Report highlights the growth of mobile games over handhelds
IDC, a leading market analysis firm, and App Annie, a resource for Apple-centric information, have come together to release a new report concerning emerging trends seen in mobile games. The report, called “App Annie & IDC Portable Gaming Report,” shows that mobile games have managed to establish strong momentum over the years, especially when it comes to iOS devices. The iOS platform has become one of the most popular platforms for mobile games, so much so that these games are beginning to perform better than traditional handheld games.
Mobile games beat handhelds in terms of revenue
Mobile games have become one of the most lucrative sectors of the game industry. Developers and publishers around the world have begun focusing more heavily on the mobile space in order to tap into the powerful economic activity that is occurring therein. According to the report from IDC and App Annie, spending on mobile games has increased significantly over the past year and has, for the first time, outpaced the revenue that traditional handheld games produce.
Android may become powerful gaming platforms, eventually
The report shows that the iOS is leading the way in terms of mobile games spending. Google’s Android is lagging behind both the iOS platform and traditional handhelds in terms of gaming, but the report suggests that this may change in the next financial quarter. Google has been reforming its approach to gaming and mobile applications, introducing significant changes to its Google Play service. These changes are expected to help the company put more focus on mobile games. This focus is likely to propel Android ahead of handheld consoles in the future.
Mobile games may soon cut into console markets
The report indicates that there are a rising number of new markets emerging in the mobile gaming sector. In these markets, consumers are showing strong interest in mobile games of all kinds. Many of these markets happen to be in Asia, where smartphones and tablets are already quite popular. As mobile games continue to grow in power, they may soon begin to cut into the profits that have kept traditional handheld consoles afloat for several years.
Mobile games continue to flex their financial might
It is no secret that mobile games have become a very lucrative part of the game industry as a whole. While the rise of mobile games and the success they have found throughout the world may have come as something of a surprise, the game industry has been placing a great deal of emphasis on these games due to the financial gains that many companies in the mobile space have seen in this sector. The financial aspects of mobile games can, at times, be somewhat vague, but SuperData, a metrics tracking firm, has released a new report that highlights the money that consumers are actually spending on these games.
Report shows the progress mobile games are making in terms of revenue
According to the report from SuperData, the average amount of money that consumers in the U.S. are spending on mobile games has reached an all-time high. The report shows that consumers are spending an average of $12 on mobile games. While this may not seem like a significant amount of money, this represents millions of dollars worth of revenue for developers and publishers, most of which comes from in-game transactions and not from the actual sale of mobile titles. The report does show that there has been some decline in this sector, but mobile games are producing $842 million in revenue, on average, through sales alone every month.
Free-to-play games becoming more popular
The report shows that free-to-play mobile games are the most popular among consumers. Consumers do not need to pay an initial fee in order to acquire these games, making them widely available to a broad range of consumers. These games typically include in-game purchases that provide players with some bonus or opportunity to access new content. Free-to-play games are not only popular in the mobile space, of course, as the report shows that they are also gaining traction in other parts of the game industry.
Game industry beginning to go mobile
Mobile games are well on their way to becoming one of the most lucrative sectors of the game industry. If consumers continue to show strong interest in these games, the game industry is likely to continue to put more focus on the mobile sector. Several developers that had traditionally been solely focused on console gaming have already begun embracing the mobile space.
