Asian-Pacific countries lead mobile gaming sector - study

Market research firm Park Associates has revealed the results of a new study entitled 'Network Gaming: Driving the Future', revealing a trail-blazing lead in connected and multiplayer network mobile gaming from Asian-Pacific countries (APAC).

According to the report, APAC countries more than double the adoption rate of gamers in the US and Europe for both single and multiplayer connected gaming, bolstered by the widespread availability of advanced 3G networks and game-friendly handset designs.

In the APAC countries surveyed, 28 per cent of consumers play single-player mobile games on at least a weekly basis, compared with 13 per cent in Europe and just 8 per cent in the US. Multiplayer games are played on a weekly basis by 7 per cent of APAC consumers, compared to just 2 per cent in both Europe and North America.

Yuanzhe Cai, Park Associates' director of broadband and gaming, commented: "Cellular operators in North America and Europe are lagging behind their Asia-Pacific counterparts in mobile gaming, but they are starting to increase their focus on this area. Large game publishers such as EA are also re-evaluating market opportunities and investing heavily in the space, so with wider deployments of 3G mobile networks and the continued development of feature-rich handsets with gamer-friendly designs, these regions should be able to reduce the international gaming gap."

Park Associates' research leads the firm to the conclusion that the growth of the market and the closure of the gap between East and West would benefit from both 3D multiplayer and casual PC-to-mobile games, including titles which position the mobile phone as an extension of a PC or console game. Additional growth factors mentioned in the report include the integration of location-based services, social networking and multi-player mobile gaming.

"Leveraging unique characteristics such as always-on connectivity and always-with-you ubiquity is extremely important to the success of mobile gaming," Cai added. "Focusing on brands and franchise licenses alone is not a sustainable model." For more detailed information on 'Network Gaming: Driving the Future', which addresses adoption of mobile gaming, consumer profiles, interest in cross-platform gaming and the technology and services required to develop and expand the global wireless gaming network, please visit the Park Associates website.