Mobile games continue to draw more players thanks to their convenient accessibility and high-quality games as devices become more standardized and hardware improves. The “2021 Global Games Business Report” (Newzoo Report) from Newzoo estimated that the global mobile gaming market will earn $93.2 billion in revenue in 2021.
According to revenue, the market for mobile games generates far more than that for console and PC games combined, accounting for more than half of the total. Mobile game market revenue has surged alongside PC and console game market revenue while the COVID pandemic has persisted.
One of the reasons why the mobile game market continues to thrive is its direct correlation to TikTok becoming a trend.
Considering our background in a range of game-related services, including game localization, sound production, quality assurance, and cross-platform support we will analyze the global market for mobile games using data from Newzoo’s “The 2021 Global Mobile Gamers Whitepaper” (Newzoo Whitepaper) and provide a summary of the traits of TikTok users who also are mobile gamers.
Global Mobile Game Market
According to the Newzoo Report, the mobile game market revenue in 2021 by continent is as follows: $59.8 billion in Asia-Pacific, $16.4 billion in North America, $9.3 billion in Europe, $4.1 billion in Middle East/Africa, $3.5 billion in Latin America. The Asia-Pacific region was the highest, which recorded 64% of the total.
The top 3 countries that record the most mobile game market revenue are China ($31.8 billion), USA ($15.1 billion), and Japan ($13.7 billion).
The Newzoo Report estimated that Middle East/Africa and Latin America would become the two fastest growing mobile gaming markets by 2024, and these markets will grow about 1.6-times faster than the world average in 2019-2024.
Also, Southeast Asia, centered around the Asia-Pacific region, will be the fastest growing market with a 1.4-fold growth rate in comparison to the world average.
In terms of the mobile gaming business, investing in developing areas outside of the top 3 nations, such as the Middle East/Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, may not be a bad idea.
Chinese Mobile Game Market
The Chinese mobile gaming market generates more income than the combined US and Japanese markets, which are ranked second and third, respectively.
Chinese gaming firms have achieved global success by granting licenses to a variety of intellectual properties (IP) including games, animations, and other media. Following this, many gaming firms are working hard to port well-known PC and console game IPs to mobile platforms.
Additionally, the enormous success of the multi-platform game Genshin Impact, which enjoys widespread international acclaim, demonstrates that Chinese game creators can compete on platforms other than mobile.
Introduction to TikTok
Global short-form video platform TikTok is hugely popular and sparked a surge of short-form platforms. It has more over 1 billion active users each month and has developed into a platform for video game fans, creators, brands, and other new communities. TikTok is used by more than half of the mobile gamers in the major markets. Additionally, the percentage of TikTok gamers was particularly high in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey.
Characteristics of Mobile TikTok Gamers
According to the Newzoo Whitepaper, the characteristics of the gamers who use TikTok are as follows.
| 1. TikTok mobile gamers have a more diversified and younger demographic. 2. TikTok mobile gamers spend more time and money on games than ordinary gamers. 3. Compared to non-TikTok users, TikTok mobile gamers choose a wider range of gaming genres. 4. They watch more game-related contents than the gamers who do not use TikTok. 5. TikTok mobile gamers tend to share more game information with their friends. |
TikTok mobile gamers are more engaged than mobile gamers who don’t use the platform. They install 50% more games in comparison to those who do not use TikTok, and they spend 36% more time playing. Moreover, they are 40% more likely to pay for the games they play.
Ending Note
If you want to release mobile games in the global market, you may expect strong results if you use a variety of techniques, including game-related video contents, online live broadcasting through Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) in the game field, and game products, and use them in gamer management and sales growth plans.
In addition to offering expert game operation services, we also provide insightful market news for improved game globalization. Latis Global supports video game developers going global!
