Testing Device Coverage and Localization: Two Key Trends for the Gaming Industry

With the steady growth of the gaming industry worldwide and the emergence of new technologies, it is tempting for brands to try out new features and develop new platforms.

However, it is important for the gaming industry to not only focus on upcoming trends, but also to deeply understand the needs of their users. Without knowing who their gamers are, where they are and how they play, even the most successful game manufacturers won’t be able to keep up.

Let’s take a closer look at two well-known facts in the global gaming industry pinpointed by some of Newzoo’s studies and understand how the gaming industry can leverage them to expand their presence in the upcoming years.

Trend No.1: The Rise of Mobile Gaming

The worldwide gaming industry is expected to reach more than $180 billion by 2021, reflecting the constant growth of interest and software/hardware combinations. Already, half of global gaming revenue is generated by mobile games, and this number is expected to rise to 59% by 2021.

Keeping this impressive growth rate in mind, it is necessary for game manufacturers to develop their mobile offers. Whether on smartphones or tablets, implementing games that are playable on the most popular device/hardware combinations has become a key step for these brands to evolve.

This article written by Daniel Knott can help you understand what mobile users really expect from their apps.

Trend No.2: Gaming in the APAC Territories

According to Newzoo’s study, Asia-Pacific territories represent the biggest segment of gamers, capturing about half of the global gaming revenues in 2018. China is currently the top-ranked country in terms of revenues and number of game users. Japan occupies the third spot of the ranking in terms of revenues, with its mobile games market now being nearly the same size as North America’s.

With those figures in mind, localizing content and features for specific regions and countries is now a key aspect for gaming brands. Game manufacturers benefit in many ways from their localization efforts – from higher app store rankings to driving better engagement and loyalty, the advantages are obvious.

A concrete example: Kahoot!

As a visionary game-based learning platform, Kahoot! evolved fast since its launch in March 2013. With a growing amount of users all around the world, the Norway-based company has been on a mission to unlock the deepest potential of each and every learner by making learning fun, inclusive, engaging and shareable through games.

Following its mission to allow everyone to learn – from school kids to employees and teachers – Kahoot! has always given the highest level of priority to offering a qualitative mobile experience in every region and context, for every user and on each possible OS/device combination.

As mentioned previously, when talking about ensuring the best quality across regions and devices, one essential aspect is to know how an app is being used by collecting valuable feedback. That’s where real-world testing can help. Kahoot! has chosen to implement a remarkable testing strategy for its different apps and platform. By using crowdtesting as an extension of its QA team, Kahoot! is able to receive high quality feedback from the APAC territories and on specific OS/device combinations. Testers are able to pinpoint specific bugs and help improve the digital quality of Kahoot!’s platforms, enabling the company to deliver a flawless digital experience.

Learn more about Kahoot!’s successful crowdtesting strategy in our latest case study: