<s>
The	O
popularisation	O
of	O
mobile	B-Application
games	I-Application
began	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
1997	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
Snake	B-Application
preloaded	O
on	O
Nokia	O
feature	O
phones	O
,	O
demonstrating	O
the	O
practicality	O
of	O
games	O
on	O
these	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
mobile	O
device	O
manufacturers	O
included	O
preloaded	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
wake	O
of	O
Snake	B-Application
's	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
i-mode	O
service	O
in	O
Japan	O
allowed	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
more	O
advanced	O
mobile	B-Application
games	I-Application
to	O
be	O
downloaded	O
onto	O
smartphones	B-Application
,	O
though	O
the	O
service	O
was	O
largely	O
limited	O
to	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
and	O
its	O
dedicated	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
provided	O
a	O
standard	O
means	O
for	O
developers	O
of	O
any	O
size	O
to	O
develop	O
and	O
publish	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
popular	O
smartphone	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
early	O
success	O
stories	O
from	O
app	O
developers	O
in	O
the	O
wake	O
of	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
's	O
launch	O
in	O
2008	O
attracted	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
developers	O
to	O
speculate	O
on	O
the	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
initial	O
games	O
were	O
published	O
as	O
premium	O
(	O
pay-once	O
)	O
titles	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
in	O
October	O
2009	O
allowed	O
games	O
to	O
try	O
other	O
models	O
,	O
with	O
notable	O
successes	O
Angry	B-Application
Birds	I-Application
and	O
Cut	B-Application
the	I-Application
Rope	I-Application
using	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
free-to-try	O
and	O
ad-supported	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
's	O
success	O
with	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
drastically	O
altered	O
the	O
mobile	O
landscape	O
and	O
within	O
a	O
few	O
years	O
left	O
only	O
its	O
and	O
Google	O
's	O
Android-based	O
smartphones	B-Application
using	O
its	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
as	O
the	O
dominant	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
major	O
transition	O
in	O
game	O
monetization	O
came	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
and	O
Puzzle	B-Application
&	I-Application
Dragons	I-Application
,	O
taking	O
gameplay	O
concepts	O
from	O
social-network	O
games	O
which	O
generally	O
required	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
wait	O
some	O
length	O
of	O
time	O
after	O
exhausting	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
turns	O
for	O
a	O
day	O
,	O
and	O
offering	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
to	O
refresh	O
their	O
energy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
games	O
generated	O
revenue	O
numbers	O
previously	O
unseen	O
in	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
sector	O
,	O
and	O
became	O
the	O
standard	O
for	O
many	O
freemium	O
games	O
that	O
followed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
recent	O
trends	O
have	O
included	O
hyper-casual	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Crossy	B-Application
Road	I-Application
and	O
location-based	O
games	O
like	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Go	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
precursors	O
of	O
mobile	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
include	O
handheld	B-Application
electronic	I-Application
games	I-Application
and	O
early	O
handheld	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
,	O
though	O
these	O
devices	O
were	O
always	O
game-oriented	O
with	O
nearly	O
no	O
utility	O
function	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
's	O
Gunpei	O
Yokoi	O
had	O
conceived	O
of	O
their	O
Game	B-Device
&	I-Device
Watch	I-Device
line	O
-	O
handheld	B-Application
games	I-Application
that	O
also	O
served	O
as	O
a	O
digital	O
timepiece	O
-	O
after	O
seeing	O
a	O
bored	O
businessman	O
on	O
a	O
commuter	O
train	O
pass	O
time	O
by	O
using	O
a	O
calculator	O
to	O
play	O
makeshift	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Personal	B-Application
digital	I-Application
assistants	I-Application
(	O
PDAs	B-Application
)	O
,	O
precursors	O
themselves	O
to	O
modern	O
smartphones	B-Application
,	O
arrived	O
in	O
1984	O
,	O
and	O
early	O
models	O
included	O
built-in	O
or	O
add-ons	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
with	O
the	O
Sharp	B-Application
Wizard	I-Application
in	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
most	O
PDAs	B-Application
used	O
low	O
resolution	O
monochromatic	O
liquid	B-Device
crystal	I-Device
display	I-Device
(	O
LCD	B-Device
)	O
s	O
designed	O
for	O
displaying	O
text	O
over	O
graphics	O
,	O
these	O
gamed	O
tended	O
to	O
be	O
simple	O
,	O
which	O
included	O
block	O
or	O
tile	O
games	O
like	O
Tetris	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
types	O
of	O
games	O
carried	O
over	O
into	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
earlier	O
smartphone	B-Application
models	O
but	O
did	O
not	O
have	O
as	O
much	O
popularity	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
on	O
the	O
Hagenuk	O
MT-2000	O
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Nokia	O
introduced	O
its	O
Nokia	O
6110	O
mobile	O
phone	O
which	O
included	O
a	O
variation	O
of	O
Snake	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Snake	B-Application
proved	O
to	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
phone	O
's	O
popular	O
features	O
,	O
and	O
Nokia	O
continued	O
to	O
include	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
variation	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
on	O
nearly	O
every	O
phone	O
it	O
released	O
since	O
,	O
with	O
about	O
400	O
million	O
devices	O
shipped	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
