If you analyze the mobile application market by category, you will notice that gaming apps lead the way. What’s more interesting is that music and entertainment is at the distant second position while travel and habitability are at the third spot. Yes, it might vary from region to region but the popularity of gaming apps remains constant.
If you are a mobile app developer then this might encourage you to dip your toes in the mobile gaming industry and test out the waters. Before you do that, it is important to understand that you might encounter challenges along the way. If you are unaware of these challenges then you are at the right place.
In this article, you will learn about the seven obstacles that you will encounter when developing mobile games.
1. Operating System Fragmentation
One of the most common problems you might face when developing a game for the android operating system is operating system fragmentation. Not only does android has device fragmentation issues as it has millions of devices created by dozens of manufacturers but it also has operating system fragmentation problems as it has multiple versions of the operating system. This can pose a huge challenge for mobile game developers. Since android has a huge market share of more than 80%, app developers cannot afford to ignore the platform.
Even though iOS also has a different version of the operating system but since the devices are made by Apple, you might not face a bigger issue here. Thanks to cross-platform development platforms and tools such as PhoneGap and Unity, it is much easier for app developers to streamline and organize their code and also create apps which are accessible on a wide range of platforms and versions.
2. Feature Creep
Just like software and IT projects have scope creep problems, mobile game development projects are usually marred by feature creep issues. Clients ask developers to add more features to the game in the middle of the app development process. Dealing with such requests can become a challenge so much so that it can even lead your game development projects to failure. As the feature list continues to grow, so does the time required to develop those features as well as the overall cost of mobile app development company.
The best way to solve this problem is to collect user requirements when kicking off the game development project. Once you have collected all the client requirements, prepare a document that mentions all the deliverables and features. Make clients sign an agreement that they won’t ask for adding more featuring during the game development process. Yes, it might take a lot of work and might lead to some delays early on but it is much better than project failure caused due to feature creep.
3. Targeting the Right Audience
Unlike a product or service, it is much harder to target the right audience with your mobile game. You need to do a lot of research and study user behavior and preferences to create a game that truly keeps them engaged. For instance, if you are creating a first-person shooter game for mobile devices, you need to visualize who will play the game and what their requirements are? What features do they want to see in the game and would use most often? Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and think from their perspective. This will help you to answer these questions and create a game that your target audience will fall in love with.
4. Make Your Game Stand Out
Mobile gaming industry is one of the most competitive and lucrative sectors in the mobile app industry. Even if you have unique game app ideas that you want to convert into mobile games, it won’t guarantee you success. You are bound to face competition. That is where you need to make your mobile app stand out from your competitors to get noticed.
Here are some of the ways you can use to get more downloads and installs for your mobile app
- App store optimization
- Get it featured on popular platforms, portals, or blogs
- Reach out to an influencer to promote your mobile game
- Upload your mobile game to less popular app stores such as the Amazon app store and Huawei app gallery
5. Security and Privacy
The growing popularity of mobile games also brought them to the attention of cybercriminals. That is why we have seen the number of cyber-attacks targeting mobile games surge in recent years. You might have heard about the news that hackers have managed to steal millions of records of gamers from the game streaming platform servers.
That is why it is imperative for mobile game developers to create mobile gaming apps with security in mind. Developers should evaluate their code for vulnerabilities and fix any loophole which can lead to a data breach. If you have an in-app purchase system, make sure that there are no flaws. Ask gamers to download apps from authorized sources.
6. App Monetization
Another important consideration mobile game developers need to keep in mind is how they will make money out of their mobile game. There are three different ways to do that. They can give their mobile game as a premium download or offer it as a freemium or bake third-party ads within the mobile app. Choose a model that suits you best and gives you a continuous stream of income because most apps and games tend to lose users and players after the hype dies down.
7. Maintenance
One of the biggest misconceptions IOS and android app developers have is that their job is done when your mobile app goes live. Unfortunately, that is not true. Once your game or app is accessible for users, now it is your job to keep it up to date and continuously add new features to keep them hooked. Incorporate a feedback mechanism and collect user feedback about your mobile game. This will give you a clear picture of glitches your users might be encountering or user experience issues they might be facing. You can fix those issues in future releases.