Sony shows more interest in mobile games
Mobile games have become a major phenomenon and a hugely lucrative sector for the game industry. The proliferation of mobile devices has secured mobile games as a major part of the lives of consumers. Many people enjoy these applications because of the entertainment they provide, and many independent developers have found significant success in focusing almost exclusively on the mobile space. Sony, which boasts of a very strong presence in the game industry, has seen the promise that can be found in mobile games and is looking to take advantage of it.
New app store launched by Sony and WildTangent
Sony has teamed with WildTangent, an online game network based in the U.S., to launch a new online store for mobile games and applications. The new store will offer mobile games for Sony’s Xperia smart phones. WildTangent games will also come pre-installed on all new Sony laptops. The new application store can be roughly compared to Google Play or Apple’s App Store, but will not have the extensive portfolio of these two platforms.
New app store could have ties to Playstation 4
The new store is expected to open within the coming weeks to and will help expand the availability of mobile games on Sony mobile devices. There are rumors within the game industry that Sony’s new venture could have ties with the companies forthcoming Playstation 4 console. Sony is scheduled to make a major announced on February 20, which is expected to be an official reveal of the highly anticipated console.
Playstation 4 expected to have strong mobile elements
Rumors suggest that the Playstation 4 will have strong mobile elements. This is due to the aggressive interest Sony has been showing in mobile gaming lately. The company believes that mobile games are on their way to dominating the game industry and has been positioning itself to ensure that it is not left behind as gamers become more mobile. Whether the company’s new venture is tied to the Playstation 4 is not certain, but it is also not unlikely.
Consumers prefer iOS over Android when it comes to mobile games
Mobile games are very popular for consumers all over the world. These games have become one of the most favored pastimes for those with iOS and Android devices and there are no signs that mobile games will become unpopular in the foreseeable future. Arbitron Mobile, a mobile behavior analytics firm, has released a new survey concerning which mobile platform consumers prefer for gaming. The survey shows that Apple devices are the most popular platforms for mobile games on the market.
iPhone has become a massively popular gaming platform
According to the survey, 85.7% of consumers prefer to use mobile games on an iOS device. Approximately 76% of consumers favor Android devices. The iPhone is the most popular device among gamers, accounting for an average of 12 hours and 23 minutes of engagement in mobile gaming in December 2012. Overall, mobile games take up the majority of time people spend on mobile devices, iOS or otherwise. Social networking comes in second, but consumers typically play mobile games through such networks.
Mobile games represent promising marketing opportunities
The popularity of mobile games presents a major opportunity for advertisers and game developers. Because the majority of the time consumers spend on their mobile devices is devoted to gaming, developers have a chance to push in-game sales of products and services. Developers can also sell in-game space to advertisers looking to engage mobile consumers. This is a common practice in the field of mobile games, as such games are typically free or very inexpensive. In-game transactions are, therefore, the primary way for developers to generate profits.
Game industry begins to veer toward Android
Though consumers appear to favor the iOS platform for mobile games, Android has been gaining momentum in this field for years. Consumers are becoming more interested in Android devices over those provided by Apple due to new features being introduced to the Android platform. The game industry has also shown favor for Android because of its accessibility, leading many developers to move away from the iOS.