Publish Date: Jan 08

The U.S. mobile gaming industry, after a period of hyper growth, is entering a stable growth stage. To realize the full potential of the mobile phone as a gaming platform, carriers and publishers need to increase market awareness and introduce new business models, distribution channels, and game genres. In the meantime, portable gaming provides unique value propositions currently unmatched by mobile phones, and the advent of mobile broadband-enabled portable game players will solidify its status among fans of on-the-go gaming. This report analyzes market trends and opportunities in mobile and portable gaming, examines new business models, profiles more than 30 major mobile game publishers, solution providers, and carriers, provides rich consumer data regarding portable and mobile gaming, and forecasts market growth.

“In the mobile gaming industry, consumer awareness lags behind technological advancements,” said Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Director, Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates. “New 3D and multiplayer mobile games look great in demos, but casual games are where the money is and will be for the next few years.”

Download PDF of Table of Contents

The Bottom Line is a concise, executive-level summary of the current state of the market, evolutionary path, and the implications for companies doing business in this space.

A Parks Associates’ Resource Book contains a wealth of consumer survey data and company profiles—a must-have reference for product/market planning.

The Bottom Line

1.0   Notes on Methodology

2.0   Mobile Gaming: Market Overview

2.1 Key Industry Trends

2.2 Drivers and Inhibitors

2.3 Future Outlook

3.0   Mobile Carriers

3.1 Data Revenue Growth and Mobile Entertainment

3.2 Carriers and Mobile Gaming

3.3 Merchandising, Marketing, and Distribution

3.4 Mobile Gaming Business Models

3.5 The “Three-Screen” Strategy

3.6 International Case Studies

3.6.1 South Korea

3.6.2 Japan

3.6.3 Europe

4.0   Mobile Game Developers and Publishers

4.1 Competitive Landscape

4.2 The Danger of Market Stagnation

4.3 New Market Entrants

4.4 To License or Not To License

4.5 Industry Consolidation

4.6 The Casual Focus

4.7 Off-Deck Channels

4.8 Porting as a Core Competency

5.0   Innovation: Technology, Content, and Business Model

5.1 Connected and Multiplayer Mobile Gaming

5.2 Pervasive (Cross Platform) Gaming

5.3 BREW, N-Gage, and Xbox Live Anywhere

5.4 Mobile In-Game Advertising

5.5 Putting “Mobile” Back Into “Mobile Gaming”

5.6 3D Mobile Gaming

5.7 Other Relevant Technology Developments

5.7.1 IMS

5.7.2 Flash Lite

5.7.3 Location-based Gaming

6.0   Portable Gaming

6.1 Key Market Trends

6.2 Potential for a New Market Entrant

6.3 Convergence or Collision: Mobile and Portable Gaming

7.0   Market Forecasts

8.0   Key Recommendations

Resource Book

1.0   Mobile Phone as a Gaming Platform

1.1 Mobile Gaming vs. Other Mobile Applications

1.2 Mobile Gaming vs. Other Gaming Platforms

2.0   Profile of a Mobile Gamer

2.1 Adoption of Mobile Gaming

2.2 Mobile Gaming and Carriers

2.3 Mobile Gaming and Smart Phone Ownership

2.4 Perceived Importance of Mobile Gaming

2.5 Expected Change in Gaming Expenditure

2.6 Perspectives on Mobile Game Advertising

2.7 Dominant Mobile Gaming Genres

2.8 Multiplayer and Cross-Platform Mobile Gaming

3.0   Portable Game Players

3.1 Adoption and Purchase Intention

3.2 Portable Game Software

3.3 Potential for a New Market Entrant

3.4 Portable Gaming vs. Mobile Gaming

4.0   Global Consumer Data

4.1 Mobile Gaming

4.2 Portable Gaming

5.0   Profiles of Mobile Carriers

5.1 AT&T Wireless

5.2 Sprint

5.3 Verizon Wireless

6.0   Profiles of Portable and Mobile Game Publishers

6.1 Capcom Interactive, Inc.

6.2 Digital Chocolate

6.3 EA Mobile

6.4 Gameloft

6.5 Glu Mobile

6.6 Hands-On Mobile

6.7 Jamster, LLC

6.8 NAMCO Networks America, Inc.

6.9 Oberon Media / I-Play

6.10 Nintendo Entertainment America

6.11 PopCap Games

6.12 RealNetworks

6.13 Sony Pictures Mobile / Sony Ericsson & Sony Computer Entertainment America

6.14 THQ Wireless

6.15 Vivendi Games Mobile

7.0   Profiles of Technology Companies

7.1 Amobee Media Systems

7.2 Exit Games

7.3 Greystripe, Inc.

7.4 Hovr

7.5 Microsoft

7.6 Motricity, Inc.

7.7 Nokia

7.8 Qualcomm, Inc.

7.9 Sun Microsystems / Java

7.10 Tira Wireless

The Bottom Line

Key Drivers and Inhibitors for Mobile Gaming
Percentage of Data ARPU: U.S. Carriers
Mobile Phone: Features Never Used (Q2/07)
Important Influencers for Choosing a Mobile Service Provider
Carrier Deck Size & Top Sellers
Competitive Analysis: Key Mobile Game Publishers
Growth of Leading Mobile Gaming Companies
Percentage of Mobile Phone Users (among Internet Households) That Have Paid to Download Games in the Past 12 Months
Leading Media Companies: Mobile Gaming Initiatives
Key Licensing Partnerships
