Author: JT

New program could help developers find success in mobile games market

| February 24, 2013

Mobile Games MarketExecution Labs teams with Chartboost to provide entry into mobile games

Execution Labs, a Canadian gaming incubator, has announced that it is teaming up with Chartboost, a mobile games advertising and monetization startup. Together, the two companies are forming a matchmaking program that is targeted at independent game developers. The program is meant to help developers promote their work, but not to consumers. Through the program, developers will have an opportunity to share their talents with one another, helping build network connections throughout the game industry.

Lab Partners designed with independent developers in mind

The program is called Lab Partners and has a primary focus on independent developers of mobile games. The idea is to give developers a way to connect with each other and tap into the skills of their colleagues while also being able to promote new mobile games to potential consumers. Big name developers like Zynga and Rovio are able to direct millions of gamers to their new titles by marketing in their older gamers, something that smaller development studios rarely do effectively. The program may help solve this problem by giving developers access to tools that can help them expand their reach.

Competition is fierce for newcomers

It is becoming for new mobile games developers to enter into the market, even if they have innovative ideas for games. According to a recent Distimo report, only 2% of the top 250 developers on the Apple App Store are considered new to the market. Lab Partners is designed to make it easier for developers to find success in the competitive mobile games market through connecting developers to one another and allowing them to promote their skills and products more effectively.

Larger developers continue to overshadow smaller developers

The mobile games market is currently crowded with new developers, but few of these studios manage to get attention because of the overwhelming presence of larger organizations. Large developers account for millions of gamers, who have little need to look elsewhere for the mobile games they are interested in. Lab Partners may provide smaller developers with the edge they need to establish a stronger presence in this market.

Mobile commerce application receives more support in Thailand

| February 22, 2013

Mobile Commerce ThailandShopSpot mobile commerce platform wins more funding

ShopSpot, a mobile commerce startup based in Thailand, has announced that it has raised $630,000 in investments, much of which came from Jungle Ventures and SingTel Innov8. The company’s mobile commerce application of the same name is designed to be easy to use in order to be universally accommodating to consumers of all kinds. ShopSpot notes that ease-of-use is one of the most important aspects of mobile commerce that is often overlooked by many of the larger companies that are involved in the mobile market.

Application offers several innovative features to consumers

The mobile commerce application does not only allow consumers to purchase products using their mobile device; it also allows them to shop for products that they are interested in. The application can use location-based information to help consumers find products in an efficient manner. It also enables consumers to communicate directly with a retailer, though retailers are unlikely to participate in this communication due the lack of staff committed to chatting with individual consumers.

Monetization absent from ShopSpot

Notably, the application does not have its own monetization model in place. ShopSpot does not impose any fees on transactions made through the application and does not offer advertising services to companies. This may be due to a trend that has emerged in the Asian market wherein many consumers will avoid applications that charge them for services. As such, many mobile commerce applications that have been launched in Asia have seen modest success as the majority of these applications charge consumers for every transaction they make.

Investments keeps ShopSpot afloat

Investments will help keep ShopSpot going for the foreseeable future, but the company may have to introduce some kind of monetization system eventually. Whether consumers will be willing to embrace the application after such a system is in place is difficult to know for sure. For now, the application helps fill a gap that has existed in Thailand burgeoning mobile commerce market, making it well received among many consumers.