Author: Stephen

Konami believes that mobile games are the future

| May 19, 2015

Prominent game developer sees the future of gaming migrating toward the mobile space

Japanese game developer Konami believes that mobile gaming is the future. Mobile gaming has become a very powerful force in the game industry. According to a report from games marketing platform AppLift, the mobile gaming market is expected to reach $23.9 billion in 2016, growing exponentially in the years thereafter. Several large developers are beginning to take more interest in the mobile space because of the promise that the market shows.

Konami to pursue mobile gaming aggressively

Konami CEO Hideki Hayakawa has announced a new direction for the company, noting that Konami will aggressively pursue the development of mobile games. Hayakawa claims that mobile will become the developer’s main platform, adopting a “pay-as-you-play” model that has become common in this sector. Konami has seen that even people that purchase physical copies of games are inclined to purchase additional content, usually through in-game transactions.

In-game transactions make mobile games an attractive platform for developers

Mobile Games - KonamiThe developer is citing the popularity of games such as Power pro and Winning Eleven as the examples of the promise of mobile gaming. These games have in-game transactions that provide players with additional content that make them more attractive to players. Purchasing additional content through in-game transactions, often referred to as “microtransactions,” is not a popular business practice among gamers, though many people purchase additional content willingly. Some suggest that such models are simply opportunistic ways for developers to generate more revenue.

Mobile gaming may be the way to get more people involved in games

Konami believes that there is no longer a reason to divide the gaming market into several categories. For many years, the market has been separated by categories, such as console, PC, and mobile gaming. Konami has no intention of perpetuating this division, however, believing that mobile games are the way to get more people involved in gaming as a whole. As such, Konami will be committing more focus to the development of mobile games in the future.

Apple may be working on updating its mobile payments service

| May 14, 2015

Apple Pay 2.0 could become a reality

Apple Pay is only a few months old, but Apple may already be working on a new iteration that will have new features that could benefit consumers and merchants alike. The mobile payments service was released in October of last year and quickly became an attractive option for merchants interested in engaging mobile consumers. Apple Pay won praise for its ability to gain significant support from retailers, but the service has yet to find mainstream success among consumers.

Analysis predicts new upgrades to the Apple Pay service

An updated Apple Pay may come into being in the relatively near future. Apple is looking for ways to improve its position in the mobile payments space, and adding new features to its payment service may be the best way to do so. According to analysis from the Jefferies Group, an investment firm, Apple Pay 2.0 could be a major improvement on the current iteration of the mobile payments service. Apple Pay 2.0 would include new features for merchants, including direct shopper incentives, which may allow retailers to better engage mobile consumers.

Better security features may make consumers more comfortable with mobile payments

Mobile Payments - Apple Working on UpdateThe service may also have upgraded security features, which will further augment Apple Pay’s already considerable security. The service makes use of biometric technology, using a fingerprint to protect consumer information and authenticate transactions being made from a mobile device. Other features are expected to be introduced that will help Apple Pay compete with new mobile payments platforms. These features have not yet been identified, however.

Competition continues to increase in the mobile payments space

Mobile payments has become a very competitive market, with consumers showing interest in the ability to shop for and purchase products with their mobile devices. No single mobile payments platform has managed to find universal acceptance among consumers, but some platforms have fared better than others. Apple Pay is one of the services that consumers have come to appreciate, but the service is only available to iOS users, which account for a relatively small portion of the mobile payments market.