Mobile games continue to show impressive growth
Mobile games are beginning to play a larger role in the lives of people around the world. Mobile analytics firm Distimo and mobile commerce firm MEF have released a new report concerning the trends that have emerged worldwide concerning the use of mobile application. The report shows that mobile games have come to represent a significant percentage of all application downloads. These games also make up the majority of the revenue that the applications sector is responsible for.
Games account for majority of app revenue
According to the report, mobile games represent 31% of all application downloads around the world. While this may seem like a small share of the given market, these games also represent 71% of the total revenue of Apple’s App Store and 89% of the revenue of Google Play. Many mobile games are free to play, but include in-game purchases that allow users to spend money to unlock additional content. Much of the revenue that these games produce come from these purchases.
Freemium model proves lucrative for developers and publishers
Approximately 7% of the revenue that mobile games are responsible for comes from actually purchasing a game. The so called “freemium” model, whereby games can be acquired for free but additional features must be purchased through small transactions, is the most lucrative model for mobile developers currently. Mobile games have come to represent one of the most lucrative sectors for the game industry as a whole and a growing number of prominent developers and publishers are beginning to take the mobile space more seriously as a result.
Mobile games likely to continue gaining momentum around the world
Mobile games are expected to continue seeing strong growth throughout the world, especially as these games begin making their way to emerging markets in Africa and Asia. China is currently home to one of the most robust mobile gaming markets in the world, with thousands of games being produced on a daily basis throughout the country.
Denny |
December 18, 2012
Mobile games generate significant profits
Mobile applications represent a huge and massively lucrative market. According to Flurry, a leading analytic firm operating in the mobile space, mobile applications accounted for $10 billion in revenue during 2012. The firm has released a report concerning the lucrative mobile applications business, which highlights the impact of free mobile games. The report shows that though free mobile games do not cost anything to play, that account for the majority of the revenue seen in the mobile applications market.
80% of revenue generated through free mobile games
Mobile games are among the most popular applications that are available to consumers with smart phones and tablets. These games often provide hours of entertainment and are typically designed to be very addicting. For many, mobile games are valuable assets because most of these games are free-to-play. Most of these games are filled with advertisements, however, which is part of the reason why they are generating so much money. According to the Flurry report, free mobile games accounted for 80% of the $10 billion in revenue the app market saw t his year.
In-app advertisements help generate revenue
In-app advertisements are not the only thing generating income for mobile games. Many games come equipped with a “cash shop,” which offers bonuses, new equipment, and exclusive features to gamers that want to spend money on the game itself. These cash shop marketplaces are very common in free-to-play games and account for the majority of the revenue they manage to generate. The report also shows that consumers spend large amounts of time on free-to-play games, thus increasing the likelihood that they will purchase something from the cash shop.
Free-to-play games are a lucrative business
The free-to-play model has become very lucrative for developers of mobile games. The report suggests that most developers have yet to identify the ideal niche in which these types of games flourish. Companies like Electronic Arts and Zynga have managed to find a way to make free-to-play games highly appealing to consumers with some cash to spend. Though the latter has been experiencing financial problems of late, Electronic Arts may serve as a powerful example of how to develop games that emphasis participation in a cash shop.
