CanalPDA

A global market expected to reach 6.5 billion EUR in 2012

In five years time, video gaming will be one of the most sought-after applications for mobile phone owners.

In 2012, sales from video game downloads should generate revenues of 3.3 billion EUR in the three largest video game markets (Europe, United States and Japan), and 6.5 billion EUR worldwide.

“The main conditions for change are now becoming established: broadband networks are being deployed, usage is confirmed with new game genres, handsets can now compare with dedicated gaming platforms, publishers are perfecting their editorial strategies and digital distribution services are taking shape” says Laurent Michaud, the report Project Manager.

Mixed but promising markets
Mixed markets can be explained by differences in culture, usage, taste and language, etc… However, they can also be expressed in terms of the technological differences in advanced telecommunications networks and their deployment, business models that exist between content providers and telecoms operators, development environments and more or less standardised operating systems.

3G, already widespread in Japan and South Korea, is now becoming more available in the form of flat-rate data solutions, opening up the practice of mobile Web browsing. Speeds and rollout of pricing models favour the development of online services and content distribution. Gaming is no exception. In Japan and China, at least, business models are sympathetic to content providers and the catalogues they offer are well furnished.

The European market is marked by technological and cultural fragmentation. Players in the worlds of publishing and development are assigning some two-thirds of their development budgets to game porting to handsets and testing. Content is now being ported to up to 1 000 different phones, while games are being localised (translated and adapted) in line with the commercialisation objectives in different European countries.

The North American market is now offering a greater mix. Three major operators are adopting more eclectic catalogues, mainly offered through subscription. The Brew operating system functions as a standardised environment, facilitating content development and its adaptation to handsets.

The mobile phone as a video game console
In hardware terms, three factors are fundamental for gaming to develop on phones.

Storage capacity: this is essential given the growing size of applications and especially traditional video games in 3D. Flash memory is a decisive solution here.

3D display: this aids game immersion. Graphics rendering is also a major purchasing trigger. Still mainly software-based, it should gradually be available on mobile phones in the form of a dedicated chip and 2008 should see the rollout of these new generation phones.

Computation power: video games that require real-time computation also need the corresponding power. Next generation mobile phones will develop power equivalent to an upgraded first generation Playstation. This will take 24 to 36 months to deploy, time enough for game publishers to flesh out their catalogues, harnessing the latest technological developments.

También le puede interesar:

1. JuiceCaster Announces Integration of MotionDSP’s Ikena Web Service to Enhance Mobile Phone Video Quality
2. Antix Announces Game Player Client for Motorola Z8 and Z10 Mobile Devices
3. Nokia offer mobile game developers opportunities in China via competition
4. Veeker 2.0 Launches Simple, Quick Video and Picture Messaging Via Mobile Phone, E-Mail and Webcam
5. PlayPhone Introduces Top Mobile Media Brands and Content to South America’s 100 Million Mobile Phone Users