The mobile app industry is big business for the developers who decide to get involved. A report by market research firm App Annie relayed in https://venturebeat.com/ indicated that the market will grow by 270% between 2015 and 2020. In 2015, the revenue from mobile apps is estimated to be $70 billion but this may grow to $189 billion in 2020, with 55% of that being attributed to mobile games.
With such large potential revenue on the table, it would make good sense for a developer to release their game as an app in order to get mobile player’s attention. However, it may not be the only way to make money from software on mobile devices.
The alternative to mobile apps is mobile browsers. Although people are more likely to play games with a mobile app, a fair amount of people still enjoy games through their mobile browsers. According to https://www.perficientdigital.com/, more people use mobile browsers than the browsers on their desktops, with mobile usage being above desktop usage in the United States for several years now. Although it’s unclear how many people are using their mobile browsers for games, it represents a massive amount of potential players.
Another benefit for game and software developers is that app development is incredibly expensive. According to https://www.formotus.com/, the average development cost for a mobile app is between $50,000 to $100,000. However, the price can go up to more than $1 million. For smaller developers who don’t have that much money, it makes making a game for a mobile browser a lot more affordable than making a mobile app.
Developers are already finding success by opting for games on mobile browsers over making mobile apps. This includes gaming brands such as https://casino.betfair.com/. The online casino allows people to play games like blackjack through their mobile browser. This is a win for players too as games like blackjack can only be played for “play money” through the mobile apps on iOS and Android, but they can play blackjack for real money through the mobile browser.
It’s not the only one. There are lots of leading mobile games that can be enjoyed via mobile browsers, including a browser version of the old school mobile classic, Snake, called Snake 3310. There’s also Tetra which is a fresh take on the block-matching puzzle game, Tetris. Candy Rain 2, a game in which you match symbols based on confectionery is another popular mobile browser title.
The mobile app industry – and the revenue from it – is likely to grow. For most developers, making a mobile app for a game will be the goal. However, by making their games for mobile browsers first, or instead, they can grow their fanbase and much-needed capital for when they begin developing the app. And with so many developers focusing on the highly competitive app industry, the mobile browser market provides a huge opportunity for building a brand.