The Biggest Names in Mobile Gaming

Far from the pixelated snakes where it originated, modern mobile gaming has exploded on a level which few saw coming. Now worth billions of dollars annually, this marketplace has solidified itself as a genuine major and influential force on the overall gaming landscape. That said, the young age of this market often leaves even the most dedicated longtime gamers a little confused at who the biggest names in this business are. Don’t worry though, in this article we aim to take a look.

Niantic

You might not recognize the name alone, but we’re betting that you’ve heard of the international phenomenon known as Pokémon Go. Not the first game to rely on augmented reality technology in conjunction with GPS data, but definitely the game which brought this combination into the public eye, Niantic saw enormous revenue of off this game. All this, despite the fact that once the enamor had worn off, many were left critical of the simplistic and overly buggy nature of the game. Still, in terms of opening the door to AR and new functionality in general, Niantic did nothing short of a wonderful job.

“Pokemon GO Wallpaper” (CC BY 2.0) by Adam Purves (S3ISOR)

Plarium

One of the many companies to capitalize on the exploding mobile game market, but one of the few who has really managed to bring a professional AAA standard into the arena. Specializing in community strategy game like Terminator Genesys: Future War and Vikings: War of Clans, the Plarium mobile games are rare in their attention to detail, and their offering of graphics which far exceed most efforts from their contemporaries. As one of the developers who take existing popular genres and improve on them, offering their own unique twists, we can’t wait to see what their next generation of games will bring.

Epic Games and People Can Fly

Developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly, the international powerhouse called Fortnite is largely regarded as the current biggest video game in the world. And it’s finally made its way to mobile devices. With 100 people fighting and building until only one person or team is left standing, we have to marvel at the technical competence which made this game possible.

Still in the early stages of its mobile lifecycle, this is an entry which will only become better as the systems are fined and the host devices grow more powerful. You might need a controller to make the most out of this one, but you will not be disappointed along the way. These two companies have certainly highlighted how mobile gaming can not only be on the same level as PCs and consoles but also multiplayer can be cross-platform, something that we don’t see very often.

EA Mobile

Generally a PC and console developer, Electronic Arts has now expanded its reach into the world of mobiles. With a wealth of series from which to draw, expect the likes of FIFA and Madden to soon reach mobile devices. As for how much these will suffer from EA’s now infamous shady microtransaction processes, we are yet to know.

“FIFA 18 Gaming-Bühne – Gamescom 2017, K” (CC BY 2.0) by marcoverch

A World Expanding

As mobile devices now approach the power of laptops and even desktop devices, and with the Android operating system giving a reliable and well-supported framework, the potential future of mobile gaming has never looked as bright. Not just relegated to tie-in and low-effort ports, mobiles have now reached a point where they are legitimate gaming devices. As more new and established businesses take advantage of this our hopes are high for the tomorrow of mobile gaming. As for what exact form this will take, we don’t yet know, but we can’t wait to see.