Tag: in-game purchases

Facebook draws more attention to mobile games

| October 10, 2013

Campaign helps rekindle interest in old mobile games

Social networking giant Facebook recently launched a new campaign concerning mobile ads and consumer engagement. The campaign was meant to expose mobile users to advertisements while also reminding them to use applications that they have downloaded in the past. The campaign has been somewhat successful, leading to higher engagement for businesses and helping consumers discover, or re-discover, applications through the social platform. Game developer Arkadium held a study in the wake of the campaign in order to discover what impact it had on mobile games.

Study aims to shed light on consumer engagement

Facebook remains one of the most popular platforms for mobile games there is. The social network supports a wide range of these games, many of which are downloaded by the network’s massive user base. While many Facebook users download these mobile games, the majority of the games are played for a short period of time before being forgotten or replaced by other games. The study from Arkadium aims to shed some light on whether consumers are actually spending money on these games while they are playing them.

Facebook - Mobile Games Study40% of people spend money on in-game purchases

According to the study, some 40% of consumers have made an in-game purchase, with 38% of these people making an in-game purchase through games on Facebook. The study also shows that 56% of people play more than 3 Facebook mobile games every week. Consumers tend to be very fluid when it comes to the games they play, moving from one game to the next relatively quickly. This leaves smartphones and tablets cluttered with a variety of mobile games that go unused generally because they are simply forgotten.

Consumers unlikely to remain fixated on single game for long

Reminding consumers to make use of their old applications could lead to a boost in mobile games engagement. It may also help people discover new applications from their favorite developers. Consumers are not likely to become fixated on one mobile game for long, however, especially as new mobile games are being released at a rapid pace.

Mobile games market poised for major growth

| February 22, 2013

Mobile Games GrowthMobile games market to reach new heights in near future

Juniper Research, a leading market research firm, has released a new study concerning the future of the mobile games market. The study, “Mobile and Tablet Games — Discovery, In-App Purchases and Advertising 2013-2017,” suggests that the mobile games market is poised to see major success and growth in the near future, especially as more consumers get their hands on mobile devices like smart phones and tablets. As mobile device proliferation becomes more widespread, mobile games are expected to begin having a major impact on the global game industry.

Market to exceed $3 billion by 2017

According to the study, global sales of mobile games are expected to reach $3 billion over the next four years. The rapid adoption of tablet devices is cited as one of the key drivers behind this aggressive growth. In-game purchases are also becoming more common among consumers, especially where virtual currencies are involved. Many mobile games offer virtual currency, which can be purchased with actual currency. Virtual currency can be used to purchase a wide assortment of goods in games and this type of currency has become very popular among avid gamers.

North America and Asia will power growth

The study shows that the North American and Asian markets will see the most growth in the mobile games market. These two regions will account for 86% of in-game transactions by 2016. China, in particular, will see a major surge in mobile games as the country’s game developers become more ambitious. Juniper Research notes that the Chinese market reached $1 billion in 2012 and this momentum has yet to show signs of dissipating.

Smart phones to beat out tablets

Despite the growing popularity of tablet devices, smart phones will continue to be the most popular platform on which to make in-game purchases. Consumers continue to show favor for smart phones because of their versatile nature and the fact that can be used for much more than mobile games. Tablets boast of some versatility as well, but do not offer the same features that consumers have come to appreciate with smart phones.