Almost 3.07 people will be playing mobile video games by 2023. (Newzoo)
Undoubtedly, the mobile game industry is growing fast, becoming one of the most promising industries on the planet. Mobile game development companies practicing social game development, VR games, hyper-casual game development, etc., are on the rise.
Mobile game revenue will reach $164.10 billion in 2022. (Statista)
It is clear that mobile game development is exceeding all the benchmarks, technically and commercially.
Non-Fungible Tokens, blockchain gaming, metaverse a new mobile gaming world is waiting.
However, it does not necessarily mean that the existing gaming trends are outdated.
Hyper-casual game development is still making gamers swoon for it.
In 2021, the hyper-casual gaming genre went through 10.7 billion downloads. (Entrepreneur)
If the mobile gaming industry has been taking a quantum leap in recent years, hyper-casual games play a significant role in the growth.
Needless to say, hyper-casual game development has already established its dominance in the mobile video game ecosystem.
Here, we will dig into all the crucial aspects of hyper-casual mobile games and how these easy-to-play games redefine mobile gaming monetization.
Hyper-Casual Mobile Game Development: A Brief Intro
Before diving straight into hyper-casual games, let’s look into some numbers:
- The mobile gaming revenue will hit $241.40 billion by 2027. (Statista)
- If we circle only mobile gamers, the total number of users will become 1,850.2 million by 2027. (Statista)
- Users’ penetration into mobile games will become 23.3% by 2027. (Statista)
The numbers are pretty much overwhelming.
- Video games like puzzles, trivia, etc., are undoubtedly behind these numbers. As a matter of fact, the mobile gaming sector is roping easy-to-play hyper-casual games to reach the peak of success.
- Among the remarkable stages of mobile gaming evolutions, the hyper-casual video game is noticeable. Besides offering respite from the maddening crowded life, hyper-casual games also attract non-gamers to the world of gaming. Consequently, the mobile game users’ crowd gets extended.
- So, the mobile gaming evolution has created a unique space for casual gamers, opening up gaming scopes for non-gamers. If you don’t want to indulge in hardcore gaming like Hades or Call of Duty, hyper-casual games are available for you.
- Hyper casual games are simple, lightweight video games of minimal design. Hyper-casual gameplay is easy-to-learn and addictive.
“All the best games are easy to learn and difficult to master.”
Regarding Nolan’s Law for video game design, hyper-casual games fit perfectly with the theory.
- Hyper-casual game development ensures developers hit a big success in terms of gamers’ retention. The average retention rate of hyper-casual games is 32.3% on day one. (Statista)
- Due to their direct and simplistic gaming approach, hyper-casual games are becoming massively popular among mobile gamers.
- With Flappy Bird becoming popular in 2013, hyper-casual games have turned into the mainstream. And since then, this mobile gaming genre has never declined in popularity.
- Besides Unity 3D game development, developers have profited immensely from developing attractive hyper-casual games.
Have you ever wondered why hyper-casual games have become so popular?
The Characteristics of Hyper-Casual Games:
- Hyper-casual games are instant stress-busters.
- This type of game comes with miles-stones. The in-game achievements boost the gameplay experience.
- Immersive hyper-casual games make the gamers feel 360-degree simulated yet offer simple gameplay mechanisms.
- The unique gaming experience keeps the gamers hooked on the gameplay.
- Whether puzzle or trivia, hyper-casual games lull the unique traits in gamers and non-gamers.
- In short, hyper-casual games turn every people into a potential gamer.
How Hyper-Casual is Game Development Bringing Changes To Game Monetization?
71% of Google Play’s revenue will channel through mobile games. (Sensor Tower)
So, mobile game developers must follow robust game monetization strategies to make their games popular in the app stores.
Hyper-casual game development has allowed developers to delve into innovative and effective game monetization strategies:
In-App Purchases
People will spend $240 billion on mobile advertising by 2022. (Statista)
- While talking about in-game marketing and purchases, they have proven excellent for gamers. The access to hidden game levels, free apps, etc., boost gamers’ interest in the gameplay.
- In-game purchases ensure developers about the players’ extended playtime and use of in-game currency.
- Homa Games is a brilliant publisher that has raised $15 million in in-game funding, focussing on better content creation and in-game purchases.
- In-game advertising and purchase will help Homa Games to monetize their hyper-casual mobile games in a far better way.
- Like Homa Games, many publishers invest in making their in-game purchase infrastructure robust enough to optimize game monetization.
In-Game Advertising
- In-Game advertising revenue will rise to $56 billion by 2024. (Venture Beat)
- Another interesting fact is that almost 73% of mobile gamers want to receive in-game advertisements. (Forbes)
These two statistics clearly show what kind of power developers can unleash by tapping into in-game advertising. In fact, in-game advertisement is another effective way to glue your gamers to the game and optimize game monetization.
But, developers should not compromise with gameplay experience because of in-game advertisements.
Your advertisement stuffing should not disturb gamers while playing the game.
Wrapping Up
Whether it is timing mechanics or agility mechanics, hyper-casual game development always stands out among the crowd. It has shown mobile game development companies another possible way to make gamers go crazy.
Both gamers and game developers have acknowledged how simplified gameplay can satisfy and nurture game development or game-playing zeal. To conclude, whether game development tactics or monetization, hyper-casual games have reached intense maturity. And it is undoubtedly revolutionizing the video game industry in a good way.
