The public is putting more and more entertainment focused games on their smartphones and mobile devices. As serious games and gamification gain traction in mobile learning circles, it’s not a big surprise that this is because many people enjoy the use of games and game mechanics on their phones. Look here at this growth in mobile gaming on the iPhone for example:

The image above was taken from this recent study from Flurry and NDP Group. It clearly illustrates just what a drastic cut they are indeed starting to take from the rest of the gaming industry. Should Nintendo be scared? It’s probably too early to say, but a few things definitely stand out. For more information read the post at Flurry, here. Some key takeaways:

1. Sony is losing a lot of market share to smartphones.
2. With the average price of smartphone games being in the $0.99 to $2.99 range, compared to the often $20-30 conventional mobile game title for a handheld console, the race to the bottom is in full effect.
3. Mobile/Social gamers are real and outnumber “hardcore” gamers by a long ways.
4. Mobile and Social gaming demographics skew far further toward female players than traditional console games.

What does this mean for mobile learning? Well, as noted before here at Float, gaming can be a very effective tool for learning. With people using their smartphones for gaming so often, and with such a favorable demographic split amongst sex and age, the time to introduce mobile gaming as a learning tool may already be here. We firmly believe this is true, with evidence to back it up. Float has developed several mobile learning strategies and implementations that include gaming for clients already, and they have been very well received. People don’t frequently comment that learning is fun or innovative, but they do with mobile gaming when used as learning.

If you are successfully using gaming in your mobile learning efforts, we’d love to hear about it!

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Chad Udell

Chad Udell is the Managing Partner, strategy and new product development, at Float. There he leads his design and development teams to successful outcomes and award-winning work via a strong background in both disciplines and a singular focus on quality. He has worked with industry-leading Fortune 500 companies and government agencies to design and develop experiences for 20 years. Chad is recognized as an expert in mobile design and development, and he speaks regularly at national and international events and conferences on related topics. Chad is author of Learning Everywhere: How Mobile Content Strategies Are Transforming Training and co-editor and chapter author, with Gary Woodill, of Mastering Mobile Learning: Tips and Techniques for Success. His newest book, Shock of the New, co-authored with Gary Woodill was released in April of 2019.

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