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Mobile Monday: Gaming Audience Expands, App Revenue Increases in Q1

Posted Apr 22, 2019

Almost everyone is a gamer these days, but how we play varies across ages and genders. We’ll delve into players’ preferences for gaming devices and how this is driving ad revenue. Meanwhile, Q1 numbers are in, and mobile app revenue continues to rise. Check out all the details in this week’s Mobile Monday!

More Gamers Means More Ad Spend
The rise of smartphones across the globe has changed the gaming landscape. According to a report by eMarketer, mobile has become the most popular channel for gaming. Worldwide internet users are more likely to play games on their smartphones rather than a desktop/laptop or game console. This preference spans across genders, ages, and income levels.

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Gone are the days of the male-dominated gaming audience. The study found that 83% of female participants played video games; only a small difference from male participants (88%). The same percentage of men and women (66%) stated they play games on their smartphones. Women are 25% more likely to play games on their smartphones than on PC, while more than half of the men surveyed (54%) said they played on their desktop or laptop.

Mobile gaming is not just for youths anymore. More than half of internet users (53%) aged 45-to-54 play games on their smartphone. The majority of respondents in the 55 to 64 age range (71%) indicated that they played video games in general. According to the report, this group typically prefers online board/card games (12%), puzzle/platform (11%) and shooter games (11%).

The expanding reach of the gaming industry has led to big spends on advertising. eMarketer forecasts that this year, U.S. advertisers will spend $3.25 billion on ads placed within video games on all platforms, a 16.0% increase over 2018. Furthermore, ad revenues are expected to reach $3.67 billion during 2020.

Gaming is a Major Player in Rising App Revenue
Mobile measurement firm, Sensor Tower, revealed that mobile consumers spent approximately $19.5 billion in paid apps, subscriptions, and in-app content during Q1 2019 alone. This is an increase of 16.9% from last year. The data also revealed that first-time app installs increased by 11.6% with almost 74% of attributed to Google Play. Meanwhile, the Chinese government’s pause on mobile game certification has caused the Apple App Store’s installs to decrease by 4.7%.

How does mobile gaming factor into these numbers? According to Sensor Tower, games account for an impressive 76% of all app revenue. Spending within the gaming category is up from last year with an increase of 12.3% to $14.6 billion. App Store accounted for the largest portion of this revenue at $8.6 billion, while Google Play generated $6 billion.

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Mobile Monday examines the latest news, trends, and developments in mobile apps, tech, and advertising. Do you have a story to share for the next Mobile Monday?

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