A lot has changed with mobile games since the first iPhone in 2007, when suddenly you could quickly buy and download mobile apps or games. Today, pay-to-play is passé. If you’re like most gamers, you mainly play freemium games, where you play for free but pay for premium features.
With paid upgrades key to freemium games, you now need a good internet connection to play most popular games. Here we look at why that is — and if it will change.
Clash of Clans pushed the freemium games model
Angry Birds is an early example of a mobile game which took off worldwide — it was downloaded more than 500 million times by 2011, according to its creator Rovio Entertainment. While you could say the Finnish game developer really kick-started mobile gaming, you can’t credit them with the best mobile game marketing scheme. When it was released, you could get the bird-flinging title for just a dollar and initially, this was still highly lucrative for Rovio.
However, the paid game downloads model wasn’t sustainable, and Rovio was forced to release other titles and spin-offs in order to keep generating sales. To that end, paid game downloads didn’t last long, and were replaced with free-to-play titles with certain in-game costs.
Supercell’s Clash of Clans led the way in the freemium games model, and the game became a top-5 download in its first year, 2012. A 2015 report revealed that the game raked in $1.5 million per day, making it the top-grossing app on the App Store and Google Play.
If you played Clash of the Clans, you were one of the first to play freemium games. But if you wanted to speed things up or get instant upgrades, you needed to pay money. The beauty of the freemium games model means that anyone is able to play, but those who want to pay can advance more quickly.
The Clash of the Clans game from Supercell — which in 2016 was bought out by China’s Tencent — led to a sprawling genre with other titles like Vikings: War of Clans and, Throne: Kingdom at War. To play freemium games, you need a reliable internet connection because there is a heavy focus on interaction between players from all over the world.
The new online content craze
If you’re like most gamers, you like to have social interactions while playing, so online social features are now a major selling point of games. Console games like GTA V have a heavy focus on online content, and newer games like Fortnite exist solely online.
Epic Games’ Fortnite has been not only a revolution in gaming but a revelation — it’s changed the way developers think about releasing their content. Indeed, Fortnite has lead a shift towards regularly updated games instead of annual releases. Fortnite has also found strong success across various platforms, including smartphones as well as PCs and consoles.
One reason why nearly all PC and mobile games are now made with online modes is because internet speeds have become faster and more reliable over the last ten years.
For example, the growth of the online casino industry reflects this newly streamlined internet, with thousands of such games now being created with mobile in mind. The library of Betway Slots shows just how much variety there is, with games like Wild Fury, Starburst, and Game of Thrones from developer Microgaming — all designed to appeal to different audiences.
And if playing bingo is more your speed (though it can be fast, too), there are also lots of sites and apps that offer welcome bonuses. You can avoid the bad ones and save time by first reading the latest bingo app reviews.
Faster internet speeds have also increased the focus on multiplayer gaming. For example, titles like Critical Ops and Hearthstone are built on multiplayer gaming with players from all over the world. None of this would be possible without fast and reliable internet connections on both broadband and mobile.
Classic PC games are now casual Facebook games
Even classic casual games that in the past you could only play on PCs are now updated to play online and on your phone. You can also play freemium games on Facebook or other social media platforms, or you can play on your smartphone. Of course, to play freemium games on these sites, you also need a strong internet connection.
One of the most popular casual Facebook games is Pretty Simple’s Criminal Case, which tasks players through analyzing a crime scene to figure out who the murderer is. The game makes use of HTML5 rather than Adobe Flash, so that it can run seamlessly through Facebook.
Also, Rovio’s Angry Birds Friends is another good example of the many casual Facebook games that encourage online play and interaction between players.
To play freemium games, connected is key
With all of that said, you need a strong internet connection to play most of the popular games today, including modern mobile games. Whether you’re interested in casino games, role-playing games, or first-person shooters, most of the main titles on the market all require online access. This is only going to become more widespread as internet speeds continue to advance.
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