Tag: mobile games

Tablets preferred for mobile games

| July 12, 2013

Study shows consumers play mobile games on their tablets more so than other platforms

Frank N. Magid Associates, a media and entertainment research firm, has released a new study concerning mobile games. These games have been growing in popularity for some time, experiencing the bulk of this growth over the past five years. As consumers become more involved in their smartphones and tablets, these games are finding a foothold with a larger audience. The prominence of mobile technology has made mobile games a very lucrative and influential part of the game industry.

Tablets account for $914 million in in-game spending

The study shows that mobile games have established a strong following, but that the majority of those that play these games prefer to do so on tablet devices. The study suggests that 69% of tablet users play games on their device, with 31% of these gamers participating in in-game transactions. These gamers spent an average of $48 each on mobile games over the past year. This translates into tablets representing some $914 million of in-game spending.

tablet mobile gamesTablets offer better experience for mobile games

The reason people seem to prefer tablets over smartphones when it comes to mobile games is relatively straightforward. Tablets feature larger screens that are typically more responsive than those than can be found on smaller mobile devices. This allows for better control in mobile games as well as the opportunity to experience these games on a larger scale rather than be forced to view games on a small, somewhat restrictive screen. The larger size of tablet devices is also accommodating to higher quality hardware, allowing these devices to offer more graphical power to mobile games than smartphones.

Android may be catching up to iOS

Tablets have established themselves as the primary platform for mobile games. This is not likely to change in the immediate future, despite the fact that new smartphones are emerging with better graphics processing units and other such hardware. Currently, the iPad is the most popular tablet for mobile games, but the study shows that Android tablets are beginning to gain momentum among consumers.

Mobile games graphics could rival that of current consoles

| July 11, 2013

EA has high hopes for next generation mobile games

Major game publisher Electronic Arts believes that the next generation of mobile games will have the same graphical capabilities of games for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. This would have been a bold claim, if mobile technology had remained relatively stagnant over the past few years. Technology has, however, advanced at a very rapid pace and modern smartphones and tablets are equipped with hardware that could rival the current generation of consoles.

Mobile games manage to gain popularity with modest graphics

Mobile games are already quite popular among consumers, so much so that they have begun to cut into the sales of console games in some parts of the world. These games have not won consumers over by offering high quality visuals, however, as most mobile games are designed with very simple, approachable graphical content. The modest graphics of most mobile games is directly linked to the hardware capabilities of smartphones and tablets. Until very recently, these devices have not been designed with gaming in mind, thus did not boast of high performance graphics processing units (GPUs).

Mobile Games - Mobile game graphics may rival current console graphicsNew technology enables games to become more visually impressive

Because smartphones and tablets have become major entertainment platforms for many consumers, device makers have been working on making these devices more accommodating of mobile games. Electronic Arts notes that the progress these devices have made in terms of graphical power has improved significantly over the past two years and could lead to a new generation of mobile games that provide a visually stunning experience as well as one that is enjoyable for consumers from a gameplay standpoint.

Graphics engines could signal a bright future for mobile games

Electronic Arts notes that many of the graphics engines that it uses for console games can be modified to be used on mobile devices. These engines are common in games that have been made for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, but have seen minimal use in the mobile sector. As these engines become more available to developers and help usher in a new generation of smartphones and tablets, mobile games may soon become a much larger and more prolific part of the game industry in the near future.