Tag: mobile game industry

Mobile games win the attention of Tilting Point

| March 18, 2013

Mobile Games Tilting pointMobile games continue to show their power to the game industry

Mobile games are becoming a very powerful force in the game industry. Games developed specifically for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have been resoundingly successful among consumers. This is partly due to the convenience of being able to play mobile games anywhere and at any time, as well as the fact that many of these games are designed to be very addicting. Mobile games represent a very lucrative area of the game industry, especially for independent developers that are heavy on skill and imagination.

Tilting Point announces investments in independent developers

Tilting Point, a relatively new company comprised of game industry veterans from companies like EA Partners, has announced that it will be investing $40 million into the mobile games sector over the next three years. Investments will be directed at independent developers, a sector of the game industry that has shown strong promise over the past several years. Independent developers have managed to acquire a great deal of support from consumers due to the belief that they are free of the perceived “evils” of game publishers like Electronic Arts and Activision. Because of the way consumers see these developers, many are more likely to support the games that they produce.

Independent developers may be the future of gaming

Tom Frisina, executive chairman of Tilting Point, believes that independent developers hold the future of games in their hands. Mobile games, in particular, are a field in which independent developers are very active. The accessible nature of these games has attracted a great deal of consumer attention and support, making mobile games some of the most successful products in the game industry. Tilting Point is interested in promoting more innovation in the mobile games sector by helping support the development talent that exists therein.

Advanced mobile games become more feasible as technology becomes more capable

As mobile devices become more advanced, they are capable of supporting higher quality mobile games. Typically, mobile games are designed to be short, satisfying, and not too time consuming. This often translates into players participating in short-lived, but repetitive activities. Mobile games on future devices are expected to buck this trend by providing gamers with a more interactive and engaging experience.

Mobile games benefit from freemium model

| March 9, 2013

Mobile Games FreemiumFreemium makes mobile games a booming market

Mobile games have become a very prominant market for the game industry. Games for smartphones and tablets represent a market worth billions of dollars in revenue and this market has begun to attract game developers that had previously been focused exclusively on developing titles for consoles and PCs. Though mobile games generate a massive amount of revenue on a yearly basis, most of these games are entirely free, though boast of a wide variety of in-game transactions. This business model is often referred to as “freemium.”

In-game transactions relatively accepted by gamers

Freemium is a simple concept: Mobile games that are free to obtain and free to play, but provide gamers with the opportunity to purchase in-game items and power-ups that can make the game more enjoyable. This is where the majority of the revenue that is generated by mobile games comes from. The freemium model allows developers to offer services to gamers for a relatively low price and because these prices are so low, consumers tend to participate in in-game transactions on a regular bases.

Freemium opens mobile games to more consumers

Analysts from Index Ventures, a venture capital investment firm, suggest that the freemium model is ideal for the mobile games market. This model allows developers to price-discriminate individual consumers, eliminating the upfront costs that are associated with other business models. A typical console game can cost anywhere from $30 to $60, but most mobile games are offered for free, with additional content being offered for as little as $1. Index Ventures suggests that the freemium model does not exploit consumers, but rather allows for a broader consumer base to participate in mobile games.

Business model not accepted by all gamers

Index Ventures suggests that many consumers are willing to sink money into mobile games in order to gain as much entertainment from these games as possible. The freemium model may be great for developers, but it is not universally accepted among gamers. Many argue that the freemium model encourages developers and publishers to create games that are deliberately restrictive in order to heavily promote in-game transactions.