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People playing mobile games less despite using phones more

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I love the research that people do. I mean, somewhere out there, someone is monitoring how often I play games on my iPad, or load up PornHub on my computer vs tablet. I’m being watched so that surveys can be made and pretty graphs drawn. This latest one shows that our time spent on phones is rising, but it’s not to play games.

New research from Flurry in the US of A reveals that American smartphone usage has gone up, but the way those devices are used has changed:

although American smartphone usage has gone up by around 35 per cent since last year, with the average owner spending three hours and 40 minutes per day using their devices, the time spent playing games has almost halved. Last year, gaming accounted for 32 per cent of phone usage for US citizens, 52 minutes a day. In the last 12 months it’s fallen to just 15 per cent, or 33 minutes a day.

Instead of playing games, the chart suggest that people are messaging, using social media and consuming entertainment including watching videos. Perhaps it’s due to the rise of phones with ridiculously large screens, but it has become a whole lot easier to watch videos on our mobile phones than ever before. But that’s not the only reason for the shift.

According to Flurry, there are three main reasons why people aren’t playing as many games.

“Lack of new hits: Gaming is a hit driven industry and there hasn’t been a major new hit the past 6 to nine months. The major titles like Supercell’s Clash of Clans, King’s Candy Crush, and Machine Zone’s Game of War continue to dominate the top grossing charts and haven’t made room for a major new entrant.
“Users become the game: Millennials are shifting from playing games to watching others play games, creating a new category of entertainment called eSports. This summer, Fortune named eSports, the new Saturday morning cartoons for millennials. In fact, some of the most watched content on Tumblr is Minecraft videos created and curated by the passionate Minecraft community.
“Pay instead of play: Gamers are buying their way into games versus grinding their way through them. Gamers are spending more money than time to effectively beat games or secure better standings rather than working their way to the top. This explains the decline in time spent and the major rise in in-app purchases, as Apple saw a record $1.7B in AppStore sales in July.”

I rarely if ever use my phone for gaming, choosing instead to use my tablet. I just find it to be a much more enjoyable experience that way. Perhaps that’s also the reason for the shift as more people have multiple mobile devices in the home. Or maybe it’s just about time for the next big mobile gaming hit. It should be noted that these stats were gathered before the launch of Fallout Shelter, which probably changed this observation quite a bit.

Last Updated: August 28, 2015

28 Comments

  1. Kromas,powered by windows 10.

    August 28, 2015 at 08:31

    You know an article is full of bs when they refer to Let’s Plays as E-Sports.

    It is like comparing Apple to Swine Flu.

    Reply

    • Captain JJ Fantasticus

      August 28, 2015 at 08:41

      Agreed. Apple products are worse than Swine Flu.

      Reply

    • Brady miaau

      August 28, 2015 at 09:47

      I think meant Apples to Oranges.

      There is a direct relationship between Apples and Swine Flu. An apple a day keeps the Doctor at bay, right? So, if you buy an apple product everyday, you sill soon be so poor you cannot leave the house AND will thus never ever contract Swine Flu.

      Weak, I know. Had a rough week.

      Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    August 28, 2015 at 08:31

    “creating a new category of entertainment called eSports” Should call it eSports Entertainment. tee hee.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 28, 2015 at 08:40

      They can broadcast it one a new channel. E-TV-Sports. With ad breaks every 10 minutes.

      Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        August 28, 2015 at 09:06

        Or right as the guy lines up the perfect head shot!

        Reply

      • HvR

        August 28, 2015 at 09:39

        As long as they get their voice over ad guy to do the commentating

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          August 28, 2015 at 09:46

          hahahha

          Reply

  3. Weanerdog

    August 28, 2015 at 09:17

    My 7 year old will gladly spend more time on YouTube watching others play games as opposed to actually playing. I have had to issue a YouTube ban for during the week.

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      August 28, 2015 at 09:45

      Seriously? a ban? Wow, she must really be into that.

      Why does she enjoy that so much? Just to see the unusual creations other come up with?

      Reply

      • HvR

        August 28, 2015 at 09:51

        Weirdest thing, never have a problem with normal cartoons. One, maybe 2 episodes and he goes off to something else. Youtube Let’s Play videos, Minecraft, Skylanders and Irish guy JackSepticEye who plays old style Adventure games and the small PC Indie games like I am bread.

        He will sit there watching and playing Lego from 07:00 to 23:00 watching if we do not intervene.

        Reply

        • Brady miaau

          August 28, 2015 at 09:52

          Real Lego? I cannot wait to build spaceships (or whatever, right?) with my little girl. I still have most of my old lego and have no compunction about buying more, if it is worth it.

          But, I think the focus is good, right?

          Reply

          • HvR

            August 28, 2015 at 09:55

            Jip real (expensive) Lego. Unfortunately no more generic spaceship sets, only the top price end Star Wars set.

            Last set he bought with his own savings was a Jurassic World T-Rex set with the cage and capture vehicle. Just under R1200 from Kiddiwinks.

          • Weanerdog

            August 28, 2015 at 09:56

            Don’t let him find Evan Tube.

          • HvR

            August 28, 2015 at 09:57

            You are about 3 years late with that warning

          • Brady miaau

            August 28, 2015 at 10:03

            Star Wars. Hmm. I want the Super Star Destroyer. About R8k. I want it. On my list for extra moneies

            Inverter / batteries for house – start process of “off grid”
            new cat – which breed?
            Strengthen education fund for daughter
            Smooth over ice after hell freezing over
            Hiding R8k purchase from the wife
            Hiding a 1.2 metre Super Destroyer from the wife.
            Smooth over ice after hell freezing over for the 2nd time

          • HvR

            August 28, 2015 at 10:04

            Also the one I want most. although I think the price is going to increase to R10k

            Will probably part with R4000 in the next two or three years for a Mindstorm set

          • Brady miaau

            August 28, 2015 at 10:05

            Indeed. When I was 13 I started saving for a bike. By 14 I had the required money. But then I was R100 short.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 28, 2015 at 12:40

            I’m afraid your plan might be doomed from the start, you haven’t hidden the Star Destroyer from the cat.

      • Weanerdog

        August 28, 2015 at 09:55

        It is just that games develop certain skills like hand eye coordination, problem solving etc and watching YouTube does not much of value. He will watch any walk through or review not just Minecraft and often of games he has, I think the little bugger is just to lazy to do it himself. The other thing is that nothing gets opened my house anymore it gets unboxed and it is almost a bigger event than Gamescon. “Just open the fricken Milk already!”

        Reply

        • Brady miaau

          August 28, 2015 at 10:04

          That I get. I would rather her (my kid) play games than watch it, cause the benefit is certainly there if she plays, but watching? I fail to see it.

          Reply

    • HvR

      August 28, 2015 at 09:46

      Same here with my 6 year old, Lets Play Youtube videos is now his Friday treat if he was good most of the week.

      Reply

      • Brady miaau

        August 28, 2015 at 09:47

        I see a possible future beckon, then……

        Reply

  4. fred

    August 28, 2015 at 13:53

    And the best game is still angry birds 1 , and that says a lot about mobile gaming

    Reply

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