installed	O
as	O
of	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
NTT	O
Docomo	O
launched	O
the	O
i-mode	O
mobile	O
platform	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
allowing	O
mobile	B-Application
games	I-Application
to	O
be	O
downloaded	O
onto	O
smartphones	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
Japanese	O
video	O
game	O
developers	O
announced	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
i-mode	O
platform	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Konami	O
announcing	O
its	O
dating	O
simulation	O
Tokimeki	B-Application
Memorial	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
same	O
year	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
and	O
Bandai	O
were	O
developing	O
mobile	O
phone	O
adapters	O
for	O
their	O
handheld	B-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
,	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
and	O
WonderSwan	B-Operating_System
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2001	O
,	O
i-mode	O
had	O
users	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
more	O
advanced	O
handsets	O
with	O
graphics	O
comparable	O
to	O
8-bit	B-Application
consoles	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
games	O
were	O
available	O
for	O
the	O
i-mode	O
service	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
announcements	O
from	O
established	O
video	O
game	O
developers	O
such	O
as	O
Taito	O
,	O
Konami	O
,	O
Namco	O
,	O
and	O
Hudson	O
Soft	O
,	O
including	O
ports	O
of	O
classic	O
arcade	O
games	O
and	O
8-bit	O
console	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Snake	B-Application
showed	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
viable	O
interest	O
in	O
expanding	O
the	O
capabilities	O
of	O
mobile	O
phones	O
for	O
gaming	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
Wireless	B-Protocol
Application	I-Protocol
Protocol	I-Protocol
(	O
WAP	O
)	O
,	O
many	O
mobile	O
phones	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
access	O
limited	O
browser-based	B-Protocol
games	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
later	O
downloading	O
new	O
apps	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
purchased	O
from	O
their	O
wireless	O
carrier	O
or	O
a	O
third	O
party	O
distributor	O
to	O
use	O
on	O
their	O
phone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
software	O
platform	O
standards	O
,	O
like	O
J2ME	O
,	O
Macromedia	B-Operating_System
Flash	I-Operating_System
Lite	I-Operating_System
,	O
DoJa	B-Language
,	O
and	O
Binary	B-Application
Runtime	I-Application
Environment	I-Application
for	I-Application
Wireless	I-Application
(	O
BREW	O
)	O
,	O
existed	O
,	O
the	O
implementations	O
of	O
which	O
varied	O
by	O
phone	O
manufacturer	O
and	O
model	O
,	O
further	O
limiting	O
portability	O
of	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
discoverability	O
was	O
further	O
complicated	O
by	O
the	O
limitations	O
of	O
the	O
early	O
mobile	O
internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
2007	O
,	O
Japan	O
was	O
the	O
leading	O
developer	O
for	O
games	O
on	O
handsets	O
since	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
primary	O
handset	O
developers	O
were	O
located	O
there	O
and	O
smartphones	B-Application
had	O
a	O
greater	O
proliferation	O
among	O
the	O
population	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
handheld	B-Application
consoles	I-Application
still	O
typically	O
offered	O
superior	O
gaming	O
experiences	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
limited	O
smartphone	B-Application
games	O
;	O
Nintendo	O
had	O
released	O
its	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
in	O
2001	O
as	O
a	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
widely	O
popular	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
try	O
to	O
merge	O
the	O
two	O
markets	O
,	O
Nokia	O
released	O
the	O
N-Gage	B-Device
in	O
2003	O
,	O
designed	O
as	O
both	O
a	O
handheld	B-Application
console	I-Application
and	O
a	O
phone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
N-Gage	B-Device
was	O
able	O
to	O
offer	O
similar	O
video	O
games	O
as	O
the	O
Advance	O
,	O
but	O
even	O
with	O
its	O
N-Gage	B-Application
QD	I-Application
redesign	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
the	O
unit	O
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
failure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
had	O
been	O
an	O
early	O
player	O
in	O
the	O
PDA	B-Application
market	O
with	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
Newton	I-Device
,	O
but	O
Steve	O
Jobs	O
had	O
discontinued	O
the	O
line	O
in	O
1998	O
to	O
focus	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
hardware	O
towards	O
devices	O
like	O
the	O
iMac	B-Device
and	O
iPod	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Under	O
Jobs	O
 '	O
direction	O
,	O
the	O
same	O
teams	O
worked	O
to	O
develop	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
Apple	O
first	O
released	O
in	O
June	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
key	O
hardware	O
features	O
in	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
was	O
a	O
large	O
random	B-Architecture
access	I-Architecture
memory	I-Architecture
(	O
RAM	B-Architecture
)	O
size	O
compared	O
to	O
most	O
other	O
smartphones	B-Application
on	O
the	O
market	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
larger	O
screen	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
capable	O
of	O
running	O
more	O
complex	O
apps	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
operating	O
system	O
that	O
could	O
handle	O
multitasking	B-Operating_System
,	O
far	O
surpassing	O
any	O
other	O
device	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
also	O
included	O
various	O
sensors	O
such	O
as	O
an	O
accelerometer	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
included	O
a	O
capacitive	O
touchscreen	O
that	O
did	O
not	O
require	O
any	O
stylus	B-Operating_System
and	O
could	O
be	O
controlled	O
by	O
a	O
finger	O
