Tag: game industry news

Sony to launch new development studio focused on mobile games

| March 29, 2016

Sony is beginning to take mobile gaming more seriously

Sony is taking another step into the mobile games space with the formation of ForwardWorks, a first-party development studio focused on the mobile space. The new developer will work exclusively on creating games for mobile consumption. ForwardWorks will be based in Tokyo, Japan, which has become one of the largest and most lucrative markets in mobile gaming, and will be a wholly-owned Sony subsidiary. Backed by Sony, ForwardWorks may develop games that are based on franchises that exist in Sony’s portfolio.

Consumers want developers to move away from dubious microtransaction model

What games ForwardWorks will be developing specifically is not yet known. Some consumers have expressed hope that the developer will shy away from conventional business practices in the mobile gaming space, such as microtransactions. In-game purchases are quite popular among gamers, but they still take issue with the fact that they can play a game for free but have to pay for additional content. Consumers have taken issue with microtransactions because they effectively gate content, preventing people from playing supposedly free games without spending money. Microtransactions also provide some players with in-game advantages over others, which many people consider to be unfair.

Mobile gaming market continues to expand, reaching $25 billion in revenue last year

Sony and Mobile GamesThe mobile gaming space is growing quickly. The mobile space is now the largest gaming segment overall, having generating $25 billion in revenue in 2015. This has made the mobile space very attractive to companies like Sony, who have a longstanding position within the game industry. These companies had traditionally focused on traditional gaming, either through game consoles or computers, but the advent of mobile technology has forced these developers to shift their focus.

Sony to continue focusing on console and PC games, but will support the mobile space

Sony will not abandon the traditional gaming space, but will be showing more support for mobile games in the future. ForwardWorks will face strong competition from various other developers that have already established a foothold in the mobile space, but the developer may find success by leveraging the power of Sony’s existing intellectual properties.

Flipkart invests in growing mobile games firm Mech Mocha

| January 13, 2016

Flipkart has invested funds into Mech Mocha in order to help the company grow in India

E-commerce giant Flipkart has announced provided funding to Mech Mocha, a mobile gaming company based in India. Flipkart has taken a strong interest in the mobile space, particularly where commerce is involved, but is beginning to show stronger support for mobile games. In November of last year, Flipkart invested in MadRat Games and the company continues to show favor for innovative mobile game developers, such as Mech Mocha.

Funding will help Mech Mocha develop new mobile games

The funding from Flipkart will allow Mech Mocha to expand its development team. The funding will also allow Mech Mocha to develop new mobile games that will be released in the Indian market. The firm also intends to support mobile commerce, to some degree, implementing a back-end platform which will support social media and mobile payment solutions. Mech Mocha has found a significant degree of success in India’s mobile gaming space, which is beginning to grow quickly as more consumers gain access to smartphones and the mobile Internet.

Mobile gaming is growing quickly in India

Mobile Games - Company InvestmentAccording to Mech Mocha, more than 400,000 people have installed its games in India. The Indian online gaming industry, which includes the mobile sector, is expected to reach $3 billion in value by 2018, growing from its current value of $1 billion. Developers from other countries are beginning to show interest in the Indian market due to accelerating smartphone penetration. As more consumers gain access to mobile devices, they are looking for new and convenient forms of entertainment. As such, they are turning to mobile games.

More developers are beginning to focus on the mobile space

Mobile games have vast potential in terms of revenue generation and the overall game industry is becoming more involved in the mobile space as a result. Some companies that have been devoted to developing games for traditional consoles have begun to focus exclusively on producing mobile games. These companies see mobile gaming as a very valuable opportunity that cannot be passed up, especially in thriving markets like India.