When we look at the global spending data for 2021, we see that the mobile game market is approximately 90 billion dollars. The mobile game industry is enormous, and at the same time, it is a never-ending industry. Suddenly, a new brand dominates download charts every week, as new subgenres emerge to shape gaming habits.
In the gaming world, 2021 has managed to continue the momentum of previous years. Predictably, the download table is dominated by casual games. Bridge Race from Supersonic was at the top of the list, while Hair Challenge came in at number 2. Another two games are Project Makeover and High Heels, which has made significant progress with more than 100 million downloads worldwide in just 11 months.
Project Makeover is also included in the consumer spending chart. However, it should be noted that most of the games in the top 10 are not casual but “core” games. Number 1 is Genshin Impact. This open-world RPG topped the chart thanks to the ‘gacha’ model, in which players spend in-game currency to receive a random virtual item.
Other notable titles include League of Legends: Wild Rift, which celebrates one year of global release and surpasses $150 million in consumer spending. In addition to being the fastest MOBA game to achieve this after Honor of Kings, it is on the list almost twice as fast as Mobile Legends. In addition, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang ranks second in lifetime consumer spending. Free Fire, the #1 battle royale game downloaded in the first half of 2021, ranks second after Join Clash 3D, a hyper-casual game.
Alongside the widespread game ranking changes, popular genres have also changed.
- Strategy — Spending on strategic war games has increased 32% to date. Top games included Top War: Battle Game and State of Survival.
- RPG — The MMORPG subgenre is up 21% in spending, while Open World RPG (enormous thanks to Genshin Impact) is up nearly 500%.
- Simulation — Creative Sandbox (e.g., Roblox) spending increased by 57%.
Casual games manage to dominate the charts when it comes to everyday users. The casual entertainment industry will continue to be a huge market compared to immersive “core” games.
Count Masters, Project Makeover, Bridge Race, and Among Us! ranks at the top. Interestingly, Roblox is ranked 6th.
Roblox is more like a platformer than a game. Players can meet and socialize and then play community-produced games. They can also create their games using the game’s engine, Roblox Studio, and get a share of the profits.
In this sense, Roblox is a pioneering example of the metaverse. We believe Roblox is leading a new trend and contributing to metaverse mobile games reaching the $3.1 billion annual spend target.
