It is estimated that around 30% of the world’s population play games on their mobile phones. Over the last 15 years, these games have changed massively, as has the industry as a whole.
Classic games and machines from years gone by are still used as inspiration for the latest mobile apps and games. Slot machines are just one variation of games that are played not only in land-based venues, but also online on your computer or your mobile phone.
Where to play now?
There are plenty of places to play these games, online and offline. For example, Paddy Power’s website is an absolute treasure trove. One great example of this is Barcrest’s Rainbow Riches. This game started out as their most popular land-based fruit machines. It became so fruitful, in fact, the developer opted to transform it into an online slot too. This allows gamers to get in on the action wherever they are.
You can also play classic casino games by downloading the Paddy Power Games app on most mobile devices. The app promises users a fun and entertaining gaming experience which can be played on the move.
If you’re in the market for a phone that is suitable for mobile gaming, then it’s certainly worth analyzing the options currently available. It ultimately comes down to personal preference and the kind of games you want to play. If you want to play classic casino-style games from the likes of Paddy Power then, generally speaking, a mid-range smartphone would suffice.
Popularity of mobile gaming
The sheer number of games available points towards the popularity of mobile gaming across the world. It was estimated in 2012 that, across the UK, there were approximately 17 million people playing games on their smartphones. This latter figure has only increased in recent years and provides an indication as to the popularity of mobile phone games. Recent research looked at mobile gaming in the United States and found there were over 200 million mobile gamers.
A quick search for apps on your mobile device will bring up lots of games that are based on those original fruit machines, as previously mentioned. It’s not just casino-inspired games and machines that are played virtually, however, as developers have also made titles that are based on traditional board games. Similar to online casino and ‘basic’ mobile titles, these adaptations will often appeal to non-traditional gamers.
One example of this is Words With Friends. According to YouGov, this is the 100th most popular digital service, and is based on the classic board game Scrabble.
The future of mobile phone games
As the technology inside mobile devices gets better, so will the games that have been developed for them.
Augmented Reality (AR) is expected to play more of a part in future mobile games. The video below, for example, looks into the development of BoardBoss. This is an augmented reality app that uses computer vision to enhance the experience of playing board games.
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A number of AR games have already proven to be extremely popular. One of the most successful has been Pokémon GO. It was reported that, by 2019, the game had been downloaded 1 billion times. Casino-style AR games have also proven to be popular, and it will be interesting to see how the likes of Paddy Power utilize this evolving technology in the future.