Games are no longer restricted to the platform on which they were created. If a game developer wants to create a mobile game, they have to take into account the development cost. Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry that’s growing each and every day. Due to this, mobile gaming has become the fastest-growing segment of the highly competitive gaming industry.
Growing at such a fast pace, mobile gaming shows no signs of slowing down. According to research, it is estimated that global gaming app revenues will grow from 86.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 to about 103.5 billion U.S. dollars in the year 2022. With such growth, it is easy to see why mobile game developers are rushing to cash in on this opportunity.
In fact, you might have even considered developing a mobile game yourself. You may have developed one and are looking to get it published for the App Store or Google Play. Either way, you know it is costly.
But with this huge growth, how do you know if a mobile game is worth developing? And how do you know what exactly it will cost to develop a game? This blog is all about determining how much it would cost to develop a mobile game.
In this blog, we will cover the different aspects of developing a mobile game, how long it takes, the costs involved, and how small businesses can benefit from it. Let’s dig deep!
Why Are Mobile Games Gaining Massive Popularity?
The mobile gaming industry is booming, and there are a number of reasons why. The first and foremost reason is that smartphones and tablets are now more affordable and widespread than ever before, meaning that there is a huge potential market for mobile games.
Since mobile games are usually much more casual and easy to pick up than console or PC games, they are ideal for busy people who want to squeeze in a quick game when they have a few spare minutes. In addition, many mobile games are free-to-play or have very low price points, meaning that they are much more accessible than traditional video games.
In short, mobile games are constantly on the rise because they are convenient, affordable, and easy to play. With the rapid growth of the mobile gaming industry, we can only expect this trend to continue in the years to come.
How To Develop A Mobile App?
Many people wish to develop a mobile app but get stuck in the process due to a lack of clarity. Below mentioned are some of the top ways you can develop a mobile app. Let’s take a look at them!
1. Plan Your App
When you’re ready to build a mobile app, the first step is to create a plan. This plan should include your app’s purpose, target market, features, and more. Once your plan is sorted, you can jump on working on designing and developing your app.
Creating a plan for your app is essential to ensuring its success. Without a plan, it’s easy to get lost in the development process and create an app that doesn’t meet your users’ needs. By specifically taking out time to map out your app, you can build an app that meets your users’ needs and expectations.
2. Analyze Your Competitors
Before you start building your mobile app, it’s essential to research your competitors. This will serve you a brief overview of the market and what exactly users are looking for. It’s also an excellent way to find out what features your competitors are offering and how you can improve them to stand out.
There are a few different ways to research your competitors. You can start by looking at their app store listings, reading reviews, and checking out their social media accounts. You can also download and use their app to see how it really works and what features it offers. With a little competitive research, you can make sure your app is the best it can be.
3. Choose A Way To Monetize Your App
There are a plethora of ways to monetize a mobile app. The most common is to sell it for a one-time fee, but there are also other options, such as subscription-based models and in-app purchases.
When deciding how to monetize your mobile app, it’s essential to consider your target audience and what they are willing to pay for. For example, if your app is aimed at a general audience, a one-time fee may be the best option. However, if your app is aimed at a niche audience, such as businesses, a subscription-based model may be a better alternative.
It’s also important to consider how easy it is to use your app. If your app is very user-friendly, people may be more willing to pay for it. However, if it’s difficult to use, people may be less likely to pay for it.
At last, you need to decide how you will deliver your app to your customers. There are many options, such as through an app store, a website, or even directly to their mobile devices.
The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a monetization model is that it best suits your app and your target audience.
4. Build Your App’s Wireframe
After you’ve successfully identified your audience and your app’s sole purpose, it’s the perfect time to start building your app’s wireframe. A wireframe is basically a low-fidelity mockup of your app. It’s primarily used to define the overall structure of your app and the relationships between its various screens.
Wireframes are typically created using a vector-based design tool like Adobe XD or Sketch. Building a wireframe will help you flesh out all the essential details of your app’s design and functionality. It’s also a valuable tool for communicating your ideas to others, like your development team or potential investors.
When curating a wireframe for your mobile app, you’ll need to define the app’s overall structure. What screens will it have? What will the user flow be between them? Once you have a good understanding of the app’s overall structure, you can start to add the details of each screen.
What elements will each screen have? What interactions will the user be able to perform? As you add these details, you’ll start to see the app taking shape.
Once you’re happy with the overall structure and design of your app, it’s time to start prototyping. This is the process of creating a working version of your app that can be tested and used by real users.
Prototyping will help you validate your design ideas and ensure that your app is easy to use and understand. It’s an essential step in the mobile app development process and one that should not be skipped.
5. Choose An Appropriate App Development Strategy
When developing a mobile app, your choice of development strategy is crucial. There are three main approaches to developing a mobile app: native, web-based, and hybrid. Native apps are primarily developed for one specific platform like iOS or Android.
