Category: Featured News

Kapitall analysis highlights the growth of mobile gaming over the years

Mobile gaming may soon become the dominating force in the game industry. Kapitall, an online investment platform, has been tracking the decline of traditional console gaming and the sale of physical gaming products. As sales continue to drop, they are being replaced by sales made through digital platforms, such a Steam and Gamestop. Game developers that focus solely on mobile gaming, such as Glue Mobile and Zynga, are also seeing significant gains as traditional platforms begin to wane.

Retails sales dropping off for consoles and games

According to Kapitall, retail game sales have dropped by 25% year-to-date, while console sales have plummeted by 30% year over year. A volatile economic climate is to blame to some degree, but so too is the retail price of most video games, which can range from $30 to $60, depending on the publisher of the game. Mobile gaming is faring much better, largely due to the fact that most mobile games are very inexpensive, with many being completely free.

Mobile gaming accounts for only a fraction of the entire market

Despite the strong advent of mobile gaming, however, mobile games account for only a fraction of the overall market. Digital downloads of games developed for consoles and PCs are strong and continue to gain momentum as more consumers show favor for online shopping over traditional forms of commerce. For these people, online shopping is simply more convenient and does not actually mean they are spending less on games, only that they do not have to pick them up from a physical store.

Gamers still willing to shell out money for console and PC games

Kapitall notes that gamers are not likely to abandon consoles in favor of mobile gaming. Mobile games typically offer a very shallow, linear experience that is designed around repetition rather than in-depth gameplay. As such, titles from companies like Electronic Arts, THQ, and Ubisoft are likely to continue selling well, even if those sales are not actually physical.

Mobile device users can celebrate whenever they want with digital pyrotechnics

A mobile product company called Pocket Scientist has just announced the unveiling of its augmented reality fireworks app that allows smartphone and tablet users to celebrate with a digital pyrotechnic display whenever they want.

These displays can be viewed on the screen of the device and can be selected for specific celebrations.

Some of the augmented reality fireworks that are available include New Years, romantic, and those for anniversaries. The various scenes that are available are designed to be appropriate for each different occasion.

The augmented reality technology that is used for the displays is cutting edge.

It helps to make it look as though the rockets and explosions that appear on the mobile devices are as real as possible. All the user needs to do is point the camera of the smartphone or tablet at the horizon, and the fireworks will appear in stunning colors and shapes.

The effects are meant to be as breathtaking as the real thing. The augmented reality pyrotechnics can work in daylight, but the full effect (as with the real deal) isn’t available until darkness has fallen. The perfect view is over a city’s lights from the side of a mountain or hill.

The augmented reality is used along with the camera of the smartphone or tablet. The rockets are launched into a three dimensional real time calculated space. If the camera is turned, the fireworks remain within the same virtual position and do not move along with the camera of the device.

This augmented reality application’s basic version is available for free download, but it comes with the downside of a watermark within the view as well as to a photograph that is taken from the actual AR view. The watermark is removed and the full app becomes available by paying a fee of $0.99.

Photos of the view of the augmented reality fireworks can be shared over a user’s Facebook account, so that their friends can also enjoy the images. This adds a completely different social element to the features that are available through this application.