,	O
with	O
later	O
models	O
adding	O
support	O
for	O
multipoint	O
sensing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
alongside	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
3G	I-Operating_System
,	O
Apple	O
released	O
an	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
OS	O
software	B-Application
development	I-Application
kit	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
developers	O
to	O
officially	O
and	O
inexpensively	O
develop	O
native	O
apps	O
(	O
whereas	O
previously	O
,	O
only	O
web	O
apps	O
were	O
allowed	O
and	O
native	O
apps	O
could	O
only	O
be	O
installed	O
through	O
jailbreaking	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
could	O
be	O
published	O
through	O
the	O
newly	O
available	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developers	O
,	O
including	O
game	O
developers	O
,	O
rushed	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
figured	O
doubled	O
three	O
months	O
later	O
(	O
circa	O
March	O
2009	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
November	O
2009	O
,	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
had	O
over	O
100,000	O
apps	O
with	O
over	O
2	O
billion	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gaming	O
applications	O
were	O
one	O
major	O
area	O
that	O
found	O
success	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
such	O
early	O
success	O
was	O
Trism	B-Operating_System
,	O
a	O
tile-matching	O
game	O
incorporating	O
the	O
phone	O
's	O
accelerometer	O
released	O
near	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
launch	O
developed	O
by	O
a	O
single	O
person	O
,	O
Steve	O
Demeter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Demeter	O
had	O
priced	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
,	O
and	O
within	O
two	O
months	O
of	O
launch	O
,	O
had	O
made	O
in	O
profit	O
,	O
and	O
Demeter	O
was	O
highly	O
publicized	O
as	O
a	O
rags	B-Application
to	I-Application
riches	I-Application
story	O
on	O
the	O
lucrative	O
nature	O
of	O
developing	O
for	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
early	O
success	O
was	O
Tap	B-Language
Tap	I-Language
Revenge	I-Language
,	O
a	O
rhythm	O
game	O
by	O
Tapulous	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
was	O
released	O
at	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
's	O
launch	O
and	O
saw	O
over	O
one	O
million	O
downloads	O
in	O
20	O
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PopCap	O
Games	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
already	O
had	O
success	O
with	O
a	O
line	O
of	O
computer	O
and	O
browser-based	O
puzzle	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Bejeweled	B-Device
,	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
companies	O
to	O
transition	O
their	O
products	O
to	O
mobile	O
versions	O
in	O
2009	O
which	O
helped	O
them	O
to	O
rapidly	O
grow	O
their	O
mobile	O
business	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
their	O
acquisition	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
in	O
2011	O
as	O
to	O
allow	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
to	O
compete	O
in	O
the	O
mobile	O
and	O
casual	O
games	O
area	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beyond	O
games	O
,	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
and	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
caused	O
most	O
other	O
smartphone	B-Application
manufacturers	O
to	O
abandon	O
their	O
own	O
attempts	O
to	O
build	O
out	O
a	O
more	O
sophisticated	O
smartphone	B-Application
environment	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
BlackBerry	B-Operating_System
and	O
Symbian	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
BlackBerry	B-Operating_System
had	O
attempted	O
to	O
release	O
its	O
own	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
but	O
failed	O
to	O
gain	O
the	O
success	O
as	O
Apple	O
's	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
two	O
major	O
competitors	O
remained	O
after	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
's	O
introduction	O
,	O
the	O
Android-based	O
devices	O
(	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Java	O
language	O
)	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
operating	O
system	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
developed	O
by	O
Google	O
,	O
and	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
by	O
Microsoft	O
which	O
has	O
close	O
interoperability	O
with	O
its	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
took	O
up	O
the	O
same	O
approach	O
as	O
Apple	O
,	O
introducing	O
app	B-Application
stores	I-Application
in	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Application
Phone	I-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
respectively	O
,	O
with	O
similar	O
developer	O
policies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultimately	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
ceased	O
active	O
development	O
of	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
,	O
leaving	O
iOS	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
as	O
the	O
principle	O
players	O
in	O
the	O
mobile	O
operating	O
system	O
and	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
launch	O
,	O
the	O
iOS	B-Application
App	I-Application
Store	I-Application
only	O
allowed	O
single-time	O
purchases	O
of	O
apps	O
akin	O
to	O
how	O
one	O
purchased	O
music	O
from	O
iTunes	B-Operating_System
,	O
so	O
most	O
games	O
were	O
purchased	O
on	O
the	O
traditional	O
"	O
premium	O
"	O
model	O
,	O
buying	O
the	O
game	O
upfront	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2009	O
,	O
the	O
store	O
introduced	O
"	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
"	O
(	O
IAP	O
)	O
,	O
microtransactions	O
that	O
an	O
app	O
could	O
offer	O
with	O
the	O
transaction	O
made	O
through	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
's	O
storefront	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
existing	O
app	O
devs	O
were	O
savvy	O
to	O
jump	O
on	O
this	O
;	O
Tapulous	O
released	O
Tap	B-Language
