Mobile Game Sales Have “Flatlined” According To Industry Report
Market analysts Juniper Research has reported that sales of mobile phone games have “flatlined across North America and Eastern Europe,” precisely the territories to see a decline in mobile phone sales in recent times.
Despite the iPhone increasing interest in games and applications, the limited revenue share of the old sales model versus the App Store, in conjunction with poor marketing of games has seen consumer attention wane.
Despite the value of the global mobile games market being expected to increase from $5.4 billion in 2008 to over $10 billion in 2013, a drastic change in methods of distribution is necessary for ‘last-gen’ Java based titles to remain competitive.
The author of the report, Dr. Windsor Holden, painted a bleak future for those who do not adapt:
“The revenue share offered by Apple to games publishers is incredibly attractive. The danger is that if operators do not respond with a similar business model, publishers faced with low margins may simply exit Java completely, thereby reducing consumer choice in the longer term.”
In our opinion, the problem with Java games runs far deeper than their distribution method. Charging the same money for titles which seem far more inferior on other handsets is not going to wash any more. Everyone has seen the games that the iPhone can deliver, in many cases for free. People are no longer be prepared to spend £5 on an unimpressive Java game, and will demand far more from the publishers before parting with their hard earned anywhere other than the App Store.
Lest we forget, the App Store has been around for around four months, and already has the entire mobile games industry shaken. Love to say, Omio told you so…
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
Tags: app store, iPhone, java, Mobile Games, snake