People who sat at home waiting for governments to lift the COVID-19 lockdowns spent a lot of time and money whiling away the months on their mobile devices.
Consumers spent a record $143 billion — a 20% increase from 2019 — to download 218 billion apps and games during the 2020 lockdowns. Investors plowed $73 billion in capital funding, a 27% increase, into businesses that developed or featured mobile solutions.
In the first quarter of 2023, mobile gamers alone spent over $1.6 billion a week — a bump of nearly 30% from pre-COVID levels — on amusement, including iOS entertainment such as Alto’s Odyssey, Blek and Apple Arcade subscriptions. Weekly game downloads topped 1.2 billion during the period.
Moreover, as mobile connectivity has largely replaced the desktop as the preferred platform for shopping, banking, food delivery and travel planning, advertisers spend billions on in-app advertisers, with mobile ad spend reaching $336 billion in 2022, according to Business of Apps.
All indicators point toward a growing market for sales messages. First, Americans self-report they spend up to seven hours a day on their phones, with most spent on apps instead of browsers. Second, industry insiders predict mobile device adoption will grow to almost 7.5 billion users by 2025, accelerating the steep upward trends in downloads and dollars spent.
That adds up to a wide-open future for mobile mobile device adoption will grow, such as graduates of the online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Game Development program from Lamar University.
“You are quite likely to find the audience for almost any kind of app,” according to Intersog, provided that it can “engage thousands and thousands of users, and give you a strong market presence.”
What Are the Top Skills Required to Create a Winning App or Game?
In Lamar University’s B.S. in Computer Game Development program, the Mobile Computer Game Development course helps students learn about game development for Android. Devices that run the Android operating system (OS) are more popular than Apple’s iOS, according to Tech Republic, for the following reasons:
- Superior customization options
- Cost
- Open course OS
- Integration with Google
An article comparing Android and Apple concludes that, despite the strengths of iOS, “Android offers a unique set of benefits that make it the better choice for many users. From customization to affordability to multitasking and more, Android is a versatile and powerful operating system that continues to evolve and improve over time.”
To learn to make a successful app or game, students develop an understanding of the Android game development process and gain experience with C++ in the 3D Animation for Computer Graphics course. Students can gain other essential skills for aspiring app or game developers in courses like 3D Modeling for Computer Graphics and Introduction to Computer Game Development, which introduces students to the artistic aspects of development, such as “graphics, animation, audio and narrative.”
Principles of User Experience and Human-Centered Design in Programming
Lamar University’s online program can also lead to a career in user experience (UX) design, an essential aspect of the mobile design process. People use their mobile devices to use apps and play games, so it only makes sense to involve them in development, giving way to an iterative UX design, development and optimization process called human-centered design (HCD).
HCD focuses on users’ wants, pain points and preferences throughout the development process, enabling developers to “develop high-value products and services faster and more cost-effectively by hitting closer to the mark on first delivery,” according to CIO.
Earn App and Game Development Skills and Career Opportunities
Students in Lamar University’s online B.S. in Computer Game Development program build a durable foundation in game development by focusing on the process of creating game assets — the content that goes into a video game — such as sound, characters, animation, texture or object.
“Along with being a multifaceted field, game development is also a highly in-demand occupation that comes with high compensation rates,” Career Karma notes.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online Bachelor of Science in Computer Game Development program.