Tap	I-Language
Revenge	I-Language
3	O
shortly	O
after	O
this	O
change	O
that	O
included	O
IAP	O
to	O
obtain	O
new	O
songs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
IAPs	O
were	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
store	I-Application
on	O
Android	B-Application
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2009	O
,	O
Rovio	O
Entertainment	O
released	O
Angry	B-Application
Birds	I-Application
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
a	O
physics-based	O
game	O
involving	O
launching	O
cartoonish	O
birds	O
at	O
structures	O
occupied	O
by	O
pigs	O
that	O
have	O
stolen	O
their	O
eggs	O
as	O
to	O
do	O
as	O
much	O
damage	O
as	O
possible	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
browser	B-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
Crush	B-Operating_System
the	I-Operating_System
Castle	I-Operating_System
and	O
others	O
like	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Rovio	O
ported	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
they	O
introduced	O
an	O
ad-supported	O
version	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
downloaded	O
for	O
free	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
user	O
could	O
pay	O
to	O
remove	O
the	O
ads	O
,	O
such	O
that	O
Rovio	O
gained	O
revenue	O
from	O
both	O
the	O
IAP	O
and	O
the	O
ads	O
,	O
which	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
's	O
release	O
in	O
October	O
2010	O
,	O
was	O
estimated	O
to	O
be	O
about	O
a	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
game	O
,	O
Cut	B-Application
the	I-Application
Rope	I-Application
,	O
released	O
on	O
both	O
iOS	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
followed	O
a	O
model	O
of	O
releasing	O
a	O
free	O
version	O
with	O
a	O
few	O
levels	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
an	O
in-game	O
purchase	O
to	O
unlock	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
fastest-selling	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
iOS	B-Application
App	I-Application
Store	I-Application
at	O
that	O
time	O
according	O
to	O
its	O
publisher	O
Chillingo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
development	O
was	O
also	O
not	O
limited	O
to	O
the	O
English-speaking	O
world	O
,	O
as	O
Japan	O
and	O
many	O
Asian	O
countries	O
had	O
an	O
active	O
mobile	O
development	O
scene	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
app	B-Application
stores	I-Application
on	O
iOS	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
had	O
regional	O
distinctions	O
,	O
apps	O
developed	O
in	O
different	O
regions	O
typically	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
available	O
in	O
others	O
unless	O
translated	O
or	O
localized	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
computer	O
costs	O
remained	O
high	O
and	O
importing	O
consoles	O
were	O
difficult	O
,	O
so	O
many	O
used	O
PC	O
bangs	O
,	O
giving	O
rise	O
to	O
free-to-play	O
or	O
subscription	O
based	O
games	O
like	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
games	I-Application
(	O
MMOs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
China	O
is	O
also	O
recognized	O
for	O
creating	O
social-network	O
games	O
with	O
Happy	B-Protocol
Farm	I-Protocol
,	O
developed	O
by	O
5	O
Minutes	O
in	O
2008	O
,	O
which	O
served	O
as	O
direct	O
inspiration	O
for	O
FarmVille	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
further	O
introduced	O
the	O
iPad	B-Device
in	O
2010	O
,	O
its	O
tablet	B-Device
computer	I-Device
based	O
on	O
similar	O
design	O
principles	O
as	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
tablets	B-Device
had	O
existed	O
before	O
as	O
descendants	O
of	O
PDAs	B-Application
,	O
the	O
iPad	B-Device
was	O
the	O
first	O
tablet	B-Device
to	O
achieve	O
mass-market	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Part	O
of	O
the	O
iPad	B-Device
's	O
success	O
was	O
using	O
iOS	O
for	O
its	O
operating	O
system	O
,	O
assuring	O
that	O
all	O
apps	O
and	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
worked	O
for	O
the	O
iPad	B-Device
as	O
they	O
did	O
for	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Android-based	O
phone	O
manufacturers	O
followed	O
suit	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
suite	O
of	O
Android-based	O
tablet	B-Device
in	O
the	O
years	O
that	O
followed	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
similar	O
dichotomy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
developers	O
had	O
a	O
whole	O
new	O
audience	O
available	O
to	O
them	O
without	O
any	O
extra	O
work	O
,	O
while	O
others	O
saw	O
potential	O
in	O
tablet-based	O
games	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
larger	O
screen	O
space	O
that	O
they	O
offered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amazon	B-Application
developed	O
its	O
own	O
Amazon	B-Application
Fire	I-Application
tablet	I-Application
first	O
released	O
in	O
2011	O
with	O
Quanta	O
Computer	O
with	O
its	O
own	O
customized	O
version	O
of	O
Android	B-Application
as	O
a	O
means	O
to	O
offer	O
digital	O
products	O
from	O
its	O
storefront	O
to	O
users	O
which	O
included	O
apps	O
and	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
casual	O
games	O
like	O
Angry	B-Application
Birds	I-Application
and	O
Cut	B-Application
the	I-Application
Rope	I-Application
were	O
gaining	O
success	O
on	O
mobile	O
devices	O
,	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
new	O
social	O
network	O
sites	O
using	O
advanced	O
web	O
browser	O
technology	O
on	O
personal	O
computers	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Facebook	B-Application
,	O
gave	O
rise	O
to	O
free-to-play	O
browser	B-Protocol
games	I-Protocol
and	O
social-network	O
games	O
,	O
generally	O
supported	O
by	O
ads	O
on	O
the	O
hosting	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
notable	O
examples	O
of	O
these	O
is	O
Zynga	O
's	O
FarmVille	B-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
could	O
engage	O
their	O
Facebook	B-Application
friends	O
to	O
ask	O
for	O
extra	O
actions	O
,	O
and	O
give	O