They majorly take advantage of a wide range of features and capabilities of the platform and are usually the most reliable and responsive option. However, native apps can turn out to be an expensive option than other types of apps. Web-based apps are built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
All these apps can be accessed through a web browser on any device with an internet connection. Web-based apps are typically less expensive to develop than native apps, but they can be less reliable and responsive. Hybrid apps are a combination of native and web-based app development approaches.
They use web technologies for the majority of the app but also include native components for specific features or capabilities. Hybrid apps can offer the best of both worlds in terms of cost and performance, but they can be more difficult to develop than either native or web-based apps.
6. Release and Promote Your App
Once all the above-mentioned steps are completed, you are all set to make your app public. With this, you also need to promote your app in order to generate a considerable amount of downloads. There are a number of ways to do this, including paid advertising, social media marketing, and PR.
You’ll need to experiment with different channels to find what works best for your app. Once you’ve generated some downloads, you can start gathering user feedback and making improvements to your app.
Common Factors On Which Mobile App Development Cost Depends
When it comes down to mobile app development, the cost never depends on a single factor but instead gets influenced by a wide range of things. Here are some of the most common factors!
1. Platforms and Devices
The platforms and devices you choose to develop your mobile game for will have a significant impact on the overall cost. If you want to develop for multiple platforms, you’ll need to factor in the price of developing for each individual platform.
In addition, the type of devices you want to support will also influence the cost. For example, if you want to support older devices, you’ll need to account for the additional development time required to ensure your game runs smoothly on those devices.
2. Location And Structure Of The Development Team
There is a wide range of factors to consider when it comes down to evaluating the development cost of a mobile game. One of the most prominent factors is the location and structure of the development team. These can extensively impact the cost of developing a mobile app.
Just for instance, if the team is located in a high-cost-of-living area, the development cost will surely be on the higher side than if the team is located in a low-cost-of-living area.
In the same way, the structure of the team also impacts the cost of mobile app development. If your team is composed of highly experienced developers, the cost will be higher, and if the team is composed of less experienced developers, then it will be entirely within your budget.
3. Design Of Your App
Designing a mobile app is crucial to the development process, as it can impact the overall cost. A good design can make your app more user-friendly and efficient, while a bad design can make it more difficult to use and expensive to develop, which eventually reduces users.
There are many factors to consider when it comes down to designing a mobile app, such as the user interface (UI), the user experience (UX), and the overall look and feel. All of these factors can impact the development cost.
- UI: The UI is how users interact with your app. It includes the buttons, icons, and layout. An effective UI is crucial for determining the user interaction with the application.
- UX: The UX is the overall experience users have with your app. It includes everything from the initial onboarding to how easy it is to use the app. A good UX is important for keeping users engaged with your app.
- Overall look and feel: The look and feel of your app should be consistent with your brand. It should be visually appealing and easy to navigate so that it attracts more and more potential customers.
4. Features And Functionalities
The cost of mobile app development can be impacted by a number of factors, including the features and functionality required. More complex apps with more features and functionality will generally cost more to develop than simpler apps. Additionally, the cost of mobile app development can vary depending on the platform (iOS, Android, etc.) and the developer you choose to work with.
When budgeting for your mobile app development project, be sure to consider all of the potential costs involved, including the cost of any required features and functionality. Working with an experienced and reputable mobile app development team can help you to get the most bang for your buck and ensure that your app is developed according to your specific needs and budget.
5. App Maintenance and Marketing
The cost of app maintenance and marketing can impact the cost of your mobile app development. If you plan to keep your app updated and marketed regularly, you will need to factor in these costs when budgeting for your project.
Depending on the features and complexity of your app, maintenance and marketing costs can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month. If you are not prepared to commit to these ongoing costs, you may want to reconsider your app development plans.
Estimated Mobile App Development Cost – A Complete Breakdown
As mentioned above, the cost of developing a mobile app can vary depending on a number of factors, majorly including the complexity of the app, the number of features it includes, and the platforms it is developed for.
Generally speaking, the cost of developing a simple app for a single platform (e.g. iOS or Android) can start from around $5,000, while more complex apps (with multiple features and/or developed for multiple platforms) can cost upwards of $70,000.
The price of developing a mobile app mainly ranges from $15,000 to $20,000 for a simple app, $25,001 to $30,000 for a medium app, and $50000 to $70000 for a complicated app, assuming you have your mobile app needs in place.
Wrapping Up
So, this was all you needed to know to develop a successful mobile app. If you are looking for a dedicated company that can assist you with building your mobile app, then we at RV Technologies have got you covered. While bringing vast development experience to the table, our technical experts guide you throughout the process. With this, you can get the best mobile app built at your convenience.