In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile gaming has surged in the U.S., as more people seek alternative forms of entertainment while indoors. According to more recent statistics, mobile gaming data has increased, game downloads on iOS and Android platforms have risen, and gaming traffic climbed. The next sections uncover more insights and details about mobile gaming.

1.) Insights into the Trends in Mobile Gaming Adoption and Usage in the U.S.

• In the U.S., daily mobile gaming and general mobile use have drastically increased as consumers seek alternative sources of entertainment during the Covid-19 quarantine.
• With an estimated 70% of American schools closed and millions of Americans working from home, Comscore reported a jump of 53% in U.S. mobile usage in March, while Verizon witnessed a 75% jump in mobile gaming data usage.
• Over the years, mobile gaming downloads have climbed steadily; for instance, during 2018 – 2019, mobile game downloads increased by 6%. However, in March 2020, U.S. mobile game downloads rose by 25% across iOS and Android platforms.
• According to digital Advertiser — Jun Group, working from home led to an increase in time spent playing mobile games. Based on a survey of 1000 individuals working from home, 77% said they play mobile games many times a day.
• Online gaming platforms have witnessed an increase in traffic, with some doubling their overall website traffic, during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that it has increased the demand for gaming.
• For example, pages associated with mobile management games have seen an increase in traffic by 857%, those related to puzzle games by 368%, and the pages for social games by 368%.
• According to Verizon, since COVID-19 quarantine measures were implemented overall video game internet traffic has jumped by 75%. Stream, one of the most significant PC gaming platforms, claims to have hit approximately 20.7 million active online players chatting and gaming at the same time.
• Another key player, Bungie game developers, claims that its daily user engagement on Destiny 2 has jumped by 10% globally and as high as 20% in the markets most affected by COVID-19.
• On the other hand, Twitch, which supports live video game streams, has witnessed its average viewers rise to over 1.5 million (11% above the previous high), mainly after it broadcasted FIFA 20 to a stadium-sized virtual audience.
• With millions of people spending more time on their mobile devices, in-game items trading platforms are experiencing growth during the quarantine period. The turnover of transactions for DMarket, a leading in-game items trading platform, jumped by 70% from February – March 2020, compared to December 2019.
• The platform has seen a surge in active users trading on the platform from the U.S., China, Italy, UK, France, and Germany. For instance, statistics show that more women are buying in-game items than men. It is estimated that 4.5% of women who play mobile games purchase in-app game content, versus 3.3% of men who do.
• People not only pass their time with mobile games, but are also using them for engagement through communication, and as social media. These behaviors have pushed the in-game trading platform to become one of the fastest-growing markets in the gaming industry, as it follows marketing trends to attract more mobile online users.
• Over time, more people are expected to join the mobile gaming world, which would spur the continued development of real-life businesses in these games, such as clubs, festivals, dating agencies, new virtual bars, etc. Moreover, according to experts, COVID-19 can increase the time spent playing mobile games daily by around 20%.
• Like other industries, the gaming sector supports community initiatives and programs to minimize the effects of COVID-19.
• Some initiatives include donating excess computational power to help research in covid-19, charitable pledges (millions), and solidarity response funds for medical workers and people affected by the pandemic.
• Researchers are using video games as research and support tools and the excess gaming computational power to run complex calculations for scientific research. Equally, big-name developers are donating funds to help fight COVID-19 and providing “in-game cosmetics for a small donation to organizations.”
• Gaming studios are giving away free or discounted games to make staying at home more enjoyable for gamers. Other studios are offering free weekends or shuffling playlists to keep users entertained.

2.) Profiles of the Heaviest Mobile Gamers in the U.S.

• According to the recent statistics on mobile gaming released by Newzoo and Google Play:
•  49% of mobile gamers are women, implying that 51% are men.
•  8% of mobile gamers are aged 13 – 17.
•  14% of mobile gamers are aged 18 – 24.
•  21% of mobile gamers are aged 25 – 34.
•  19% of mobile gamers are aged 34 – 44.
•  15% of mobile gamers are aged 45 – 54.
•  23% of mobile gamers are over 55 years.
• Recent and comprehensive statistics on mobile gamers’ household income dates back to 2017, and the breakdown is as follows as per data provided by Tapjoy.
• Approximately 17% of gamers earn over $100,000.
• An estimated 15% of gamers earn from $75,000 — $99,999.
•  22% of gamers earn from $50,000 — $74,999.
•  0.1% of U.S. video gamers did not attend school.
•  13.7% of U.S. video gamers graduated from high school.
•  9.7% of U.S. video gamers have one year in college.
•  19.1% of U.S. video gamers have two years in college.
•  9.5% of U.S. video gamers have three years in college.
•  36.7% of U.S. video gamers graduated from college.
•  2.9% of U.S. video gamers completed some graduate school
•  8.3% of U.S. video gamers completed graduate school.
• Modern mobile game users are predominantly female, highly engaged, and follow app usage patterns daily or weekly.
• These users prefer three mobile game genres, namely puzzles, role-playing, and strategy games.
• Today’s mobile gamers use several gaming apps with multiple IPs.
• Mobile game players prefer opt-in rewarded advertising, versus traditional interstitial formats.
• Importantly, today’s gamers prefer “mobile games over social media apps.”

3.) U.S. Product Launches in Mobile Gaming that Encourages Touchless Experience

• On July 21, 2020, Captello launched a touchless mobile gaming interactive solution that enables exhibitors to focus on the health and safety concerns of both live and virtual booth visitors while simultaneously boosting engagement with brands, products, and solutions.
• The solution supports deploying browser-based games on any kiosk or private mobile device, enabling exhibitors to launch touchless experiences, respect social distancing measures, or allow users to interact on their mobile devices.
• The games incorporate customizable lead capture forms that simplify lead collecting with more focused data while building more memorable experiences. Exhibitors can also launch games with “incentives & prizes, branded leaderboards, custom lead capture forms, and more.”
• The solution allows for real-time data collection, anywhere, anytime, and by many companies users, and can be transferred to the exhibitor’s CRM and marketing automation platforms. Overall, the Captello’s Universal Lead Capture platform is available for users to buy per-event online, or for licensing at multiple virtual and live events.
• Recently, INTELITY, which provides guest and staff management platforms for the travel industry partnered with JOINGO, a renowned mobile technology provider for the gaming sector.
• The integration of both company solutions seeks to streamline and connect all parts of the casino-resort experience, empowering properties to minimize physical contact while retaining high-end visitor, guest, and player engagement.
• Casino resort properties would benefit from cutting-edge hospitality functions, including contactless mobile check-in, mobile key, mobile food & beverage ordering, etc., along with Casino-specific omnichannel promotions via the INTELITY platform.
• JOINGO’s sophisticated mobile app features, like geofenced offers and touchless interactive gaming can help casinos eliminate the need for a physical club card and encourage cashless gaming, i.e., the platform can draw in players, increase reach, improve loyalty, and boost revenue for the casino.
• With the integration of both “JOINGO’s touchless gaming and INTELITY’s contactless check-in, mobile key, and service technology,” casino resorts can connect guests to casino properties, including floors, hotels, etc., without the need to physically touch them.