extra	O
actions	O
back	O
when	O
requested	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zygna	O
's	O
success	O
with	O
Farmville	B-Application
drew	O
gamers	O
away	O
from	O
non-social	O
browser	B-Protocol
games	I-Protocol
on	O
portal	O
sites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
King	O
,	O
who	O
ran	O
one	O
such	O
portal	O
site	O
,	O
was	O
impacted	O
by	O
this	O
and	O
decided	O
to	O
change	O
their	O
own	O
model	O
to	O
incorporate	O
Facebook	B-Application
games	O
that	O
worked	O
alongside	O
their	O
portal	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bubble	O
Witch	O
Saga	O
used	O
mechanics	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
older	O
game	O
Puzzle	B-Application
Bobble	I-Application
,	O
where	O
players	O
shot	O
colored	O
orbs	O
to	O
clear	O
away	O
matching	O
orbs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
to	O
avoid	O
the	O
drawn-out	O
gameplay	O
that	O
FarmVille	B-Application
was	O
noted	O
for	O
,	O
King	O
introduced	O
the	O
"	O
saga	O
"	O
model	O
;	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
divided	O
into	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
levels	O
which	O
each	O
was	O
effectively	O
a	O
puzzle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
they	O
did	O
this	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
continue	O
,	O
but	O
otherwise	O
they	O
lose	O
one	O
"	O
life	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
these	O
lives	O
would	O
regenerated	O
in	O
real-time	O
,	O
or	O
players	O
could	O
ask	O
friends	O
on	O
Facebook	B-Application
for	O
free	O
lives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
January	O
2012	O
,	O
Bubble	O
Witch	O
Saga	O
had	O
over	O
10	O
million	O
players	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
fastest-growing	O
game	O
on	O
Facebook	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
King	O
followed	O
this	O
with	O
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
on	O
its	O
portal	O
and	O
Facebook	B-Application
by	O
April	O
2012	O
,	O
a	O
more	O
direct	O
tile-matching	O
game	O
but	O
using	O
the	O
same	O
"	O
saga	O
"	O
approach	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
enjoyed	O
similar	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Buoyed	O
by	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
these	O
games	O
,	O
King	O
opted	O
to	O
enter	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
market	O
with	O
these	O
titles	O
,	O
developing	O
ad-supported	O
versions	O
for	O
iOS	O
that	O
synchronized	O
with	O
the	O
portal	O
and	O
Facebook	B-Application
versions	O
;	O
Bubble	O
Witch	O
Saga	O
for	O
mobile	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
July	O
2012	O
,	O
and	O
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
in	O
October	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
games	O
still	O
integrated	O
with	O
Facebook	B-Application
to	O
ask	O
their	O
friends	O
for	O
lives	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
included	O
an	O
in-app	O
purchase	O
to	O
fully	O
restore	O
one	O
's	O
lives	O
or	O
on	O
special	O
powerup	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
still	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
playable	O
without	O
having	O
to	O
purchase	O
these	O
,	O
and	O
70%	O
of	O
the	O
players	O
had	O
been	O
able	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
to	O
the	O
final	O
level	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
(	O
as	O
of	O
September	O
2013	O
)	O
without	O
spending	O
any	O
money	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
proved	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
more	O
popular	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2013	O
,	O
King	O
had	O
seen	O
over	O
400	O
million	O
new	O
players	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
their	O
revenues	O
had	O
jumped	O
from	O
in	O
2011	O
to	O
from	O
advertising	O
revenue	O
and	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
King	O
's	O
success	O
with	O
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
created	O
the	O
freemium	O
model	O
that	O
numerous	O
mobile	B-Application
games	I-Application
that	O
followed	O
used	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Separately	O
,	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
developer	O
GungHo	O
Online	O
Entertainment	O
had	O
released	O
Puzzle	B-Application
&	I-Application
Dragons	I-Application
in	O
February	O
2012	O
first	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
a	O
tile-matching	O
game	O
with	O
some	O
role-playing	O
elements	O
that	O
including	O
improving	O
one	O
's	O
team	O
of	O
"	O
monsters	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
used	O
regenerable	O
"	O
stamina	O
"	O
to	O
limit	O
how	O
many	O
times	O
the	O
player	O
could	O
play	O
in	O
a	O
row	O
,	O
but	O
could	O
use	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
to	O
immediately	O
restore	O
their	O
stamina	O
,	O
or	O
obtain	O
other	O
forms	O
of	O
in-game	O
currency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
News	O
of	O
these	O
numbers	O
caused	O
GungHo	O
's	O
stock	O
market	O
capitalization	O
to	O
rise	O
sharply	O
in	O
October	O
as	O
to	O
surpass	O
that	O
of	O
Nintendo	O
at	O
around	O
,	O
and	O
further	O
establishing	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
freemium	O
model	O
for	O
mobile	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
,	O
Apple	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
secure	O
deals	O
to	O
distribute	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
cheaply	O
in	O
China	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
the	O
feature	O
set	O
and	O
its	O
relatively	O
low	O
cost	O
compared	O
to	O
a	O
computer	O
,	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
became	O
nearly	O
ubiquitous	O
for	O
many	O
Chinese	O
residents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
spurred	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
development	O
within	O
China	O
particularly	O
across	O
the	O
