Of all the countries in the Asia Pacific region that have experienced a Covid-related boom in their mobile gaming markets, China comes as the best example.
According to the recently published data of Mejores Apuestas, the Chinese mobile gaming industry is expected to generate $41.5 billion in revenue this year, 50% more compared to pre-Covid figures. In addition to this, the growth of the market has been predicted to continue in the following years, reaching over $60 billion in value by the year 2025; more than both the European and North American mobile games markets combined.
Chinese Mobile Games Revenues Doubled In Four Years
As the fastest-growing segment of the gaming industry, mobile games are expected to bring more than $110 billion in revenue this year. Around 40% of that value will come from China, home to nearly one-third of all mobile gamers globally.
According to Statista Digital Market Outlook, the Chinese mobile games market has witnessed the most impressive growth in recent years. In 2017, the entire industry was valued at $19.2 billion, but has since then more than doubled in value, soaring to $41.5 billion in 2021.
In comparison, Europe saw its mobile gaming revenues grow by 42% to $12.5 billion during this same period. North America followed with a 35% increase and $22.7 billion in revenue in 2021.
However, the following years are set to witness even more significant growth. By 2025, Chinese mobile gamers are forecast to increase their annual spending by $20 bilion. The revenues in the North American market are expected to grow by $10.3 billion in this period, followed by a $5.5 billion increase in the European market.
Nearly Half Of Chinese Citizens Will Be Playing Mobile Games By 2025
Mobile games have completely transformed the gaming industry, garnering a constant level of entertainment through the utilisation of cloud-based games and apps that work offline. The convenience of on-the-go entertainment will continue drawing hundreds of millions of users, especially in the leading markets like China.
According to Statista data, the Chinese mobile games industry had around 450 million users two years ago. The rising mobile phone penetration and the Covid-19 have added 113 million new users, with the total number reaching over 563 million in 2021. In the next four years, nearly half of the Chinese are expected to play mobile games, with the number of mobile gamers jumping over 662 million.
The North American mobile games market is expected to hit around 252 million users by then, 39 million more than in 2021. Europe follows with 233 million mobile gamers by 2025, up from 201 million this year.
