Lots of Mobile Gamers in the U.S.
An estimate by eMarketer suspects that there are 31 million mobile gamers in the U.S. in 2008, compared to 23 million in 2007. This figure is expected to rise to 44 million by 2010, and 57 million by 2012. Total mobile game spending is expected to be $550 million this year, and should rise to $1.1 billion by 2012, according to eMarketer.
eMarketer, however, only includes mobile users who have downloaded and paid for a mobile game. Other organizations include mobile gamers who have played pre-installed and sideloaded games, as well as games downloaded over networks.
Limbo and GFK/NOP Research indicated that there were 70 million mobile gamers in the U.S. They included the gamers who played preloaded and sideloaded mobile games.
In June, the dotMobi consortium and AKQA released a study that detailed the mobile activities of users in the U.K. and the U.S. In both countries, 22% of respondents said they played games.
Checking information (45%), sending/receiving e-mail (38%), using maps (28%), instant messaging (27%), and browsing for fun/entertainment (27%) were the only activities that were more popular.
Regardless of who you ask, it seems that mobile gaming means serious business now, and will mean even more so in the future.
eMarketer notes that marketers “trying to sell games may find the lower estimates to be more useful, while the higher numbers may be of more interest to marketers considering sponsoring the games.”
Source:
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006508