2013-2014	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
games	O
followed	O
the	O
established	O
freemium	O
models	O
from	O
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
and	O
Puzzle	B-Application
&	I-Application
Dragons	I-Application
,	O
using	O
a	O
mix	O
of	O
advertising	O
and	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
for	O
revenue	O
generation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chinese	O
publishers	O
and	O
developers	O
,	O
though	O
limited	O
by	O
the	O
type	O
of	O
content	O
that	O
they	O
can	O
release	O
within	O
the	O
country	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
government	O
's	O
oversight	O
of	O
the	O
media	O
,	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
publish	O
their	O
games	O
to	O
the	O
mobile	O
app	B-Application
stores	I-Application
to	O
release	O
their	O
titles	O
beyond	O
China	O
,	O
including	O
to	O
other	O
southeast	O
Asian	O
countries	O
or	O
globally	O
when	O
possible	O
,	O
which	O
helped	O
to	O
draw	O
in	O
additional	O
revenue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
also	O
led	O
to	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
larger	O
publishers	O
within	O
China	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Tencent	O
and	O
Perfect	O
World	O
Games	O
to	O
establish	O
foreign	O
subsidiaries	O
or	O
acquire	O
foreign	O
companies	O
to	O
make	O
them	O
subsidiaries	O
for	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
same	O
period	O
,	O
Supercell	O
released	O
Clash	B-Application
of	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
in	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Clash	B-Application
of	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
is	O
a	O
strategy	O
game	O
that	O
at	O
its	O
core	O
has	O
elements	O
of	O
city	O
management	O
and	O
tower	O
defense	O
as	O
the	O
player	O
oversees	O
a	O
fighting	O
clan	O
's	O
home	O
base	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Clash	O
of	O
Clan	O
retains	O
similar	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
as	O
with	O
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
and	O
Puzzle	B-Application
&	I-Application
Dragons	I-Application
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
rush	O
certain	O
building	O
objectives	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
weigh	O
heavily	O
on	O
social	O
engagement	O
similar	O
to	O
MMOs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Supercell	O
considered	O
part	O
of	O
its	O
success	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
draw	O
in	O
both	O
casual	O
and	O
hardcore	O
games	O
with	O
the	O
Clash	B-Application
of	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Clash	B-Application
of	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
inspired	O
numerous	O
other	O
games	O
that	O
gave	O
a	O
simulated	O
multiplayer	O
experience	O
,	O
including	O
Game	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
:	I-Application
Fire	I-Application
Age	I-Application
and	O
Empires	B-Application
&	I-Application
Allies	I-Application
that	O
typically	O
required	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
time	O
commitment	O
and	O
a	O
deeper	O
understanding	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
rules	O
to	O
be	O
successful	O
but	O
still	O
could	O
be	O
played	O
in	O
a	O
casual	O
manner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
China	O
,	O
Tencent	O
released	O
Honor	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
in	O
2015	O
,	O
which	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
exported	O
to	O
other	O
markets	O
,	O
rebranded	O
as	O
Arena	B-Application
of	I-Application
Valor	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Honor/Arena	O
built	O
up	O
on	O
the	O
type	O
of	O
gameplay	O
found	O
in	O
League	B-Application
of	I-Application
Legends	I-Application
,	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
online	O
battle	O
arena	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
built	O
by	O
Riot	O
Games	O
,	O
an	O
American	O
company	O
which	O
Tencent	O
had	O
previously	O
acquired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Riot	O
had	O
believed	O
that	O
League	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
replicated	O
on	O
mobile	O
devices	O
,	O
leading	O
Tencent	O
and	O
its	O
Chinese	O
studio	O
TiMi	O
Studios	O
to	O
develop	O
Honor	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
its	O
international	O
release	O
,	O
Honor	O
and	O
Arena	O
and	O
combined	O
have	O
remained	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top-grossing	O
mobile	B-Application
games	I-Application
overall	O
,	O
with	O
over	O
in	O
annual	O
revenue	O
in	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
And	O
in	O
2020	O
Riot	O
Games	O
did	O
make	O
mobile	O
versions	O
for	O
several	O
of	O
their	O
games	O
,	O
with	O
League	B-Application
of	I-Application
Legends	I-Application
being	O
one	O
of	O
them	O
but	O
with	O
a	O
different	O
name	O
,	O
Wild	O
Rift	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
early	O
2015	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
type	O
of	O
gaming	O
app	O
emerged	O
on	O
the	O
app	B-Application
stores	I-Application
,	O
called	O
hyper-casual	O
games	O
,	O
with	O
Crossy	B-Application
Road	I-Application
,	O
by	O
Hipster	O
Whale	O
considered	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
key	O
examples	O
in	O
this	O
period	O
,	O
though	O
earlier	O
games	O
like	O
Flappy	B-Application
Bird	I-Application
by	O
dotGears	O
in	O
2013	O
had	O
displayed	O
the	O
same	O
principles	O
in	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
case	O
of	O
Crossy	B-Application
Road	I-Application
,	O
the	O
goal	O
is	O
to	O
maneuver	O
a	O
character	O
as	O
far	O
as	O
possible	O
across	O
lanes	O
of	O
a	O
busy	O
road	O
and	O
avoiding	O
traffic	O
,	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
endless	O
game	O
of	O
Frogger	B-Application
,	O
earning	O
in-game	O
coins	O
based	O
on	O
distance	O
and	O
any	O
collected	O
coins	O
picked	O
