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S2 Games moves to enter mobile gaming market

| January 20, 2013

S2 Games founds iGames to focus on mobile gaming

S2 Games, a U.S. game developer with a strong presence in the online gaming space, has been bulking up to prepare for its entry into the mobile gaming sector. Earlier this month, S2 Games launched iGames, a wholly-owned subsidiary that is entirely devoted to the design and production of mobile games. The company has been hiring new talent to make a strong entry into the mobile gaming space, hoping to etch out its own niche in the sector and cater to its fans that have long been tethered to mobile devices.

Developer continues to win acclaim with flagship game

S2 Games is most well known for its Heroes of Newerth title. The game was released in 2010 and has since become a major success with gamers in the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre. While Heroes of Newerth is sometimes criticized as being almost a carbon copy of its predecessor (DOTA), it remains one of the most well-loved titles in the online gaming space. Because of the success of Heroes of Newerth, S2 Games has remained focus on the title for the past two years, so it is unclear exactly what the developer plans in terms of mobile gaming.

iGames looking for new, highly talented employees

iGames may be working on a way to bring Heroes of Newerth to mobile devices, or the company may be developing an entirely new title to meet the needs of mobile gamers. S2 Games has not yet announced any concrete plans for mobile gaming, apart from establishing a development studio devoted to that sector. The company is currently hiring mobile content managers, an assistant director of mobile games, a mobile game designer, and mobile game UI developer, among others.

S2 Games prepares to compete with other developers in the mobile realm

Mobile gaming has becoming a powerful force in the game industry, as it represents an extremely lucrative market. Several development studios are making moves to enter the mobile gaming space, with S2 Games being one of the latest to do so. These companies, which have traditionally focused on static platforms such as PCs and consoles, will have to compete with companies that have already established a strong presence in the mobile gaming space.

eBay predicts major growth for 2013

| January 20, 2013

ebay mobile commerceeBay and PayPal gear for mobile commerce growth in 2013

Online retail giant eBay saw major gains during the 2012 holiday shopping season, largely due to the company’s focus on mobile commerce. eBay is predicting that its mobile payment volume in 2013 will reach new heights as it puts more focus on engaging consumers with mobile commerce services. eBay notes that PayPal, one of its primary subsidiaries, will have a large role to play in the mobile commerce growth the company is expecting to see in the coming year.

eBay predicts mobile payment volume to exceed $20 billion

eBay is expecting to see mobile payment volume grow to more than $20 billion in 2013. PayPal is expected to handle the majority, if not the entirety, of this mobile payment volume, similar to what the company had done during the 2012 holidays. In 2012, eBay reported some $14 billion in total revenue for the entire year,  up 21% of the revenue the company had generated in 2011. The company notes that one of the contributing factors to this growth was its focus on mobile commerce.

Company works on streamlining mobile services

In 2012, eBay mobile accounted for $13 billion in volume, according to CEO John Donahoe. The company’s various mobile applications attracted more than 4 million new users throughout the year, adding significant clout to the company’s already formidable presence in the mobile space. eBay is now working to streamline its mobile ventures, hoping to make them more accommodating of new customers and to bolster the mobile commerce services the company has to offer.

Consumers show interest in mobile commerce

PayPal is expected to add significant momentum to the mobile commerce plans of eBay. Consumers mostly had a positive experience with mobile commerce during the 2012 holidays, so eBay is likely to push for similar results near the end of this year. These consumers have shown their interest in shopping and making purchases using their mobile devices, thus setting up a great deal of promise for the 2013 holiday season.