Tag: china mobile games market

New research estimates China’s mobile games market to make billions.

According to SuperData Research, the leading provider of digital games market intelligence, in 2014, the mobile games market in China is anticipated to break the $3 billion mark, which could result in the country becoming the leading market in the mobile gaming sector, bumping the U.S. out of the top spot.

The United States and China are the two largest players in the mobile games industry.

SuperData CEO Joost Van Dreunen said that while it is no surprise that these two countries are the biggest players in the market, “what is surprising is the rate at which China has caught up with especially large Western mobile game markets.” Dreunen has said that this is very exciting news for publishers, as the growth of the Chinese games market is not unlike the one the U.S. market experienced a few years back. The difference, however, is that China’s growth has greater potential for a larger audience.

The Super Data CEO stated that the United States gaming market is going through a transition. Instead of a game industry that has been physically retail-based, its focus is becoming much more digital. “Publishers must tailor their games to suit local markets,” Dreunen said. He added that “what works well in the US may not work well in China, and vice versa.” What is becoming more important in the games industry is process of localization, which has a direct impact on a game’s ability to convince players to buy.

SuperData’s 2014 Mobile Games Brief of China and the U.S., predicts that the global games market will exceed $20 billion by the end of the year.

The Chinese mobile gaming space is attracting investors.

According to Lisa Cosmas Hanson, the managing partner at research firm Niko Partners, the mobile games space in China is being embraced by investors. However, despite this fact, the recent report released by Niko Partners estimates that by 2018, the country’s PC online gaming market is likely to double.

Dreunen notes that like most Asian markets (with Japan being the exception), China does not have a very big market for physical retail games. Although it is probable that video game consoles will grow in popularity, as it is now legal to buy these devices, consoles like Xbox One are likely to face stiff competition in China where PC and mobile gaming remain dominant.

Chinese mobile games market sees impressive growth

ResearchInChina, a market research firm focused on the Chinese market, has released a new report highlighting the growth of the mobile gaming industry in China. The report shows that mobile games have experienced tremendous growth throughout the country in 2012 and 2013. This growth is expected to carry well into 2016, especially as new opportunities emerge and small development studios are acquired by their larger counterparts. Growth in the mobile gaming sector is also expected to be enhanced by the increasing availability of smartphones and tablets.

Report highlights the growth of a prominent sector

According to the report, development of mobile games began gaining significant momentum in China during the last quarter of 2012. By early 2013, the mobile games market reached 135% year-on-year growth. Consumers have expressed a great deal of interest in mobile games, favoring their convenience and simplistic nature. While many mobile games are available for free or at a low price, in-game purchases have helped these games become very lucrative for their developers.

Mergers and acquisitions are becoming common in mobile games sector

The massive growth of the mobile gaming market has meant a major increase in revenue for many developers. Large companies have been making enough money to acquire smaller studios. Mergers have become very common in the mobile games sectors as several small studios look to establish a formidable presence in the market. The success of mobile games has also encouraged companies that do not traditional engage in gaming to try their hand at developing new kinds of games for consumers.

Increasing availability of technology exposes more consumers to gaming

Mobile games are expected to continue growing in popularity for the foreseeable future. China has become one of the most attractive markets for these games, partly due to the rapid adoption of mobile technology. As smartphones and tablets become more available, more consumers are being exposed to mobile games and other forms of entertainment. These consumers have shown a penchant for playing many kinds of mobile games and are enthusiastic when new titles are released.