up	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
unlock	O
new	O
characters	O
or	O
buy	O
power-ups	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
companies	O
soon	O
followed	O
to	O
build	O
on	O
the	O
hyper-casual	O
games	O
market	O
,	O
with	O
Voodoo	O
and	O
Ketchapp	O
among	O
those	O
releasing	O
a	O
new	O
wave	O
of	O
hyper-casual	O
games	O
with	O
similar	O
monetization	O
schemes	O
as	O
Crossy	B-Application
Road	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Often	O
these	O
games	O
were	O
reductions	O
of	O
other	O
gameplay	O
concepts	O
or	O
simple	O
expansions	O
of	O
more	O
trivial	O
games	O
:	O
Voodoo	O
's	O
Paper.io	O
was	O
effectively	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Snake	B-Application
and	O
its	O
later	O
Hole.io	B-Application
a	O
simpler	O
version	O
of	O
Donut	B-Application
County	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hyper-casual	O
games	O
have	O
continued	O
to	O
gain	O
popularity	O
,	O
both	O
as	O
easier	O
games	O
for	O
players	O
to	O
get	O
into	O
compared	O
to	O
titles	O
like	O
Clash	B-Application
of	I-Application
Clans	I-Application
,	O
and	O
typically	O
are	O
much	O
easier	O
and	O
cheaper	O
to	O
develop	O
,	O
and	O
are	O
said	O
to	O
have	O
disrupted	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
market	I-Application
as	O
much	O
as	O
Candy	B-Application
Crush	I-Application
Saga	I-Application
had	O
done	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
introduced	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Under	O
license	O
from	O
The	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Company	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
,	O
Niantic	O
released	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Go	I-Application
in	O
July	O
2016	O
as	O
a	O
freemium	O
app	O
for	O
mobile	O
phones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
already	O
had	O
experience	O
using	O
location-based	O
games	O
with	O
its	O
prior	O
Ingress	B-Application
title	O
,	O
Niantic	O
used	O
phones	O
 '	O
GPS	O
to	O
map	O
out	O
nearby	O
spots	O
close	O
to	O
players	O
where	O
they	O
could	O
find	O
and	O
try	O
to	O
capture	O
Pokémon	B-Application
to	O
which	O
they	O
could	O
then	O
use	O
at	O
virtual	O
local	O
Pokémon	B-Application
gyms	O
,	O
also	O
determined	O
by	O
GPS	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
game	O
,	O
Pokémon	B-Application
were	O
shown	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
using	O
augmented	B-General_Concept
reality	I-General_Concept
atop	O
the	O
camera	O
's	O
view	O
so	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
knew	O
they	O
had	O
found	O
the	O
Pokémon	B-Application
and	O
engage	O
in	O
its	O
capture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In-app	O
purchases	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
buy	O
improved	O
Pokéballs	O
used	O
to	O
capture	O
Pokémon	B-Application
and	O
other	O
powerups	O
and	O
items	O
to	O
help	O
one	O
's	O
Pokémon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pokémon	B-Application
Go	I-Application
had	O
record-breaking	O
numbers	O
of	O
players	O
,	O
with	O
both	O
its	O
initial	O
iOS	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
releases	O
seeing	O
over	O
100	O
million	O
players	O
worldwide	O
within	O
a	O
month	O
of	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
cultural	O
phenomena	O
for	O
several	O
months	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
wave	O
of	O
"	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Go	I-Application
Mania	O
"	O
,	O
or	O
"	O
Pokémania	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
also	O
led	O
to	O
several	O
incidents	O
where	O
due	O
to	O
how	O
Niantic	O
's	O
servers	O
has	O
planned	O
out	O
Pokémon	B-Application
spots	O
and	O
gyms	O
,	O
people	O
were	O
flocking	O
to	O
private	O
homes	O
and	O
sites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Go	I-Application
was	O
not	O
the	O
first	O
location-based	O
game	O
released	O
for	O
mobile	O
devices	O
,	O
it	O
established	O
a	O
fundamental	O
monetization	O
model	O
to	O
make	O
such	O
a	O
game	O
work	O
and	O
that	O
would	O
engage	O
the	O
user	O
in	O
physical	O
activity	O
in	O
moving	O
to	O
nearby	O
local	O
areas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
location-based	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
popular	O
properties	O
have	O
since	O
been	O
released	O
with	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
and	O
monetization	O
models	O
,	O
including	O
Harry	B-Application
Potter	I-Application
:	I-Application
Wizards	I-Application
Unite	I-Application
and	O
Minecraft	B-Application
Earth	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Video	O
game	O
analysts	O
had	O
been	O
watching	O
the	O
mobile	O
market	O
for	O
several	O
years	O
,	O
in	O
part	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
growth	O
of	O
mobile	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
from	O
China	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Market	O
analysis	O
firms	O
identified	O
that	O
mobile	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
global	O
gross	O
revenues	O
exceeded	O
that	O
of	O
either	O
personal	O
computer	O
or	O
console	B-Application
games	I-Application
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
in	O
2016	O
,	O
earning	O
around	O
,	O
and	O
remained	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
fastest	O
growing	O
sectors	O
of	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
mid-2017	O
,	O
Epic	O
Games	O
released	O
Fortnite	B-Application
,	O
a	O
third-person	O
shooter	O
with	O
base-building	O
elements	O
as	O
its	O
Fortnite	B-Application
:	I-Application
Save	I-Application
the	I-Application
World	I-Application
component	O
on	O
personal	O
computers	O
in	O
an	O
early	O
access	O
model	O
and	O
then	O
by	O
September	O
2017	O
had	O
released	O
a	O
standalone	O
Fortnite	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
Royale	I-Application
mode	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
battle	O
royale	O
game	O
genre	O
from	O
