Revenue from mobile games will top sales of console games in Canada soon

It is time for the Entertainment Software Association of Canada to release its annual "Essential Facts" report on the state of the Canadian video game market. When it comes to mobile games, like the ones that you would purchase on your phone, business is strong. While console titles make up 35% of the revenue taken in by Canadian game developers, mobile games now account for 31% and seem poised to take the top position in the near future. Since 2013, mobile game revenues are up in Canada by 20%, compared to a 32% drop in console sales.

65% of the projects completed last year in the Canadian gaming industry, were written for mobile. The average game for a mobile device had a budget of $500,000. That compares to the $17 million budget that the average console game was working with. Additionally, the average mobile game required only 10 people to write, and took just 190 days to complete. Console games required a crew of 45 to 65, and took 485 days to finish. With those numbers, and the rise in popularity of mobile games, you can see why more developers are turning to mobile platforms.

These stats, while covering only Canada, are indicative of what is happening globally. The rise of mobile games explains why a company known for producing console games like Activision Blizzard, felt compelled to spent $5.9 billion to buy King. The latter is the company behind one of the more popular mobile games, Candy Crush Saga.


source: ESAC via MobileSyrup