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[Eddie-Griffin]

https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/80...mobile-gamers-are-fully-engaged-when-playing/

62 percent of the 18,340 surveyed consumers play games on their mobile devices. The UK saw the largest proportion of mobile gamers at 66 percent, followed by 64 percent in the USA and 57 percent in Singapore.

The majority of gamers play games multiple times a day, with 34 percent of respondents playing between two to four times while 31 percent play more than five times. The UK saw the largest proportion of gamers playing two to four times a day, with 38 percent, while American gamers were more likely to play more than five times at 35 percent.

38 percent of respondents across all three regions play for an average of one to two hours a day, while fifteen percent play for more than five hours a day. Again, America led the way in terms of playtime, with 17 percent of those surveyed spending more than five hours a day in-game, compared to 14 percent in the UK and 16 percent in Singapore.

A failure to engage​

Despite this, the study shows that only 20 percent of respondents are fully engaged with mobile gaming, with the other 80 percent doing so while multitasking.

Out of those who admitted to playing games while doing something else, television proved to be the biggest draw at 43 percent. American gamers were more likely than any other group to watch television while playing games on their phones, at 52 percent. British gamers came close behind, at 48 percent, while 28 percent of gamers in Singapore watch television.

The preference of television among mobile gamers is even starker compared to other distractions. No other form of entertainment exceeded 20 percent on average, with only gamers in Singapore reaching this figure, with 20 percent gaming while checking social media and 23 percent listening to music. Singapore also saw the highest proportion of respondents who play mobile games while doing nothing else.

57 percent of respondents play mobile games during their spare time. This was highest in the UK (63 percent), followed by the US (60 percent) and Singapore (48 percent). In contrast, Singapore saw the highest proportion of people who reported playing mobile games while on their commute, compared to 6 percent in the UK and 4 percent in the US. This suggests that, despite the ease of picking up mobile games while on the go, the majority of commuters in the US and UK prefer to find other forms of entertainment, such as reading or surfing the internet while in transit.

Looks like in the US and UK there are many people playing mobile games but they aren't really invested in them. They are treating them more as something to or a replacement for those old free flash games.

I think this is important when people wonder why people separate mobile games from "real" or rather traditional video games. Although this is different in Singapore but that could be easily explained by prices and lack of access, where mobile would have both of those.

Very few people in the US and UK are playing mobile and nothing else, it's treated more as a community. It may explain why most gaming phones are releasing in Asia where things are flipped the opposite direction, while a gaming specific "phone" hasn't really been released in the west. Unless you include Razer.

 

[ANDS]

Nothing really deep about this honestly and I imagine "engagement" is HIGHLY game dependent. Can't read the actual report (Ublock throws up all kinds of warnings), but I'm fairly sure this is the case; like the person playing GENSHIN IMPACT is clearly not engaged in the same level as the person playing WORDLE.

 

[RoadHazard]

Well yeah, those games are made for mindless time wasting mostly.

 

[GHG]

Most mobile "games" are designed around the user being distracted (or doing something else) while playing them.

They do nothing but serve up dopamine shots for the ADHD generation.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Nothing really deep about this honestly and I imagine "engagement" is HIGHLY game dependent. Can't read the actual report (Ublock throws up all kinds of warnings), but I'm fairly sure this is the case; like the person playing GENSHIN IMPACT is clearly not engaged in the same level as the person playing WORDLE.

The report apparently tracks various games with the same results.

Even so, only those in Singapore seem to actually engage with mobile to the point they focus on it and nothing else by a larger degree, where that doesn't seem to happen in the UK and the US.

It does make it seem like there isn't that much attachment to a phone game which may explain why countries like Singapore's top games are more consuming, require more attention, and are more complex, where western mobile games like to play more of the flash game derivative stuff more than anything else, and quick arcade style games.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

This is why any efforts to turn them into "real" gamers will fail, and why trying to bring "real" games to mobile via cloud or whatever will fail. Mobile gamers don't play games, they merely waste time in a form that resembles a video game.

 

[Crayon]

This is why any efforts to turn them into "real" gamers will fail, and why trying to bring "real" games to mobile via cloud or whatever will fail. Mobile gamers don't play games, they merely waste time in a form that resembles a video game.

Yep this sounds about right. A few years back I was much more bullish on streaming but now I don't think it's going to work out for this reason. It doesn't seem to resonate with either traditional gamers or mobile gamers. Those mobile gamers are where all that sweet money was supposed to be at. But alas mobile gamers don't necessarily care for video games, despite analysts and polls always trying to convince us it's the biggest segment in video games.

Make video games for gamers and make mobile games fr mobile gamers there's not a lot of overlap.

 

[reinking]

I wonder how many PC gamers multi-task. I would say I multi-task 80% of the time I am playing a game on PC. It is probably closer to 30% when I am on consoles. The exception being VR.

 

[Saber]

Go catch them Microsoft.

 

[feynoob]

I used to be active as mobile gamer. but not anymore. The desire is gone, and its not there anymore.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I used to be active as mobile gamer. but not anymore. The desire is gone, and its not there anymore.

Not even with this graphics?:

 

[feynoob]

Not even with this graphics?:

I like turn based games.
Much easier to play, as they keep you busy.

This is a risky game in public.

 

[lh032]

not surprising, most people play it when they are bored outside of their home....

 

[radewagon]

Fully engaged? They're mobile games. I don't think that's ever been in question. Pretty sure it doesn't matter as long as the money keeps rolling in.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Make video games for gamers and make mobile games fr mobile gamers there's not a lot of overlap.

People have been arguing this for years but people refuse to believe it.

When phones got strong enough for decent games in 2010 or 11 there were announcements for games that were considered "real" going to mobile and mobile was expected to eventually be the new way people played games instead of consoles, but those games ended up dropping off the charts once "paid" games went out of favor, or lost to flappy bird 4, where you play as a toilet instead of a bird.

I took a look at the playstore out of interest to see what the top games were, what were the top by category, and what games were on it from notable consoles developers. It's basically junk, some top games are barely updated and came out 5 years ago. You have mobile ripoffs of consoles games but those aren't as hot as game were you slide dice on one side of the screen.

Sure you have exceptions like that new Crash game that did well, and gimped Mario Kart, but those are just shallow versions of better games that people will stop playing after they get bored in a week, and Crash Bandicoot is an endless runner, a good looking one, but still one. King also delayed updates too long people have been complaining about content for that game for awhile.

 

[ANDS]

The report apparently tracks various games with the same results.

Even so, only those in Singapore seem to actually engage with mobile to the point they focus on it and nothing else by a larger degree, where that doesn't seem to happen in the UK and the US.

It does make it seem like there isn't that much attachment to a phone game which may explain why countries like Singapore's top games are more consuming, require more attention, and are more complex, where western mobile games like to play more of the flash game derivative stuff more than anything else, and quick arcade style games.

I actually found the study, or rather the "briefing summary" that doesn't actually contain any real details about how this survey was conducted. It still has shit conclusions. I didn't see anything in there differentiating between the types of games players are playing and whether these marginal aggregate observations track across game "type."

The worst thing though, is how they're drawing conclusions from this "attentiveness" score. . .which isn't really a score so much as a derivation of a question they asked: "What are you doing while mobile gaming." Sure, a low number of people are solely mobile gaming, but some of the other tasks they list (listening to a podcast or music) are not activities requiring engagement of the same mental resources as gaming (I would say a great number of "traditional" gamers do the same thing).

Finally, the "insights" other folks (like the website linked) are drawing from this are silly, particularly when the study itself finds these results positive: Gaming Press: "Oh no, mobile games lack the quality to keep player engaged!" Advertising Industry: "Oh yeah, 20% of the massive mobile gaming market are primed for slick ad delivery!"

. . .TLDR: Still view this as a whole lotta nothin'.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

I actually found the study, or rather the "briefing summary" that doesn't actually contain any real details about how this survey was conducted. It still has shit conclusions. I didn't see anything in there differentiating between the types of games players are playing and whether these marginal aggregate observations track across game "type."

The worst thing though, is how they're drawing conclusions from this "attentiveness" score. . .which isn't really a score so much as a derivation of a question they asked: "What are you doing while mobile gaming." Sure, a low number of people are solely mobile gaming, but some of the other tasks they list (listening to a podcast or music) are not activities requiring engagement of the same mental resources as gaming (I would say a great number of "traditional" gamers do the same thing).

Finally, the "insights" other folks (like the website linked) are drawing from this are silly, particularly when the study itself finds these results positive: Gaming Press: "Oh no, mobile games lack the quality to keep player engaged!" Advertising Industry: "Oh yeah, 20% of the massive mobile gaming market are primed for slick ad delivery!"

. . .TLDR: Still view this as a whole lotta nothin'.

Ads have nothing to do with engagement, especially how they are often forced in, or used as a way to earn whatever points to do the thing in F2P games, in fact, they may be adding to the lack of engagement. People aren't just going to stare at the 30 second ad, it gives them a reason to do something else.

 

[Neolombax]

Well yeah. I mainly play gacha games on mobile, most of them are on auto play. Its like football manager, but with dragons and such.

 

[Aenima]

Thats because most mobile games are braindead, tap the screen to consume energy and the game will autoplay for you.

 

[ByWatterson]

They're handheld slot machines yes.

 

[Ronin_7]

Mobile games are trash, mostly.

 

[UnNamed]

20% is a good value, I think, considering most of those videogames are gatcha/gimmick/etc.
Meanwhile, neither console or PC games are completed most of the time.

 

[xrnzaaas]

The vast majority of the mobile games are not worth playing, whether it's their quality, grindy nature or wanting you to spend money on microtransactions (or all of the above). It's just not worth searching for that 0.1% of good ones when I can play them on my PC or consoles. I assume a lot of people play mobile out of boredom or to pass the time, I prefer to do something more productive.

 

[ANDS]

Ads have nothing to do with engagement, especially how they are often forced in, or used as a way to earn whatever points to do the thing in F2P games, in fact, they may be adding to the lack of engagement. People aren't just going to stare at the 30 second ad, it gives them a reason to do something else.

It is literally the point of this survey.

 

[Fbh]

I mean yeah. Can't imagine too many people really put aside time to fully engage in some shitty time wasting mobile game.
I used to play mobile games some times when I lived in a bigger city and had like a 40 minute subway commute to work, had to deal with long lines at banks and stuff like that. But since moving to a smaller town with fewer lines and a 10 minutes commute to work my mobile gaming has basically dropped to zero.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

It is literally the point of this survey.

Read the rest of the post.