Mobile games are taking up a larger share of downloads compared to console and PC counterparts — almost half, according to a report by market research company NPD. In fact, even gamers who play online games via their console systems are still spending a majority of their money on mobile games. For the sake of definition, these mobile devices do not include portable game systems.
“Mobile gaming represents one of the fastest growing segments of the digital games market, and potential for future growth remains strong as more consumers are using smartphones for games of all types, including the increasingly popular mobile game apps. It is important to keep in perspective that the full-game price points on mobile devices are generally lower than those for console and portables systems, so mobile’s full game download unit share does not translate to a comparable level of consumer spend,” notes NPD analyst Anita Frazier.
In a relatively positive signal to the traditional game development industry, 60 percent of consumers in this study said they would still spend at least as much as they usually do on console and portable games for their mobile devices, although 40 percent said they were substituting at least some spending on consoles for mobile games.
In parallel to the rising comfort level with mobile games (which are almost always digital downloads), one in four gamers said they would prefer to purchase digital copies of games compared to a physical copy. The gamers who preferred a physical copy liked the feeling of owning a physical copy of the product, whereas the 25 percent who preferred digital like the convenience of downloading the product without the hassle of a retail store.
[Source: CNET]