Recent Mergers and Acquisitions in the Mobile Gaming Industry
Consumer Interest in On-the-go Gaming
Social Network/Avatar-based Mobile Games
Interest in Multiplayer, Connected, and Community Gaming Applications
Multiplayer Mobile Gaming Platforms
Interest in Pervasive Gaming Very High among Core Gamers
Mobile Game Advertising Solution Providers
Innovative Mobile Games
Unit Sales of Nintendo DS and Sony PSP (Fiscal Year 2006-2008)
Sales of Nintendo Portable Game Players in Different Regions (Fiscal Year 2003-2007)
Portable Game Players: Brand Mindshare (Q2/07)
Top Desired Features on a New PGP among PGP Owners and Intenders
Correlation between Portable Console and Mobile Phone Gaming
Forecast of Mobile Service Subscribers and Paying Mobile Gamers (2007-2012)
Forecast of U.S. Mobile Gaming Revenue (2007-2012)
U.S. Households with at Least One Portable Game Player
Unit Sales of Portable Game Players

Resource Book

Mobile Phone: Entertainment Features
Usage of Various Mobile Applications
Mobile Phone: Features Never Used
Devices Used for Gaming
Number of Hours Spent on Various Gaming Devices
Comparison of Gaming Time across Platforms
Gaming Time by Platform: Percentile Analysis
Average Gaming Session Length by Platform
Gaming Hour Allocation by Platform: by Age Groups
How Do Different Gamer Groups Allocate Gaming Time
Percentage of Gamers Planning to Increase Mobile Game Spending in the Next 12 Months
Adoption of Paid Mobile Game Downloads
Frequent Mobile Gamers Are More Likely to Download
Number of Mobile Games Downloaded in the Last 12 Months
Mobile Gaming Adoption by Gender
Mobile Gaming Adoption by Age
Mobile Gaming Adoption by Gender: Q2 2005 vs. Q2 2007
Mobile Gaming Adoption by Age: Q2 2005 vs. Q2 2007
Number of Gaming Sessions on Portable Players: by Age and Gender
Number of Gaming Sessions on a Mobile Phone: by Age and Gender
Gaming Outside of the Home: by Gender and Age
Important Influencers for Choosing a Mobile Service Provider
Percentage of Mobile Game Downloaders and Mean Number of Games Downloaded by Carrier Brands
Mobile Gaming Behavior among Smart Phone Owners vs. Regular Mobile Phone Owners
Satisfaction with Internet Browsing Experience on a Mobile Phone: Smart Phone vs. Regular Phone
Perceived Importance of Different Capabilities on a Mobile/Portable Device
Perceived Importance of Mobile and Portable Gaming by Age
Expected Change in Mobile Gaming Expenditure
Expected Change in Mobile Gaming Expenditure: by Age
Mobile Phone: Service Subscription Intention
Consumer Sentiment about Mobile Advertising
Consumer Perspectives on Mobile Advertising
Ad-Supported Mobile Applications Boost Consumer Interest
Interest in Ad-Supported Mobile Services by Gender
Interest in Ad-Supported Mobile Services by Age
Interest in Ad-Supported Mobile Gaming by Perceived Importance of Mobile Gaming
Interest in Ad-Supported Mobile Gaming: Paying vs. Non-Paying Downloaders
Interest in Ad-Supported Mobile Gaming by Downloading Frequency
Interest in Various Game Genres on Different Portable Devices
Interest in Multiplayer, Connected, and Community Gaming Applications
Interest in Mobile Gaming Features by Gender
Interest in Pervasive Gaming Very High among Core Gamers
Interest in New MMOG Game Services
Ownership of Different Portable Game Players
Purchase Intention for Different Portable Game Players
Interest in a New Portable Game Player by Gender
Monthly Expenditure on Gaming
Time Spent on Playing New vs. Old Games
Number of Games Owned Personally
Average Number of Games Played Personally
Portable Game Players: Brand Mindshare
Preferred Brand for New Portable Game Player by Current Ownership
Preferred Brand for a Portable Game Player by Gender
Portable Game Player Ownership by Game Console Ownership
Gamers with Both Fixed and Portable Consoles Spend More Money on Software
Top Desired Features for a New PGP among PGP Owners and Intenders
Important Features on a PSP and Portable Multimedia Player
Correlation between Portable Console and Mobile Phone Gaming
Mobile Gamers More Likely to Own Portable Game Players
Mobile Gaming Frequency among Owners of Portable Game Players (Q2/07)
Adoption of Mobile Gaming in 13 Countries
Weekly Mobile Gaming Activities
Mobile Gaming Adoption in 13 Countries: by Age and Gender
Ownership of Portable Game Players in 13 Countries
Portable Game Player Ownership in 13 Countries: by Age and Gender
Adoption of Portable Gaming among 13 Countries
High Intender for Portable Game Players in 13 Countries

Authored by Michael Cai
Executive Editor: Tricia Parks
Published by Parks Associates

© January 2008 Parks Associates
Dallas, Texas 75230

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America. 

Disclaimer
Parks Associates has made every reasonable effort to ensure that all information in this report is correct.  We assume no responsibility for any inadvertent errors.

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