Mobile gaming fans will already know that the ubiquitous Candy Crush Saga is celebrating its 10th birthday here in 2022. One of the most enduring and influential created since 2012, this mobile gaming app has been downloaded over three billion times. Every year, millions of gamers just can’t get enough of its compelling and devastatingly simple gameplay; swiping, matching and destroying the neon-hued sweets that flood onto the smartphone screens.
10 years is a long timespan by any standard, but this is especially true in the gaming industry. Each segment of the industry has undergone massive growth since then, with new innovations springing up that have pushed the boundaries of gaming tech.
In this article, we’ll take a look back at four other influential games, platforms, and gaming apps that have changed the course of play over the decade.
Fortnite Battle Royale
Ok, so Epic Games’ monster hit wasn’t the first battle royale game to exist, but it was certainly the one that put the genre on the map and elevated it to legendary status. Fortnite had been entertaining gaming fans since 2011, but the addition of the battle royale element in 2017 had the gaming world in its thrall.
During the past five years, Fortnite Battle Royale fever has shown no signs of cooling off. The 2019 Fortnite World Cup saw brand new records being set for prize pools, while the game’s pioneering virtual concerts have set the blueprint for other games to follow suit.
PokerStars Casino
Released by the renowned global poker brand and bursting onto the scene in the mid-2010s, the PokerStars Casino platform played a major role in kickstarting the iGaming revolution. Offering players a considerable array of digital and live casino games, it quickly became the platform of choice for adult gamers seeking the thrill of the casino from the comfort of home. In particular, its library of online slots is still one of the most impressive in the sector.
PokerStars Casino has also excelled at providing live casino gaming options for online players. In these games, real dealers run classic casino games like blackjack and roulette via video link. This innovation brings the casino experience even closer to home.
Google Stadia
It’s not without its faults and was hardly the cloud gaming success story both the gaming world and the tech giant hoped it would be, but there’s no denying the impact that Google Stadia has had over the past three years. Stadia may be closing its digital doors come January 2023, but the attempt to catalyze cloud gaming was a bold move that inspired others to follow suit.
The problem with this particular gaming innovation is that it is a big risk. The costs associated with rollout can be high and there’s no guarantee that gaming audiences will even resonate with new developments. However, it’s risks like these that are the lifeblood of the industry and keep it from stagnating, even if they don’t always pan out as envisioned.
Pokemon Go
Candy Crush Saga wasn’t the only mobile gaming app to have a massive impact during the past decade. There’s a certain mobile game that spurred on mainstream adoption of augmented reality tech.
Arguably one of the biggest gaming success stories in modern history, Pokemon Go reigns supreme as a truly influential hybrid gaming app. This wasn’t a game that purely entertained. Thanks to its AR functionalities, it got gamers up from the couch into the real world as they were charged with hunting brand new Pokemon in the great outdoors.
Given the roaring success of the game, it should come as no surprise to learn that it set record after record. The Guinness World Book of Records listed five new Pokemon Go records during the first few months of its launch in July 2016 alone, including ‘most revenue grossed by a mobile game in its first month’ and ‘most downloaded mobile game in its first month.
So there we have it. Four of the most impactful mobile gaming apps, video games and digital platforms to have been released since the dawn of Candy Crush Saga back in 2012. Of course, gaming tech evolves at a breakneck speed, so don’t be surprised to see even more advanced gaming experiences hit our devices over the next decade.
