With all the incredible developments up to this point, it’s amazing to think that smartphones have existed for less than 20 years. So much has happened in a short space of time, and these portable devices have changed the world. Now, smartphones are entering a new era, with a design shift that could change the way people use them. Foldable versions of Samsung and Huawei products are already available, and Apple could soon follow. This new trend could be set to change the way developers make their mobile games.
Caption: Samsung Z Fold 3 review.
Here are some stats you can include to make your article more engaging:
- The global gambling market is projected to reach US$912 billion by 2027.
- The growth rate of the global mobile gambling market is expected to hit $123.6 billion by 2027.
- 74% of gambling businesses are focusing on improving their data usage.
Old-style Foldables Making a Comeback
The mobile gaming industry has been one of the greatest success stories of the new millennium. Games have gone from simple offerings like Snake on the Nokia to detailed online multiplayer games like Vikings: War of Clans. Rudimentary digitalized versions of casino games in the early 2000s have evolved into high-tech options, including live links to real dealers. Indeed, online casino Canada sites like 888casino now have hundreds of games that are optimized for the smaller screen, such as Big Bass Bonanza and Super Stakes Roulette. Many users find these titles more accessible from mobile, so these players are well catered for.
Mobile gaming is worth more than $93 billion. This makes it the most lucrative sector of the overall gaming industry, which totaled $180 billion in 2021. The advancement of smartphones over the last decade has led the games to evolve and spread out into various forms as well. In the early days, there was a focus on simplicity. These types of games still exist and attract players who want to play in short bursts, but there are also now more comprehensive options that provide an immersive experience.
The rise of the gaming industry could be one of the reasons why smartphone developers have decided to create foldable devices. The idea behind them is that they are compact and convenient but can be enlarged to offer users a much larger screen surface. From there, they can get a better view of the games. Smartphones have been getting larger over the years, and tablets are also popular. The foldable smartphone rolls these things into one, offering people a new alternative.
Some would argue that smartphones have always been heading this way. After all, the same thing happened with cell phones in the pre-smartphone era. The clunky handheld devices of old gradually got more advanced, and in the later stage of that era there was an influx of foldable phones. These were considered cooler and more convenient. The concept was impossible to recreate in the early stages of smartphones, but now it seems that the biggest tech companies have figured out solutions.
How are Popular Mobile Games Adapting to Larger Screen Sizes?
Over the years, mobile game developers have steadily adapted their titles to fit with the capabilities of whatever generation of smartphones is current at the time. The top apps have always identified common trends in the industry and capitalized on them at the right moment. In the beginning, for example, the mobile gaming industry focused on simple, pick-up-and-play games like Doodle Jump. Rovio Entertainment spotted this trend and released Angry Birds, an unprecedented success.
Since those times, smartphone technology and internet speeds have improved, meaning that the devices can do so much more. This led to the rise of the MMO genre, which is now one of the most popular ways of playing games on mobile. Clash of Clans was one of the earliest options in that category, and now there are hundreds of titles to choose from, including Sparta: War of Empires and Black Desert Mobile. In these games, it helps to have a larger screen to use because there are so many elements involved. For instance, players need to be able to see when enemy factions are invading.
Caption: Sparta: War of Empires trailer.
Online casino games have also adapted well to the changing size of mobile screens. The earliest titles to adjust perfectly to mobile were slots, which are now arguably better viewed from a portable device than a desktop. Indeed, most developers create their titles with the mobile player in mind first. More recently, live casino games have become much more popular, and larger mobile screens are making these titles more immersive. The bigger viewing surface means that in games like roulette, players can see the croupier, the wheel, and the betting surface simultaneously without anything being too small. Foldable phones are likely to enhance this experience more as they offer more screen space.
Could Game Developers Create Content Specifically for These Foldables Phones?
With developers having followed closely followed smartphone industry trends, it’s reasonable to assume that there will be a huge shift toward creating content for foldable smartphones in the future. That’s if they take off and become the most popular devices. This could come to fruition if Apple releases a foldable, as the American tech company has always had a huge influence over the market. It is expected to bring one out at some point, but it hasn’t been confirmed yet.
There’s no doubt that foldable phones will change the capabilities of smartphone gaming, and the industry could enter a new, more advanced phase. These devices could become akin to platforms like the Nintendo Switch and may start to include a greater number of console-style games. Of course, the beauty of mobile is that all the genres that have been popular up to now will still exist; it’s just that more options will be added.
Many analysts expect foldable smartphones to be the next big trend, and when they take off the impact on the gaming industry could be huge. They will give developers a lot more freedom to create detailed titles, and a fresh genre of mobile games could come to the fore.
