Young people are becoming enthralled by mobile games
Young consumers represent a very valuable demographic to many businesses around the world. These consumers hold a great deal of purchasing power, even if much of this power is not inherently theirs but that of their parents or guardians. The potential value of young people has long been enough to encourage marketers to reach out and attempt to engage them. In Australia, t he best way to do so may be through the use of mobile games.
Survey highlights the increasing value of mobile
According to the latest survey from Cartoon Network, a growing number of children between the ages of four and 14 are using mobile applications. This is two times higher than the number of children using applications, like mobile games, recorded in a 2011 survey. Of those using mobile applications, the survey shows that most children are accessing an average of 7 applications every month and are doing so mostly through smartphones and tablets that they own. These children also make use of the mobile devices owned by their parents or older siblings.
Mobile games are popular among Australian children
Mobile games are among the most popular applications being used by young people in Australia. These games represent a significant source of entertainment for people of all ages and many games are designed specifically to appeal to a young audience. The survey does show that Internet use is rising rapidly among children, especially those with tablet devices. Approximately 30% of Australia’s children are using tablets to browse the Internet and watch shows that can be found online.
Games represent promising marketing power
Mobile games present several marketing opportunities in and of themselves. These games, many of which are available for free, often feature advertisements that are made to be engaging for children. When clicking on these advertisements, which can easily be done accidentally, advertisers then have access to a consumer’s information, which is shared with them through the mobile games a person is playing.
Tapjoy looks to enter into Australian mobile games market
Tapjoy, a mobile games platform based in San Francisco, California, is looking to expand its boundaries. The platform is well known in the game industry as the producer of popular social applications and helping mobile games find monetization schemes that are right for them. While the mobile games market in the U.S. has been flourishing, Tapjoy believes that is more promise in other markets. Therefore, the firm has set its sights on Australia.
Australia game industry continues to attract international attention
Mobile games in Australia are very popular, just as they are in other parts of the world. Australia is home to some of the most ambitious game developers in the world, many of whom are focused solely on mobile games. The country is beginning to attract a great deal of interest from developers in other parts of the world as well, largely due to the support that the Australian game industry has been receiving from the government.
Australia Fund initiative launched by Tapjoy
Tapjoy has launched a new initiative, called the Australia Fund, in order to break into the industry. Through this initiative, the firm will offer development, marketing, and distribution support for developers focused on the iOS and Android platforms. The firm believes that the development community in Australia is the fastest growing in the world, offering significant opportunities in the mobile games sector that simply do not exist elsewhere. Tapjoy is not the only firm that believes this, of course, as several other firms have begun trying to enter into the country’s market.
Government shows strong support for game industry
The Australian government has high hopes for the country’s game industry and has pumped more than $20 million in funding into the industry itself. These funds have gone to many mobile games developers in order to assist in the development process. Consumers have shown a great deal of support for mobile games as well, with many willing to participate in in-app advertisements and purchases that account for the majority of revenue generated through mobile games.
