THE GAMING LOUNGE: MOBILE GAMES

Last time on The Gaming Lounge, we investigated our involvement with the viral VR game, Beat Saber. Virtual reality is becoming bigger and bigger in console and PC gaming, but while the beat goes on for games like Beat Saber, there’s another area of the gaming industry that’s been gaining ground: mobile games!

To game on the go, all you need is your phone!

Did you know that Jaroslav Beck and the minds behind Beat Saber initially got their start as mobile game developers? The truth is mobile gaming is a much more massive arena within the gaming industry than most people think. Today, the games you get on your phone are able to deliver a fun experience within a limited file size, and are invariably available to gamers and non-gamers alike.

“For such a young industry, mobile gaming has grown incredibly fast and I don’t see it slowing down soon,” says our Licensing and Publishing Manager, Jacquelynn Dennett. “I absolutely think Monstercat could become more involved in mobile gaming in the future as new games are created and different opportunities arise.”

Mobile games represent one of the big ways the gaming industry has evolved. In the last decade, the number of mobile game developers has grown exponentially because, for the cost, it’s a great way to capitalize on the kind of revenue only the entertainment industry can provide. You used to have to buy a dedicated console or build a capable computer to even get a half-decent gaming experience. Playing games on the same device used for productivity was just never a conceivable thing before. It’s need and want merged into one!

However, mobile games aren’t exactly playing in the same vicinity as their older siblings. Aside from being found on the app store instead of your local game shop’s shelves, there are a number of key distinctions between mobile titles and non-mobile titles that have to be considered.

“Lots of them are free, or at least cheaper than a console game, making them affordable to almost everyone,” says Jacquelynn, commenting on some of the main differences between mobile and console games. “They instead offer different payment options like in-app purchases or watching ads for bonus points.”

“They’re convenient because we can take our phones anywhere and, let''s face it, almost everyone has a smartphone now, so you don''t need to buy a console to play, meaning you can be on your morning bus commute and open it up to play. They’re perfect for passing the time!”

Because mobile games are simpler to develop and don’t require as many resources as today’s triple-A titles, the costs are kept low and the focus can stay on the game’s content and core mechanics. Because they run on less demanding hardware, anyone with a tablet or phone can pick it up and play. This is why many mobile games have such large communities full of supporters!

NEXT MUSIC

Since 2017, we''ve worked with a major mobile game called Beat Fever, which has since been rebranded to NEXT Music.

“NEXT Music is a rhythm game where players can play along and level up to their favourite songs,” says Jacquelynn. “When we were first approached with this opportunity we were very excited to be apart of it and continue to be so. They’ve been so wonderful to work with and really care about helping their players discover new music.”

When Monstercat music first started showing up in Beat Fever, we saw that existing players and Monstercat fans alike were reacting very positively!

“The reception was amazing,” says Jacquelynn. “The tracks were getting an insane amount of plays, with even a single player playing one song hundreds of times!”

When we look at mobile games, we see an amazing opportunity to reach fans of both gaming and electronic music. Not only are they entertaining and accessible, but the nature of the platform allows featured music to spread like wildfire.

“If you think about how many people play mobile games and listen to or play the songs in-game, that''s a lot of ears listening to our tracks,” Jacquelynn points out. “The first step is exposing people to the song and mobile gaming can help expose it to a large number of people.”

We are all about creativity and supporting the different ways in which people innovate. At the same time, we want to make sure that, however our music is used, the Monstercat brand, the artists, and the community are represented in the best light!

“Some games, like Rocket League and NEXT Music, really care about helping get more attention on the music they feature,” says Monstercat Licensing Manager, Ross Fesenstein. “Some games are more focused on their own priorities like selling more in-app purchases. At the very least we like games featuring Monstercat music to credit the artist and song to make players aware of what music they’re hearing.”

TILES HOP: EDM RUSH!

Earlier this year, we began working with another major mobile game: Tiles Hop! Following our successful test run with Beat Fever, we welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with another company to bring Monstercat music to the mobile gaming scene.

“Mobile rhythm games are incredibly popular around the world, so games like Tiles Hop are installed on hundreds of millions of devices,” Ross remarks. “A lot of these people have never heard Monstercat music before and their first experience could be a fun one!”

The video game publisher behind Tiles Hop, Amanotes, is quite well known in the mobile marketplace for their rhythm games. Tiles Hop, Dancing Road, and Magic Tiles 3 are a few of their titles ranking amongst the top in free games.

“Back in January, the creator of Tiles Hop reached out to find music for the game and others they produce,” says Ross, who took the wheel on this deal. “Tiles Hop has been around for a while and already had 50 million installs from the Google Play store by the time we started working with them.”

“Amanotes is a smaller company, meaning fewer people are involved in the decision making process,” Ross continues, commenting on the unfolding of this partnership. “Deals usually come together and move more quickly than working with a huge game developer. It’s good to get to know the people at these smaller studios because their personal styles and preferences come into play a lot more.”

The opportunity to work closer with a company that could get our artists’ music in front of millions more was one that we couldn’t pass up!

With mobile games like NEXT Music and Tiles Hop, you have a new way to play

Mobile gaming is one of the best ways to creatively express your love of music—and challenge it! Thanks to the teams at WRKSHP and Amanotes, you’ve got options when it comes to layout, design, and mechanics. With each of their respective rhythm games, they’ve utilized their aptitude for game development to give you guys a new way to experience Monstercat music on the go!