Author: Rebecca

Even though the wearable technology market is rapidly building in devices, applications are nearly nonexistent.

The wearables market is quickly flooding with smartwatches and other types of mobile gadgets that are worn on the wrist or other places on the body, but at the same time, there are very few applications that are available in the app stores for these devices.

Now that Android Wear has been released by Google, that is expected to change rather quickly.

Mobile app developers are already starting to enter into the race to become the leaders among the applications available for smartwatches. The popularity and growth of wearable technology is allowing them to be able to take hold of an opportunity that has been increasingly challenging – to the point of impossible, for many – when it comes to putting out a hit mobile app. As the number of applications for Android and iOS devices is now in the millions, it is difficult for a developer to stand out.

The number of apps for smartwatches is notably lower, making it far easier to be noticed by users.

What will be interesting is whether it will be games that will become the most popular among wearables – as is the case with smartphones and tablets – or whether it will be fitness and health tracker apps that will lead the way in these even smaller screen mobile gadgets.

BI Intelligence has recently released a report that provides some insight regarding the current ecosystem for wearable apps. It looked more closely at precisely why the present environment for wearable tech device applications is as limited as it is. Moreover, it also examined the way that certain categories for apps could help to make not only the developers, but also the device category, a tremendous mainstream success.

The report didn’t look exclusively at the market for smartwatches, but also looked at the broader spectrum of wearables and their apps. For example, the Google Glass apps space was examined, and the battle for dominance between Google and Apple were also discussed. Among the primary barriers that was identified was the fact that the wearables sphere is currently highly segmented. That may, however, not remain the case with Android Wear now in play, and with an iOS launch expected at some point this year.

Analysts say that mobile gamers are looking for more than repetitive game play.

Although games like the “Candy Crush Saga” are still highly lucrative in the free-to-play mobile gaming industry, other games like “Clash of Clans” that provide gamers with a more challenging experience, are notably gaining greater popularity and becoming quite lucrative.

Supercell’s fortress defense game is currently in the lead over King Digital’s popular puzzle game.

Last year, Supercell’s “Clash of Clans” was battling neck and neck with King Digital’s “Candy Crush Saga”, to be the mobile game that would have grossed the most profits in 2013. However, so far, in 2014, “Clash of Clans” is proving to be the dominant of the two.

Analysts believe the style of game that appears to be the most successful is a good indication of which type mobile users are likely to spend money on in the future. According to the CEO of Super Data Research, Joost van Dreunen, “It’s starting to get to the point where, if nothing else, you have to have a little bit more of an enticing offering, a larger narrative and broader brand.”

The market for “Clash of Clans” and other “midcore” games like it is expanding. Many mobile gamers are looking for a mobile gaming experience that is more engaging than what causal games, such as “Candy Crush”, have to offer. This doesn’t mean that casual games will become less lucrative, but mobile developers are finding that the demand for titles that immerse users in game play are likely to boost engagement, which increases the probability of users spending more on the additional paid features that are offered for these free-to-play mobile games.

Midcore mobile games are highly lucrative in the mobile gaming industry.

Mobile games that fall into the midcore category are not as repetitious in terms of game play as puzzle games are, for example. Instead, they offer the user with more flexibility and options. For instance, they may have a storyline and characters that are customizable. In addition, it is not uncommon for role-playing and real-time strategy elements to be integrated into these games. In essence, they have certain features that immerse gamers in a similar way as “core” computer and console games do.

It is estimated by NewZoo, a video games market research firm, that of the $14.9 billion that the mobile market made in 2013, worldwide profits for midcore mobile gaming were responsible for $3.8 billion of this total. This is almost two times higher than the $2 billion in returns that was made in 2012 by these types of games.