PlayerUnknown	B-Application
's	I-Application
Battlegrounds	I-Application
released	O
earlier	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fortnite	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
Royale	I-Application
rapidly	O
grew	O
popular	O
,	O
leading	O
Epic	O
to	O
port	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
other	O
systems	O
,	O
including	O
onto	O
mobile	O
devices	O
by	O
mid-2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
the	O
launch	O
,	O
the	O
mobile	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
supported	O
cross-platform	B-Application
play	I-Application
with	O
computer	O
and	O
console	O
versions	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
to	O
incorporate	O
mobile	B-Application
games	I-Application
into	O
direct	O
interactive	O
cross-platform	B-Application
play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2020	O
,	O
Epic	O
purposely	O
released	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
Fortnite	B-Application
on	O
mobile	O
that	O
allowed	O
players	O
to	O
purchase	O
directly	O
from	O
Epic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
pulled	O
from	O
both	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
and	O
Play	O
Store	O
,	O
leading	O
Epic	O
to	O
file	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
lawsuits	O
against	O
Apple	O
and	O
Google	O
citing	O
that	O
this	O
practice	O
was	O
an	O
anti-trust	O
violation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
introduced	O
the	O
Apple	O
Arcade	O
in	O
September	O
2019	O
which	O
worked	O
with	O
its	O
iOS	O
,	O
macOS	O
,	O
and	O
Apple	B-Device
TV	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Comparable	O
to	O
Xbox	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Pass	I-Application
,	O
users	O
pay	O
a	O
flat	O
monthly	O
fee	O
to	O
gain	O
access	O
to	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
curated	O
games	O
,	O
with	O
new	O
games	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
service	O
periodic	O
while	O
other	O
games	O
are	O
removed	O
over	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
on	O
the	O
service	O
lack	O
in-game	O
purchase	O
options	O
or	O
advertisements	O
,	O
but	O
allow	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
purchase	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
keep	O
to	O
own	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
store	O
progress	O
through	O
their	O
iCloud	B-Application
account	O
if	O
they	O
purchase	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
a	O
later	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	O
followed	O
suit	O
with	O
its	O
own	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Pass	I-Application
,	O
launched	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
month	O
,	O
but	O
which	O
also	O
extended	O
to	O
general	O
apps	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Separately	O
,	O
both	O
Microsoft	O
and	O
Google	O
have	O
been	O
developing	O
cloud	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
services	I-Application
in	O
Xbox	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Pass	I-Application
cloud	I-Application
gaming	I-Application
and	O
Stadia	B-Application
that	O
would	O
allow	O
console-quality	O
games	O
to	O
be	O
run	O
and	O
played	O
on	O
other	O
devices	O
included	O
mobile	O
phones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Currently	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
restricts	O
Apple	O
has	O
on	O
iOS	B-Application
applications	I-Application
,	O
these	O
cloud	O
streaming	O
services	O
are	O
only	O
targeted	O
at	O
Android	B-Application
phones	I-Application
and	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
saw	O
a	O
significant	O
boost	O
in	O
revenues	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
the	O
pandemic	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
40%	O
increase	O
year-to-year	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
quarter	O
of	O
2020	O
according	O
to	O
Sensor	O
Tower	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile-friendly	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Among	B-Application
Us	I-Application
and	O
Genshin	B-Application
Impact	I-Application
,	O
alongside	O
Fortnite	B-Application
and	O
other	O
mobile	O
titles	O
,	O
saw	O
large	O
player	O
counts	O
during	O
the	O
pandemic	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
most	O
of	O
mobile	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
's	O
history	O
,	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
publishers	O
have	O
come	O
from	O
new	O
publishers	O
created	O
in	O
that	O
space	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Chillingo	O
and	O
Glu	O
Mobile	O
or	O
from	O
the	O
developers	O
themselves	O
such	O
as	O
for	O
Rovio	O
and	O
King	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
through	O
large	O
AAA	O
publishers	O
such	O
as	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
,	O
Activision	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
,	O
and	O
Take-Two	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
mobile	O
provided	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
viable	O
space	O
,	O
these	O
AAA	O
publishers	O
started	O
adapting	O
to	O
the	O
model	O
,	O
either	O
becoming	O
mobile	O
publishers	O
themselves	O
and	O
acquiring	O
studios	O
,	O
or	O
acquiring	O
mobile	O
publishers	O
,	O
but	O
these	O
were	O
still	O
generally	O
seen	O
as	O
secondary	O
business	O
models	O
relative	O
to	O
their	O
computer	O
and	O
console	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ubisoft	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
major	O
AAA	O
publisher	O
to	O
commit	O
to	O
wane	O
off	O
computer	O
and	O
console	B-Application
games	I-Application
and	O
put	O
a	O
stronger	O
focus	O
on	O
mobile	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
in	O
a	O
2021	O
investor	O
report	O
,	O
with	O
plans	O
to	O
transition	O
to	O
this	O
approach	O
by	O
their	O
2023	O
fiscal	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
