Author: JT

Mobile games may soon dominate the game industry

| March 19, 2013

Mobile games versus consolesMobile games picking up the slack of conventional consoles

The game industry in the U.S. is facing a slump, according to a study from the NPD Group. According to the market research and analysis firm, the trend of declining hardware, software, and accessories sales in the U.S. persists, sending ripples throughout the game industry. The study suggests that consumers are beginning to move away from conventional gaming systems, such as consoles, and have been more inclined to participate in mobile games. Much of the money that seems to be exiting the game industry, on the consumer level, seems to making its way to these mobile games rather than traditional gaming media.

Console and software sales are down in the US

NPD Group notes that total sales of hardware, software, and accessories in the U.S. game market were $810 million in February of this year. This is a decline from the $1.09 billion that the game industry had seen in the U.S. market only a year previous. Hardware sales, in particular, have dropped 36% over the past 12 months, despite the launch of new gaming systems, such as the Nintendo Wii and the Playstation Vita. Where consumers are no longer purchasing physical products, they are spending money on mobile games.

Mobile games and digital distribution eclipse hardware sales

Mobile games have come to account for a significant portion of the revenue being generated within the game industry. According to the NPD Group, mobile games, as well as digital distribution platforms and subscription services, now account for $1.2 billion in sales within the game industry. Several large publishers, like Electronic Arts, have seen significant success through digital distribution, as is the case with Dead Space 3. Mobile games, in particular, continue to generate a great deal of revenue for their developers and the publishers of these games.

Game industry begins to take mobile more seriously

Mobile games are expected to continue playing a large role in the U.S. game industry. They may one day come to dominate the industry as consumers continue to favor digital distribution and mobile gaming applications over conventional consoles and physical products. Many companies within the game industry have taken note of this trend and have been focusing much of their efforts on supporting mobile games so as to solidify their continued presence in their given market.

NFC technology interest group formed to highlight prospects of technology

| March 17, 2013

NFC Technology Interest GroupInterest group to tackle issues concerning NFC technology

NFC technology was once the cornerstone of mobile commerce. The technology helped bring mobile payments into the limelight because of its ability to facilitate quick data transfer from one device to another. While NFC technology is still a focus in some areas of mobile commerce, the industry is beginning to move away from the technology because of its relatively low adoption rate and concerns regarding its security. The NFC Forum, a trade association that developers standards for the use of NFC technology, has created an interest group that aims to explore the ways the technology can be used in the realms of mobile payments and transportation.

NFC Forum aims to promote use of technology for transportation and mobile payments

The NFC Forum has been promoting the capabilities of NFC technology, especially when used in mobile commerce, for more than a decade. The organization has established many of the standards that govern the use of the technology today. The NFC Forum has been seeing the position of the technology in the mobile commerce realm steadily diminish and has been looking for ways to encourage the continued use of the technology as a medium for mobile payments.

NFC could be very useful in the realm of transportation

The new interest group established by the NFC Forum aims to discover new ways to use NFC technology for mobile payments and for transportation. In terms of mobile commerce, the use of the technology is fairly straightforward, but the group will focus on finding ways to improve the efficiency and security of NFC-based mobile payments. The technology does have some promise when it comes to transportation, as it can be used as a storage medium for electronic tickets for various forms of public transportation.

NFC allows for use of electronic tickets

Using NFC technology, a consumer can store electronic tickets on their mobile device. When they are ready to board a plane, for instance, they can use their mobile device to present their boarding pass, removing the need for physical tickets. NFC has a variety of uses, but there exists a lack of NFC-enabled devices that enable the widespread adoption of this technology. The interest group will focus on highlighting the capabilities of NFC technology in order to encourage its adoption among consumers, businesses, and other parties.