Video game publishers and related gaming companies have excelled at identifying and leveraging emerging technologies as new platforms to distribute their games. Mobile gaming encapsulates this phenomenon.
Gaming revenues can be segmented by different platforms that represent how consumers access and play the game. The first widely available video game platform was the arcade, which was then followed by personal computers (PC) and consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation.
Mobile gaming represents both the largest platform by revenues and the fastest growing one. Since 2015, mobile revenues have grown at an annualized rate of 22%, outpacing the total gaming revenues growth rate of 15%.
Mobile Is the Largest and Fastest Growing Gaming Platform
Revenues reflect Global Digital Gaming Revenues. Source: SuperData, a Nielsen Company. Data as of 2019.
Prior to the iPhone’s release in 2007, mobile did not exist as a category for gaming platforms. Rudimentary games like Snake and Tetris were available on early cell phones, but the invention of the iPhone created a new category of games out of thin air. Mobile apps have become synonymous with the mobile phone experience, and mobile games are some of the most popular and widely downloaded apps available to consumers.
John Patrick Lee joined VanEck in 2014 and is currently an ETF Product Manager focusing on video gaming, esports and international equities. His Responsibilities include business management of the existing ETF lineup, market strategy and positioning and product development. Prior to joining VanEck, John Patrick served as an Investment Advisor Representative with Dorsey Wright Money Management. He received a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the College of William and Mary and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
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