Mobile gaming is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. Due to the digitalization of nearly every facet of daily life met with progressive technology that allows us to access information from almost anywhere, the emergence of mobile gaming has been prominent and significant.
Transitioning gaming to a moveable platform doesn’t just make it easier for gamers to play “World of Warcraft” whenever and wherever they want, the change has led to the expansion of possibilities and audience reached through mobile games. Games of all sorts are now available and have placed a new kind of influence on industries formerly untapped by the gaming market, such as business, marketing and healthcare.
Games & Business
Business principles and the aspects of gaming have uncanny similarities – think competition, goals, winning, losing and incentives. Thus, in true capitalistic business form, these characteristics have aligned to create mobile games that appeal to career professionals who want to advance professionally. Business simulation, city builder and management games have been unleashed in the market and are proving to be a useful tool for entrepreneurs looking to exercise their strategic skill sets. The business-minded can take advantage of apps like, “Cook, Serve, Delicious,” which paints a realistic picture for anyone who has ever wanted to own their own restaurant or bar. From figuring out a menu, washing dishes and managing equipment to buying food wholesale and budgeting for the bottom line, it simulates real-life situations of running an establishment. Practicing in a digital setting and likely failing in it could make doing actual business in the real world, cake.
(Games & Marketing
Mobile games have opened a door and opportune avenue for all the Mad Men out there. Because of highly engaging graphics and superior sound, made possible by extremely powerful technological advancements (e.g., the Snapdragon quad-core processor, found to produce some of the smoothest gaming graphics and operations in the market), mobile games attract some of the most invested viewers.
The mobile gaming industry has impacted the way brands advertise by providing a way for increased seamless advertising to take place. Implementation of video advertising bodes very well with the visual-friendly crowd that games garner, which is why advertisers have leveraged it within these mobile applications to communicate their messaging to potential customers.
Furthermore, mobile games are yet another way advertisers can capture information and analyze consumer behavior. This data can be leveraged in a strategic manner via retargeting to reengage users in a variety of digital cross-platform promotion. Last but certainly not least, mobile games are often equipped with social media sharing components so brands who put their marketing dollars into gaming platforms have viral potential for their name to be in front of an exponential amount of people.
Games & Healthcare
The healthcare industry has benefitted a great deal from the birth of mobile gaming. Rehabilitation, cognitive and emotional growth, and physical fitness are just a few areas within healthcare that are now being addressed with mobile games. For example, virtual reality and mobile headsets can be used as a form of pain control for burn victims. Additionally, “brain games” are popular in helping prevent mental illnesses such as Alzheimer’s diseases. Mobile gaming is also a method to promote healthier physical fitness habits with some games educating and giving participants reasons to exercise while bringing awareness to healthy eating habits.
The opportunities are endless for mobile gaming. It is forecasted to be a 40 billion dollar industry by 2017 and other industries want a piece of the pie. Mobile gaming is meshing with arenas such as business, marketing and healthcare and has a huge role in shaping the future of these respective industries. Life in itself is a game and mobile gaming is inviting itself to the party, so let the games begin!
