Considerations for Calculating the Cost of Developing Mobile Games

Mobile games are profitable, enjoyable to play, and crucial to the success of any business. But how exactly do you create a successful game app? Or perhaps more importantly, how much money will you need to invest in creating a mobile game?

If you are an entrepreneur or marketer with a concept in mind, you must estimate the cost of developing a mobile game. It is after all one of the most crucial components of your company. How much money will you need to spend, and how can you save costs around the board? What are the more crucial facets and regions?

Market share and statistics for mobile gaming

Globally speaking, there has never been a better moment to develop mobile game apps. Let’s examine the data and market share for mobile games globally!

  • The US mobile games market generated $18,250 million in sales in 2020, and by 2022, we may anticipate it to reach $22,828 million, according to a Statista analysis.
  • The US mobile gaming market will expand, opening up more opportunities for fresh, unique games. Games like COD: Mobile and PUBG Mobile have been reported to generate $500 million and $2.6 billion in revenue, respectively, in the past two years.
  • Globally, there will be about 2,659.5 million users of mobile games in 2021.
  • By 2024, we project that mobile gaming revenue will grow at a CAGR of 2.9%.
  • In the US, more than 72% of mobile device users play games on their phone.

Costs Affecting the Development of Mobile Games

While developing a mobile game app, many factors should be taken into account. Let’s examine the main factors that influence the price of developing mobile games.

1. Costs of Pre-Development

Developers create a strategy in a Game Design Document (GDD) that includes all the game specifics in order to create a well-structured mobile game development process It’s an important phase because it forms the basis of the entire project.

Pre-development expenditures arise from the time and work required to create the game design documents. These expenses can be measured based on factors like cost per working hour.

2. Platform

It would be beneficial if you choose iOS, Android, or both. The cost of game creation, as well as the game’s audience and revenue, are significantly influenced by the platform you choose. More money is spent developing Android than iOS. On mobile platforms, Android, however, is more widely used.

The administration and payment processes for Apple devices are more expensive if you use iOS. Development for a single platform is less expensive than development for several platforms.

If you pick just one platform, though, you won’t be able to generate income from any other platforms. Therefore, the ideal choice is cross-platform app development to benefit from each platform’s advantages.

3. Concept

A multilayer process is followed when creating a mobile game. In this stage, you can plan the target audience, game levels, game setting, and gameplay. Without careful design consideration, the gaming app may have numerous issues and errors. You should therefore continue with caution.

UI/UX designers, architects, and game artists are among the many professionals who are involved in the entire design and development cycle. Depending on their qualifications and expertise, these specialists charge different prices.

4. Tests of Gaming Apps

The development of games is vital, and the testing procedure is too. After all, even a few problems are too much for gamers.

Therefore, make sure your game works smoothly, is error-free, and offers a positive user experience. Set aside money in your budget for the game app development company’s testing services.

5. Genres and Categories

Whether you construct a simulation app, a social gaming app, or a casual gaming app will significantly affect how much it costs to produce a mobile game app. Depending on how complex they are, we can classify game apps as follows:

Casual 2D Games

These low-cost games have simple 2D graphics and a music. Despite being simple 2D games, these have a lot of potential for growth and user involvement.

Mini-Games

Casual or mini-games are straightforward lonesome games that don’t require specialized playing abilities. A budget may need to be set if you wish to add additional visuals or have higher expectations for the gaming app.

Mid-Level Games

These mobile games include appealing graphics, a compelling plot, well-designed characters, and a variety of levels. The depth and variety of the content increase its replay value and keep gamers interested for a longer period of time.

Social Games

On social media sites like Facebook, many individuals participate in social games. These games can only access a small amount of user information, just like browser games. Typically, these games are created by developers using SDKs provided by social sites.

High-Level Games

Playing these games requires a sizable budget, but if you find the correct audience, you can succeed and reap huge returns. Being cautious with the game plan, strategy, and design might be beneficial.

Mobile games can help modern firms improve their attempts at team development. To promote creativity, enhance communication, and create a more enjoyable and engaging work environment, they use smartphone games as internal tools. These online multiplayer games have captivating graphics, a compelling plot, catchy music, challenging game levels, and cross-platform compatibility.

6. Game Complexity

You are aware of a game’s key components after selecting the game’s genre and category. Social media integration will be sufficient if the game is straightforward. However, you would need to include other features like gyroscope, speech integration, etc. if you’re making a challenging game like PUBG. The price of creating games goes up as a result.

7. Game Engine for Mobile

The cost of developing mobile games is significantly impacted by the game engine. As a result, choosing one of these engines is essential because your mobile game depends entirely on them. You will need to choose the mobile game engine based on the features, kind, and category required in the game.

The market for app development has a variety of engines for creating mobile games. They all have certain benefits and drawbacks. You must make your choice based on your needs.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Mobile Game?

As we previously stated, a number of variables, including the desired platform, the features and functionalities included, the development technology, and the size of the game, have a significant impact on the cost of developing mobile games. Additionally, the price varies from company to company according on area and region.

It may cost you extra to create a game with all the cutting-edge visuals, difficult features, and capabilities that support numerous platforms. Less demands will result in a lower pricing.

How Can a Game App Be Profitable?

To ensure that you can make money when people download or use your app frequently, you should add a monetization strategy to mobile game apps. The following are the most popular app monetization strategies you can select for app development:

  1. In-App Purchases: Most mobile app developers use this common monetization technique, which involves adding features to an app that require actual money from consumers. Users of these apps can download them for free, but some locked features cost real money to utilize.
  2. Membership: Users must pay a set amount each month to subscribe to an app, which is the most popular and straightforward monetization strategy. Users won’t mind paying the membership fees no matter how expensive the app is if it has plenty of features and is profitable.
  3. Promotion: If you are a serious gamer, it must be your least preferred kind of revenue generation. After all, nobody likes to be bothered while a game is in progress. But this is one of the most effective ways to monetize their game applications. Additionally, it encourages players to upgrade to the game’s premium edition without additional commercials.
  4. Freemium: Users can get the free version of the premium apps without having to pay any more money. However, users will prompt you to buy the premium edition if you begin using the features and making an effort in the game. It’s a recommended form of revenue generation because it aids in user evaluation and comprehension of a mobile game’s worth.

A Conclusion

A strong team of professionals is required for the fantastic process of creating a mobile game. The destiny of your mobile game is decided by the choice of the mobile game development business. Make sure you receive the desired level of service for the price you are paying. Look at many mobile app development businesses, then pick the one that offers the best service at the most affordable price.

if you’re looking for affordable solutions for your business needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at[email protected]. We atWan Buffer Servicesstrive to provide the best services to our clients with our team of experts. We are committed to helping businesses achieve their goals with innovative and cost-effective solutions.Contact ustoday to learn more about our services and how we can help you grow your business

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