We didn’t just watch mobile gaming grow at Maysalward; we grew with it. We are the first mobile game studio in the MENA region and have been making games for over 22 years. We’ve watched mobile change from a simple curiosity to the most important gaming platform in history.
Mobile didn’t just join the game; it changed the rules completely.
I was still in college in the late 1990s and didn’t have my cell phone. I would borrow my dad’s or a friend’s phone to play games like Snake while I was on the go, like in the car, between classes, or just waiting around.
I felt like something was different because I grew up playing PC games and had Atari and Nintendo systems. For the first time, a device that was supposed to help me talk to people also let me play games. There were no cartridges, cables, or extra batteries—just a single, compact device that was always ready to play.
Even though the games were easy, the convenience felt like a big deal. It wasn’t about cool graphics or difficult gameplay; it was about getting in. Gaming was no longer just something you did at a desk or at a certain time; it became a part of your daily life. Those times when I borrowed a phone and played games on the go were early signs of a much bigger change that was coming.
The Growth of Mobile as a Gaming Platform
We learned from early mobile games that phones could do more than just make calls. As technology improved—think touchscreens, accelerometers, GPS, and faster processors—mobile games changed from quick distractions to full-fledged experiences. Mobile wasn’t just trying to beat other platforms; it was making its own space.
New Ways to Play on Mobile Devices
Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja didn’t try to copy how consoles work. Instead, they embraced designs that were easy to touch, quick play sessions, and mechanics that were easy to understand. These innovations changed what we thought of as “good gameplay” on a phone.
A Big Change in How Businesses Work
Clash of Clans was the first game to use the free-to-play model with microtransactions, showing that it could be a long-term way to make money. What started on mobile later changed how PC and console gaming made money. Mobile not only transformed the way we play games, but also revolutionized their creation and financial model.
Going Viral Over Budgets
Flappy Bird showed us that one developer with a simple idea could reach a global audience by sharing and being found, instead of relying on big marketing budgets.
Breakthroughs in AR and location-based technology
Pokémon Go turned our real-world surroundings into a game board, showing that GPS and real-world locations could be used to get people to play outside with other people on a large scale.
Phone Experiences Like on a Console
PUBG Mobile brought competitive multiplayer and esports to smartphones, and Genshin Impact showed that high-quality, open-world games could run on mobile without costing anything.
Global, Social, and Casual Reach
Games like Words With Friends and FarmVille made gaming a fun, social activity that people of all ages and backgrounds could enjoy.
A Place to Start for Indie Developers
Small teams could now compete with big publishers thanks to app stores. Artistic, high-quality games like Monument Valley showed that they could do well on mobile all over the world.
By default, cross-platform
Games like Among Us, Minecraft, and Roblox treat mobile as a key player. This makes cross-play, shared economies, and persistent worlds even better.
Mobile is the primary gaming platform in the world.
Mobile isn’t just a way in for billions of people; it’s their main platform. It has changed how we play, pay, make things, and talk to each other.
At Maysalward, we don’t think of mobile gaming as just a footnote in gaming history. This is the chapter that changed everything.