An increasing number of mobile phone users play and download games on their mobile phones, with a new study from NPD Group showing that 27% of users play games on their handsets.
Downloading mobile phone games is seen as a potential source of revenue for mobile phone operators, however. According to Telephia 36% of games downloaded in the second quarter of 2005 were acquired for free, with revenue generating purchases making up 64%.
Telephia points out, however, that free game trials sometimes end up in creating revenues, while overall pricing varies significantly, ranging from an average of $3.57 for card and casino games to $4.29 for action and adventure games.
Puzzle and strategy games were shown to remain the most popular type of game for mobile phones, and almost one-half of game downloads of this type are free.
Commenting on the findings, Kanishka Agarwal, Vice President of New Products, Telephia said: “At this early stage of the game, publishers are employing different strategies with pricing and promotional incentives to learn what will gain the most traction with consumers and deliver the best revenue performance outcome.”
According to a recent survey from Ziff Davis Media, the number of US households using mobile phones to play games has rised by nearly 70% over the past 12 months, reaching almost 28 million (see US Mobile Gaming Users Hits 28 Million).
Informa Telecoms and Media confirms this rising popularity, estimating total global revenues from games on mobile phones to reach $11.2 billion by 2010, increasing by a massive $8.6 billion from $2.6 billion this year (see Global Mobile Games Revenues To Hit $11.2 Billion By 2010).
Informa’s Mobile Game report predicts that downloads will account for around two-thirds of global revenues through 2010, with online multi player traffic forecast to start generating significant income for mobile operators.
Media research company, Screen Digest, revealed that worldwide consumer spending on mobile game downloads totalled $778 million in 2004, more than doubling 2003’s figure of $380 million (see Mobile Phone Gaming Revenues Enjoy Strong Growth).
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