Digital sales show strong growth with the help of mobile games
Market research firm SuperData has released a new study focused on the game industry and the sales therein. The study shows that sales for the month of March have grown somewhat over the level they had been in the same month in 2012. The growth is most pronounced in the field of mobile games, which have become rampantly popular among consumers of various types. The study shows that social games, however, continue to experience a steady decline in terms of revenue.
Digital sales grow 2.9%
According to the study, digital game sales for March grew to $875 million, an increase of 2.9% over the previous year. Mobile games, especially those that have some online and social elements, contributed heavily to this growth. Mobile games were able to capture the attention of consumers with an assortment of in-app purchases and advertisements, all of which contributed to the overall revenue that these games produced.
Social games begin losing ground with consumers
While mobile games saw growth, social games continue to experience a decline. Social games, those found on social networking sites like Facebook, have begun to lose favor among consumers due to lack of innovation and the inherent difficulty in engaging consumers in advertisements and in-game purchases on such platforms. SuperData notes that Facebook insists that social games are on the rise, but there has been a decided lack of competition in the social network’s social gaming environment since Zynga’s fall from grace.
EA pulling out of social gaming space
Large game publisher Electronic Arts announced early this week that it would be closing down some of its social games hosted on Facebook. The publisher has adopted a strong interest in mobile games, considering social to be a thing of the past and mobile to be the future. While EA already has a strong presence in the game industry, the company has found it difficult to compete in the mobile games arena and is keen to devote more focus therein.
Mobile commerce becoming a major aspect of retail
Accenture, a leading market research firm, has released a new study concerning the preferences consumers have in the realm of online shopping. The Seamless Retail Study highlights these preferences, showing that many consumers favor their mobile devices to shop for and purchase products online. Mobile commerce is growing increasingly common, especially in the retail industry, due to the convenience it offers to consumers. Many consider using their smartphones and tablets to shop online is simple more efficient than other forms of shopping.
Survey shows consumers are likely to use mobile devices to shop
The study includes a survey, which notes that 88% of consumers claimed to have participated in “webrooming,” a practice similar to showrooming wherein consumers browse for products on the Internet before purchasing products in a physical store. The survey also shows that approximately 43% of consumers have plans to shop online more frequently in the future, with 23% of these consumers noting that they plan to use their mobile devices to shop.
Mobile commerce offers more convenience to shoppers
The study suggests that consumers are becoming increasingly interested in a seamless shopping experience, wherein they can find and purchase the products they are interested online and pick up those products as soon as possible. Mobile commerce is somewhat accommodating of this trend, as it enables consumers to make a purchase from their mobile device and, in some cases, retrieve their purchased products from a physical store. Amazon has recently begun offering such a service, which has been well received by consumers interested in mobile commerce.
Retailers may have to work harder to engage a changing consumer base
The study claims that retailers may need to combine their store, online, and mobile shopping channels in order to appeal to a changing consumer base. More people are getting their hands of high-end smartphones and tablets, making them more mobile-centric. As such, retailers that do not appeal to consumers on a mobile level could stand to lose significant ground with these people as mobile commerce becomes more prolific.
