China is quickly becoming a leader in the gaming market
China is well on its way to establishing itself as the most lucrative mobile games market in the world. The country has become a hub of activity when it comes to mobile gaming. Many consumers throughout the country are tethered to their mobile devices, which they use in just about every aspect of their daily lives, including gaming. Games are particular popular among those that commute to work and the majority of consumers have shown that they are quite willing to pay for the games that they enjoy.
Chinese consumers spend $13 billion on mobile games
According to data from the 2013 China Game Industry Annual Conference, Chinese consumers have paid more than $13 billion on mobile games in 2013. The majority of this money came through microtransactions. These transactions have become popular throughout the game industry and are used to provide consumers with access to new digital content. Microtransactions have become a very lucrative business model for developers and publishers alike and have begun to find their way into traditional games, expanding beyond the mobile space.
Gaming is becoming more convenient
Standalone mobile games currently account for 64% of the market in China. These games can be played on their own without having to be launched through a social media site or through a third party platform. Browser games, such as those played on social media sites, are also quite popular. Consumers appear to favor mobile games because of their convenience and the fact that they can be played anywhere and at any time. These games do not require any significant time investment, making them less stressful to play.
Developers move to take advantage of growing popularity
Growing sales of mobile devices is expected to impact the Chinese gaming market. As more consumers gain access to smartphones and tablets, more people are expected to be exposed to mobile gaming. Developers in China have been producing mobile games at a rapid rate in order to accommodate with consumer demand.
Denny |
September 20, 2013
Chinese mobile games market sees impressive growth
ResearchInChina, a market research firm focused on the Chinese market, has released a new report highlighting the growth of the mobile gaming industry in China. The report shows that mobile games have experienced tremendous growth throughout the country in 2012 and 2013. This growth is expected to carry well into 2016, especially as new opportunities emerge and small development studios are acquired by their larger counterparts. Growth in the mobile gaming sector is also expected to be enhanced by the increasing availability of smartphones and tablets.
Report highlights the growth of a prominent sector
According to the report, development of mobile games began gaining significant momentum in China during the last quarter of 2012. By early 2013, the mobile games market reached 135% year-on-year growth. Consumers have expressed a great deal of interest in mobile games, favoring their convenience and simplistic nature. While many mobile games are available for free or at a low price, in-game purchases have helped these games become very lucrative for their developers.
Mergers and acquisitions are becoming common in mobile games sector
The massive growth of the mobile gaming market has meant a major increase in revenue for many developers. Large companies have been making enough money to acquire smaller studios. Mergers have become very common in the mobile games sectors as several small studios look to establish a formidable presence in the market. The success of mobile games has also encouraged companies that do not traditional engage in gaming to try their hand at developing new kinds of games for consumers.
Increasing availability of technology exposes more consumers to gaming
Mobile games are expected to continue growing in popularity for the foreseeable future. China has become one of the most attractive markets for these games, partly due to the rapid adoption of mobile technology. As smartphones and tablets become more available, more consumers are being exposed to mobile games and other forms of entertainment. These consumers have shown a penchant for playing many kinds of mobile games and are enthusiastic when new titles are released.
