The cost of creating a game app varies as much as the many available games. In actuality, the type of software itself greatly influences costs. But before you even consider testing the waters of game app development, it pays to arm yourself with the essential knowledge, as any professional mobile app development service will sagely counsel.
You should read this complete guide to learn more about the costs you should budget for, the procedure for developing game apps, monetization, and other tactics, as well as to get a clear image of where the market is.
Market Trends for mobile games in 2023
According to Statista, over 1.8 billion users have downloaded a mobile game. The statistics that reveal mobile games to be the main revenue generators in the gaming business only serve to support the prediction that mobile games will earn up to $100 billion in revenue in 2023.
Hyper-casual games are preferred, as shown by their 45% rise in mobile game industry trends in 2020 and 4 billion downloads of just-action hyper-casual games. However, they have the lowest overall revenue share, particularly in the US, where they only have a 0.06% share.
Top-grossing games like Fortnite and PUBG are favouring subscription-based revenue, which is quickly expanding.
In-game social features like real-time chat are crucial since gamers today want to watch and interact just as much as they play games.
The Primary Game App Types
Game Apps for Cards
These could be digital adaptations of traditional or brand-new card games incorporating card mechanics. In 2022, in-app purchase income was $6.2 million, and advertising income was $10.8 million. Card games were played by 15% of Android gamers overall in 2019.
Apps for Arcade Games
Many gamers enjoy arcade games because of their straightforward but highly enjoyable gameplay. In 2021, their revenue was 1.34%, placing them in the bottom three. Millennials enjoy arcade games like Hearthstone more than anything else.
Apps for Adventure Gaming
These games typically have complicated or simple game mechanics with a broad scope and storyline. Adventure game downloads could reach 14 million in 2022, with revenue expected to reach $19 million. The average age of games like Genshin Impact players is 35, with a wide range of demographics.
Gaming Bets
This includes anything involving a casino or online betting. The second-highest income share in 2021, with 18.9%, belongs to casino games. Male players comprise 81% of the total population, primarily male. Players are 37 years old on average.
Apps for Puzzle Gaming
This category includes a variety of brainteasers, from simple crossword puzzles to more complex brainteasers that incorporate mechanics from other genres. With a 21.1% revenue share in 2021, puzzle games will have the largest market share. Most Gen Z gamers enjoy puzzle games.
Apps for Role-Playing Games
Although these games share similarities with adventure games, character development through leveling up is the main focus. In 2021, role-playing games accounted for the 6.6 million most inventive advertisements. The appeal of RPGs among millennial gamers can be seen in titles like Raid: Shadow Legends and venerable games like Final Fantasy VII.
For clients ranging from tiny businesses to major corporations, we've worked on various mobile games using our skills in game app development. Give us a call, and one of our staff members will call you back to go over how we can turn your dream mobile game into a reality.
Mobile Game Development Process
This summarizes each crucial phase in creating mobile game apps that every game developer should consider when working on any project.
1. GDD:
The game Design estimation reflects the graphic design, mechanics, and concept (including the tale). What period, setting, plot details, and gameplay mechanics will be present in the game?
Gathering requirements for the platform you'll be working with (such as Android or iOS), whether it will be single-player, multiplayer, or more social, target market (including countries), update frequency (which determines how frequently users will be prompted to update your app), language to use, etc. should also be included in the GDD.
2. Development of Technical Specs
We present a broad overview of the specifications for technical design, development, and other relevant activities that will be performed.
3. Prototyping
As the name immediately implies, this is something that practically all game app development companies use to give a sneak peek into the game. The most crucial mechanics and the game's overall design will typically be the only things in the prototype.
Prototypes offer priceless information regarding potential improvement areas. For instance, a level can be overly difficult (or easy) or have features that can be used later.
4. Design for Architecture
Laying a strong foundation for the development architecture of the app will only enable it to bring enhancements and updates with the least effort. Pay attention to it because it affects overall scalability and how quickly you can deliver the most appealing information to your users.
5. Programming
The majority of development takes place here. Programming languages and C++, HTML5, Kotlin, and Javascript are in demand. Ensure you're using the best game engines, platforms, and tools for the game genres you decide to develop for, such as UNITY, UNREAL, and tools.
6. Testing
In addition to faults and errors, you should watch for any QA needs you may have forgotten about and, more significantly, for player feedback. Testing is frequently divided into areas by QA engineers, including load testing, usability testing, and performance testing, to name a few.
7. Start-up and upkeep
Plan how you will launch your app, last but not least. A date needs to be chosen. In the days, weeks, or even months before the launch, it helps to start developing your web presence.
On the other hand, maintenance entails introducing patches and upgrades for bugs you find, watching performance, and examining licenses.
Key Characteristics of a Gaming App
Easy Controls
The vast majority of gamers prefer games that are simple to play. This extends to the gameplay, which must always allow players to control the course of events.
The graphics should meet your target audience's expectations. Keep it as consistent as you can with the game's general theme.
Visual Effects
As important as graphics is aesthetics, so is sound. Most gamers will immediately stop playing a game if the sound effects you choose irritate their ears.
Loading Quickly
You want your content to load as rapidly as possible, just like with any other form of program. Your benchmark should be less than 4 seconds.
Interested Gameplay
When playing an RPG or adventure, pay attention to the narrative. If it's a puzzle or arcade game, players should pick it up quickly, and it should constantly present a different challenge without becoming unduly challenging.
Cost of developing a game app
As we've previously discussed, several factors determine how much it costs to build a game app. Typically, the range of development costs falls between $8K to $25M. However, creating game apps is typically a costly process.
Consider pre-development expenditures, the platform you'll be using, design costs, the different types of games, and the general complexity of the game. To further understand the breakdown of costs, consult this table.
Examples of Popular Game Types
Game Type | Test Prototype / Playable Demo
Examples | Demo Games
Cost Prediction | $8K to $15KGame Type | Hyper-Casual Game
Examples | Rise Up
Cost Prediction | $25K to $100KGame Type | Casual Game
Examples | Subway Surf
Cost Prediction | $45K to $100KGame Type | Midcore Game
Examples | Clash of Clans
Cost Prediction | $70K to $500KGame Type | | Hardcore Game
Examples | PUBG, Free Fire
Cost Prediction | $100K to $3MGame Type | AAA Game
Examples | God Of War
Cost Prediction | $1M to $25MHow to Start Monetizing Your App
Regarding app monetization, mobile gaming app developers primarily rely on in-app purchases, advertising, and freemium models. The growing popularity of subscription-based games is evidence that there are always other revenue streams for your game.
Any game can be fully monetized with the correct methods and efficient use of marketing data; that much is certain. We at Dot Com Infoway have a specific division that provides services for promoting mobile apps. These services range widely and focus on assisting game producers in achieving their precise marketing objectives. These services include market research, expert recommendations, data-driven plans, PR services, and gaming events.
Conclusion
Certainly! Working in a field, you love is one of the most fulfilling experiences one can have. If you are passionate about developing mobile game apps, you'll be motivated to learn, budget, plan, and game development cost calculator extensively. To bring your vision to life and ensure success, we strongly encourage you to collaborate with a game app development company that understands your goals and can implement effective strategies and upgrades.
Write a comment ...