Mobile Game Preferences by Genre in Spain
Spain is among the 10 world’s leading video game marketplaces with a total turnover of 1.75 billion euros and growth of about 20% during the year under a pandemic. Slowly but steadily, society has moved away from viewing videogames as mere entertainment for children, elevating them to the status they deserve: a highly innovative and powerful cultural industry critical to the digital transformation and the generation of wealth.
In a year marked by pandemics and mobility restrictions, the industry has provided social and entertainment activities for millions of people worldwide. In Spain, there are approximately 16 million gamers (46 percent of those are women), and total sector revenue has increased by nearly 18% on 2019 to stand at 1.75 billion euros, with an increase in sales volume of more than one-third. By the end of 2021, the Spanish mobile gaming revenues will be $307 million, user penetration this year will reach 20.2% and by 2024 will rise to 21.6%. These statistics place Spain among the world ’s top ten videogame markets.
Life and technology continually advance, having effects on each other. Nowadays, thanks to all the information and technological advances available, we process at least 3 times more information than our previous generations, creating a situation where people need to be constantly on their devices to keep up with everything that is happening.
This, in turn, has created a tendency of stress and mental tiredness never seen before in our history, nonetheless, the entertainment media has risen to the challenge of alleviating the stress of our generation. In this regard, video games, in general, have become a staple of entertainment, and have moved from being in consoles to being available in the palm of your hands. Gaming
Today, let’s take a look at some of the most popular genres of mobile video games preferred by Spanish gamers.
As we have said before, video games have evolved from being produced only for home consoles, moving to handheld consoles, and finally mobile phones. It’s not seldom we find the biggest names in the game production industry in the App Store or Play Store on different games, Square Enix standing out for the number of games released for mobile gaming.
Due to recent events, mobile gaming is more popular now than ever, with online gambling mobile casinos being a popular choice for the Spanish users and mobile eSports becoming more popular and common, we can say that mobile gaming is here to stay for a long while.
A Genre for Everyone
Many different kinds of games are available for download at any time in our app sources both for iOs and Android. yet some genres stand out due to the number of downloads and loyal players.
E-Sports at their best (MOBAs)
One of the most popular genres of gaming not only for mobiles devices but for gaming in general, Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas or MOBAs for short, are the crowning jewel of E-Sports around the world. Most MOBAs follow the same basic structure of 5v5 matches, with players in each team taking a set role in the team composition, playing as support, jungler, AD carry (damage dealers), AP dealer, or tank.
Moontoon’s Mobile Legends, Tencent’s Arena of Valor, Riot’s League of Legends Wild Rift, and more recently Nintendo’s Pokemon Unite are currently the most downloaded and played mobile MOBAs available, with Pokemon Unite being released worldwide for mobile devices in September.
Last Man Standing (Battle Royales)
Beginning their incursion to gaming in December 2017 with the PC release of PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds, or PUBG, battle royales have become one of the most popular genres for mobile gamers. Battle royales pit between 50 to 100 players against one another or in teams of up to 4 players, to eliminate all other players or teams to be the last man standing.
Many different approaches have been taken to innovate on the battle royale formula, with melee versions or construction being really popular in the community. Fortnite, PUBG mobile, Creative Destruction, and FreeFire represent mobile battle royales at their best, with FreeFire being one of the most played and downloaded mobile games in general.
Connect three (Tile Matching)
One of the earliest examples of mobile gaming, tile-matching games are as popular today as in the beginning. A straightforward gaming genre, tile-matching games follow the basic structure of matching 3 or more of the same tiles to remove them from the playing field and score points.
Usually giving players different objectives, such as removing a set quantity of a determined tile, or removing special tiles that are difficult to reach, these kinds of games represent a more relaxed and casual style of gaming than the last two entries. Candy Crush takes the crown by far on this genre, with many different versions available.
Explore and Survive (Sandboxes)
One of the most commitment-based genres out there, sandbox games have become a staple of gaming in general, with many YouTubers and streamers having playlists built around their gameplay of a given sandbox game. Sandbox games throw the player out into an unknown world, in which they can basically do whatever they want.
While in each title there is usually a final objective to achieve, the approach and passing of the game are entirely up to the player, with many forgoing finishing the game to enjoying its gameplay. Minecraft stands as the king of sandboxes, also being the best-selling game in history, and its mobile counterpart being one of the most popular mobile sandboxes available.
Closing the Game
Many more genres, series and sagas are available, there is a game for every gamer, simulation, racing, storytelling, sports, First Person Shooters, and even dress-up games. Gaming has become a part of our culture as much as art, sports or movies did, and their place in our history and lives remains strong.