It is no secret that mobile games are indispensable in our daily lives. That stereotypical perception where the mobile gamers are males who are sitting in front of their big screens has already changed, and now we all know that we are all mobile gamers. Whether we are traveling, taking a break from work, resting, watching tv, or listening to music, mobile games are our biggest and most accessible entertainment and relaxation and are part of the daily routine for billions worldwide.
Especially with the time that the world has been going through, people are spending more time on their smartphones and specifically, on mobile games. Of course, users’ approach to the game genres, time spent, moods and perception differs according to their tastes and preferences. To deeply understand who the UAE mobile gamers are and how they spend their time, AdColony conducted research in UAE. Let’s dig deeper into the behaviors, moods, and preferences of mobile gamers in UAE to better understand them and give a hint to the brands and advertisers on how to capture their target audience through the power of mobile games.
77% of the adults are playing mobile games in UAE while 73% of them are males. Mobile games are just for kids and adult’s perception is also not relevant because 53% of the respondents are aged 30 to 49. 38% of the respondents spend more than 10 hours a week playing mobile games while 48% of them state that they play mobile games at least 2-3 times per day.
Even if device preferences change from person to person while playing games, there is an undeniable fact that our mobile devices are always with us, in our pockets, in our bags, making them indispensable. 53% of the respondents play mobile games on their smartphones/tablets daily while 33% of them play multiple times a week. While the personal taste differs in every topic in our lives, the most loved game genre of users in UAE is Shooter games with 56% followed by Action/Adventure with 55%, and Sports games with 48%. 22% of the respondents have 2 games on their phones while 28% of the respondents have 3 games.
No one can deny that we are living a stressful life and we are all looking for a fun escape. That is where mobile games are stepping in and make us forget our problems at least during the session time. 62% of the respondents in UAE state that they are playing mobile games because it makes them relax and relieves their stress. 59% of them are playing mobile games because they find it entertaining and fun. 52% and 40% of the respondents are feeling very good and good respectively while playing mobile games.
It is no secret that while we are doing other activities we are playing mobile games. 53% of the respondents state that they are simultaneously watching TV while they are playing mobile games, followed by listening to music with 50%, surfing through social media with 48%, and watching/streaming movies or series with 42%. We can all agree that TVs and smartphones switched places when talking about the second screen. 76% of the respondents in UAE state that they are not just playing mobile games during commercial breaks but playing while watching the programs or series on TV.
Mobile games also became the mainstream platform for the brands and advertisers who want to capture their target and possible audiences’ attention. To expand new horizons and possibly new customers, brands need to arrange their media spending in accordance with the popular way. With a lot of different mobile ad models, rewarded advertising where the gamers watch the ad to gain life, coins, or any free in-game material is very important. 28% of the respondents don’t spend money on mobile games while 68% of them prefer to watch rewarded ads for getting advancements rather than paying money. 84% of UAE gamers like rewarded ads much more than traditional video ads which don’t have any rewards.
