As 2019 begins to fade into memory, we're taking a look back at the events that have dominated the last 12 months in mobile gaming.
As such, we've asked the industry's great and good to give us their take on the year, as well as predicting the trends that will dominate in 2020.
- Malte Barth is a founding partner of Bitkraft Esports Ventures
PocketGamer.biz: What do you think was the biggest news or event for the mobile games industry in 2019?
Malte Barth: The biggest trend or highlight is the strong success of “BRIC” mobile game developers in the global games scene including PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Garena Free Fire; newcomers like Lilith Games; and the astronomic rise of Playrix and Wildlife Studios. This is a groundswell movement and I am excited about the fresh talent pools this creates for the industry as a whole.
In terms of your company, what's the thing you're most proud of during 2019?
We are very humbled to be able to back significant second and third-time game founders to build next-gen esports games and tools. As we close out 2019 with $50M in investments, we are proud that BITKRAFT Esports Ventures truly has had a front-row seat into seeing incredible growth and innovation in the esports and games industry.
Which mobile games have you most played/enjoyed during 2019?
There are many mobile games I’ve enjoyed in 2019, but PUBG Mobile is top of my list.
What do you think will be the biggest trends in 2020?
For 2020 trends, I expect to see significant growth in Southeast Asia, India and Brazil as these locations will be the next big volume growth driver in mobile. There will also be more core gameplay and IP based gameplay on mobile and stronger cross-platform play to leverage the strength of each of the platforms.
If you had one New Year's Resolution for the mobile game industry, what would it be?
Let's bring many new gamers to the ecosystem and continue to innovate on genre, gameplay, and art!
Malte Barthe will be sitting on the VC in Games panel at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2020. Get your tickets now!
