Tag: free to play games

Mobile games benefit from freemium model

| March 9, 2013

Mobile Games FreemiumFreemium makes mobile games a booming market

Mobile games have become a very prominant market for the game industry. Games for smartphones and tablets represent a market worth billions of dollars in revenue and this market has begun to attract game developers that had previously been focused exclusively on developing titles for consoles and PCs. Though mobile games generate a massive amount of revenue on a yearly basis, most of these games are entirely free, though boast of a wide variety of in-game transactions. This business model is often referred to as “freemium.”

In-game transactions relatively accepted by gamers

Freemium is a simple concept: Mobile games that are free to obtain and free to play, but provide gamers with the opportunity to purchase in-game items and power-ups that can make the game more enjoyable. This is where the majority of the revenue that is generated by mobile games comes from. The freemium model allows developers to offer services to gamers for a relatively low price and because these prices are so low, consumers tend to participate in in-game transactions on a regular bases.

Freemium opens mobile games to more consumers

Analysts from Index Ventures, a venture capital investment firm, suggest that the freemium model is ideal for the mobile games market. This model allows developers to price-discriminate individual consumers, eliminating the upfront costs that are associated with other business models. A typical console game can cost anywhere from $30 to $60, but most mobile games are offered for free, with additional content being offered for as little as $1. Index Ventures suggests that the freemium model does not exploit consumers, but rather allows for a broader consumer base to participate in mobile games.

Business model not accepted by all gamers

Index Ventures suggests that many consumers are willing to sink money into mobile games in order to gain as much entertainment from these games as possible. The freemium model may be great for developers, but it is not universally accepted among gamers. Many argue that the freemium model encourages developers and publishers to create games that are deliberately restrictive in order to heavily promote in-game transactions.

Mobile games on the rise worldwide

| February 18, 2013

mobile games around the worldReport provides insight on the growth of mobile games around the world

Newzoo, a market research firm, has released a new report concerning the growth of mobile games throughout the world. Mobile gaming has become a very popular pastime for many consumers as well as a very influential force within the game industry. Consumers have shown their favor for mobile games because of their accessibility and ease of use, while game developers have taken a strong interest in mobile platforms because financial opportunities and the prospect of reaching a massive audience.

Mobile games market growth 33% in 2012

According to the report from Newzoo, there are now more than 500 million mobile gamers throughout the world. Together, these consumers have spent a total of $9 billion throughout 2012, growing the mobile games market by 33% over what it had been in 2011. Newzoo predicts that the market will continue to grow in the coming years due to the growing number of people purchasing smart phones and tablets.

Free-to-play games are most popular among consumers

The report notes that free games are, by far, the most popular among consumers. While free-to-play games have strong support, these mobile games do have monetization systems in place that can generate profit for their developers. Most free-to-play games offer special services or features that players have to pay for in order to access. In most cases, these features are not necessary to enjoy the game, but consumers tend to purchase these features anyway. These paid features, as well as in-game advertisements, provide developers with considerable profit despite the fact that their games are free-to-play.

Mobile payments revolve around gaming

Newzoo notes that the United Kingdom boasts of the highest number of consumers willing to pay money on mobile games, whether they are free-to-play or not. The U.S. has seen the most growth in the number of mobile gamers there are and U.S. gamers tend to spend more time on their mobile devices, according to the report. The report also notes that approximately 66% of all money spent through a mobile device goes toward gaming.