With the start of a brand new year, we all may be wondering what direction the mobile industry might take in the following months to come. Will last years’ debate still be a hot button issue? Can microconsoles make a glorious return and will Kickstarter remain the go to platform for indie devs seeking funding and buzz for their game mobile ? Prediction #1 - Dispute Over Freemium will End Throughout the past year there’s been a heated discussion between devs and industry pros alike on whether or not freemium is the ideal model for mobile game success. Although some of the year’s highest ranking games like Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, and Puzzle & Dragons were all F2P (free-to-play) releases there was also a significant number of other freemium titles that ultimately failed. Developers should know that there’s potential in freemium but also be aware that there are no one-size-fits all when it comes to mobile games. Some game genres is better suited F2P while others are not. It’s all about understanding your core audience, your competition, and how to make your game stand out from the crowd. Prediction #2 – Indie Devs will Oust Kickstarter In 2013 it seemed as if everyone including their grandma had some type of Kickstarter or Indigogo funding campaign that they were promoting. Unfortunately, as the months went on the saturation of the crowdfunding scene has turned it into a less than standard platform for promoting games. It’s harder to create buzz from these sites due to the large number of other campaigns. Your game or project has to be really unique to catch the eye of the press now which will most likely make 2014 the year devs start taking a different approach. Prediction #3 – Microconsoles will have a Comeback There was a lot of hype over the release of the new microconsoles GameStick and Ouya but they were quickly overshadowed by the massive launch of Sony’s PS4 and Xbox One consoles. Hopefully 2014 will bring these $99 portable consoles back into the limelight. Rumours are still lurking suggesting that Google and Amazon have their own microconsole versions in the works that will be released sometime this year. Even if we fail to see Ouya or our friends at Gamestick making big waves in the coming months Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft are sure to bring some surprises our way. Prediction #4 – Another iOS Title will be the Next Big Mobile Game steve-ballmer-windows-phone-8-301012During the launch of the Windows 8 Phone, gregarious Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer stated that “the next big game would be on Windows.” Although that has yet to happen there’s still a glimmer of hope that a brilliant aspiring developer will arise from the ashes and create the next big game on a platform that’s not iOS but until then Apple will most likely keep its reigning title. Despite Android phones’ large number of users, developing games for the iOS platform is much easier and often deliver higher payouts. Consumers trust apps listed in the App Store on a greater scale. It’s difficult to truly predict the future especially in the ever-changing tech and tai game mobile industry but these predictions may hold some validity as the year progresses on. So, let’s start developing! (Source: Pockegamer.biz)
