The 'Third Wave': What mobile gaming’s maturation means for publishing, discoverability, and boring games

Simon Moller helped create the mobile game Subway Surfers.

You can understand the history of mobile gaming in three distinct waves. In the first wave, mobile game companies had to pass through the carriers themselves to get their games on feature phones. This was largely a contest of favoritism and shelf space, and there was no room for innovation because the carriers’ placement of your game was all that mattered. Basically, having cozy relationships with major carriers rewarded developers with prime placement and more downloads.