Category: Mobile Gaming

GREE launches messaging application in test markets

| December 27, 2012

GREE messaging appGREE begins testing new application in small markets

GREE, a Japanese developer of mobile gaming applications, is setting up to launch its GREE Messenger in 2013, which will be available for the iOS and Android platforms. Though the developer has plans to launch the new application next year, the GREE Messenger is actually already available in some markets. This is because GREE has decided to push a test launch to determine the impact the application may have in the already crowded Asian market.

India, New Zealand, and Australia get GREE Messenger

The Asian market is filled with messenger applications that are designed to connect consumers to one another. These applications are typically very simple, allowing consumers to chat with their friends and make use of animated graphics to spice up their messages. GREE is keen to enter into this sector and has decided to test its messenger application in three markets: India, Australia, and New Zealand. The test version of the application has limited features and has seen relatively little coverage due to the fact that GREE has not actually announced that it is available in these markets.

Application may feature gaming aspects in the future

Mobile gaming has become much more than a craze among consumers; it has become a very important and accepted part of the mobile technology space. Though the GREE Messenger is not a mobile gaming application, GREE does have tentative plans to introduce some gaming elements into future versions of the app. For now, users will be able to text chat with their friends, invite their friends to group chats, share photos and videos, and check into locations they visit.

Foreign markets may be good testing grounds

Introducing the GREE Messenger to smaller markets in Australia and New Zealand where messaging applications are not as popular as they are in Asia may be a good move. Asia’s most popular messaging application, WeChat, boasts of more than 200 million users, with others also taking up a similar portion of the consumer base. This makes its difficult for similar applications to find any headway in the market and GREE is primarily focused on exposure and ensuring that its application can actually live up to consumer expectations.

Kapitall documents the rise of mobile gaming

| December 27, 2012

Mobile Gaming growthKapitall analysis highlights the growth of mobile gaming over the years

Mobile gaming may soon become the dominating force in the game industry. Kapitall, an online investment platform, has been tracking the decline of traditional console gaming and the sale of physical gaming products. As sales continue to drop, they are being replaced by sales made through digital platforms, such a Steam and Gamestop. Game developers that focus solely on mobile gaming, such as Glue Mobile and Zynga, are also seeing significant gains as traditional platforms begin to wane.

Retails sales dropping off for consoles and games

According to Kapitall, retail game sales have dropped by 25% year-to-date, while console sales have plummeted by 30% year over year. A volatile economic climate is to blame to some degree, but so too is the retail price of most video games, which can range from $30 to $60, depending on the publisher of the game. Mobile gaming is faring much better, largely due to the fact that most mobile games are very inexpensive, with many being completely free.

Mobile gaming accounts for only a fraction of the entire market

Despite the strong advent of mobile gaming, however, mobile games account for only a fraction of the overall market. Digital downloads of games developed for consoles and PCs are strong and continue to gain momentum as more consumers show favor for online shopping over traditional forms of commerce. For these people, online shopping is simply more convenient and does not actually mean they are spending less on games, only that they do not have to pick them up from a physical store.

Gamers still willing to shell out money for console and PC games

Kapitall notes that gamers are not likely to abandon consoles in favor of mobile gaming. Mobile games typically offer a very shallow, linear experience that is designed around repetition rather than in-depth gameplay. As such, titles from companies like Electronic Arts, THQ, and Ubisoft are likely to continue selling well, even if those sales are not actually physical.