consumers in a way that no one else can.”
Indeed, there have been countless reports heralding the ever-increasing time we all spend on our phones. This time shift has similarly shifted the concept of what constitutes today’s primetime media. While conditions for game publishers are clear, the forecast for all digital content publishers is the same: users are increasingly turning to experiences on their most personal devices, and it’s up to publishers to monetize them. To do that — and do that well — requires a mobile-first mindset.
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