Author: BWild

Mobile games see turbulence in revenue generation

| June 12, 2013

Developers looking to find ways to get people engaged in mobile games

Mobile games have become one of the most potentially lucrative sectors of the game industry, largely due to the sheer number of consumers that have mobile devices. While these games have proven quite popular with consumers, they are not a guaranteed gold mine. In order for mobile games to generate any significant amount of revenue, they must tackle a very difficult challenge involving consumer engagement. Consumers have a very short attention span when it comes to mobile applications and will move on to a new application very quickly. This has lead many developers to seek out new ways to ensure that their mobile games remain engaging.

Supply outweighs demand

The number of mobile games has increased dramatically since 2007. This means that there is no shortage of options when consumers are looking for new games to play. Because there is no shortage, consumers can easily go from game to game without having to spend any significant amount of time on a single application. While this may be good for consumers, this is somewhat problematic for developers, as low engagement times mean less revenue produced by a particular game.

Mobile Games - revenue and consumersConsumer engagement proves to be a tricky issue

Finding ways to keep consumers engaged has not been an easy task. Thus far, the mobile games that have been able to accomplish this task have been those with strong social elements, such as Draw Something and Words With Friends. Some developers have taken to developing highly addicting games with attractive features, following the example of Angry Birds. No developer has yet found an effective way to ensure that a mobile game produces a high level of revenue, however.

Finding ways to generate revenue continues to be a strong focus for the game industry

Angry Birds developer Rovio notes that 45% of its revenue comes from merchandise and mobile games themselves only account for 9% of the revenue for the entire game industry. Smaller developers do not typically have the funds needed to produce merchandise, and thus must find effective ways to enthrall the attention o consumers that have limited interest in devoting themselves to a single game or entertainment application.

Parkmobile brings mobile payments to Traverse City, Michigan

| June 10, 2013

Parkmobile launches mobile payments service in new city

Parkmobile, a mobile payments solutions provider, has launched a new mobile payments system in Traverse City, Michigan. This new system will allow drivers to pay for parking using their mobile devices, thereby offering a more convenient experience. Parkmobile has seen the growing need for mobile commerce services in the U.S. and has been working to meet this need in its niche market, quickly establishing a strong foothold within this market and successfully promoting mobile payments.

Parkmobile application will allow consumers to pay for parking

In order to use the new system, consumers will have to register an account at Parkmobile’s website and download the company’s mobile application. The application serves as a mobile payments platform, allowing consumers to pay for parking without having to use physical forms of currency. The application also offers drivers updates concerning the amount of time they have left on a particular parking session. The application is meant to provide some peace of mind to drivers that are interested in convenience services.

mobile payments parking Company takes slow approach to expansion

Traverse City is the eighth city that Parkmobile has launched its mobile payment services in. The company has been receiving strong praise from consumers for its services, but has made an effort not to expand too quickly. There are many challenges that reside within the mobile commerce space and rapid expansion of a successful service could cause Parkmobile to confront these challenges before it intends to do so.

Security remains a major issue in mobile commerce

Perhaps the most prominent challenge that exists in the mobile commerce space has to do with security. Mobile payments are convenient for consumers, but have become a high value target for hackers. This is due to the fact that mobile devices are beginning to traffic valuable financial information, which can be stolen and exploited by malicious parties through exploiting the weaknesses that exist in mobile commerce platforms. Ensuring the security of this financial information is a top priority for the companies involved in this space.