Mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes has, since its release in 2015, become one of the most popular spin-offs inspired by the blockbuster movie franchise. At the height of its success the collectable RPG from EA earned $63.6 million in the second quarter of 2017. The following year it was providing EA with 29% of its total mobile gaming revenue share. And Galaxy of Heroes for Android and iOS devices has continued to prove attractive to mobile gamers with 2019’s revenues falling just short of $200 million. Last summer, it was revealed the game had surpassed 80 million players.
Star Wars’ presence in mobile gaming
Erik Kain, in an article in Forbes, sung the praises of last year’s Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order because, as he put it, the newly released game showed there was still an audience for Star Wars spin-offs that were not “mobile” or part of the “Battlefront” series. It revealed an element of mobile-game overload on his part. But Kain’s bitterness, fuelled by EA’s persistent habit of announcing compelling new products only to cancel them before they’ve seen the light of day, is largely due to the wait Star Wars fans have had in anticipation of an exciting new adventure.
But could the future of Star Wars gaming be dominated by mobile-based releases? It makes sense. After all, you can’t overlook the financial success of Galaxy of Heroes nor the similar popularity for other Star Wars inspired games. Knight of the Old Republic, Commander, Star Wars Pinball 7, and X-Wing Flight are just some of the most played mobile Star Wars games in 2020. We even witnessed a new Android and iOS competitive strategy game released too – LEGO Star Wars Battles.
Last year, mobile gaming revenues made up 45% of the total gaming market. A 10.2% year-on-year increase, this has prompted huge investment in the market. The success of Galaxy of Heroes is due to a number of factors, not least how the game promotes longevity through its sense of community. It also boasts notoriety thanks to its movie affiliation and, crucially, it’s played on a device the vast majority of its target audience possesses. In other words, you don’t have to stump up the cash for an expensive console to be a part of the Galaxy of Heroes world.
Expanding market
It’s also hugely convenient. Gamers are used to picking up their phones to do a wide variety of tasks. It’s understandable why in 2019, an estimated 2.4 billion people played games on their phones with time spent on mobile devices outpacing that of TV.
But it’s not just video games that have noticed this cultural shift towards the use of mobile devices. Banking via smartphones outpaced online banking for the first time in 2019, and now over half of users carry out their online shopping through a mobile app.
Experiencing similar growth, the global iGaming market is expecting mobile use to rise 19% between 2017 and 2021 according to research published by Technavio. As well as investing in new games to boost choice, particularly exampled by the huge range of video slots available, operators like Betway have optimized their slots for mobile through a dedicated app.
Galaxy of Heroes and beyond
While EA, which has a deal with Disney to develop games for the Star Wars franchise until at least 2023, will point to its successes with console releases like Battlefront II, the company is clearly acknowledging the allure of mobile content. New game development may now be driven by the fact Galaxy of Heroes is beginning to come to the end of its natural lifespan, at least in its current guise.
EA may decide to update the existing game. It’s still profitable after all. But as a wide variety of new releases appear (including a slew of alternative options such as a card trading app, lightsaber simulators and AR experiences associated with Star Wars), the video game powerhouse may well seek to unveil unique adventures that are distinguished from the crowd. Indeed, we already know it’s close to releasing the strategy-based Star Wars: Rise to Power for mobile devices. It’s further indication that EA has firmly set its sights on the market.
