Survey: Global Mobile Gaming, Purchasing Habits Analyzed

Cellphone handset company and N-Gage creator Nokia has released the results of a global mobile gaming study, which surveyed 1,800 game players regarding the amount of time they devote to mobile games, as well as what features they value most. The survey, which included participants from China, Germany, India, Spain, Thailand and the United States, found that mobile game players frequently play mobile games for an average of 28 minutes at a time, while users in the United States and Thailand indicated that they play for slightly longer periods on average at 31 minutes and 29 minutes respectively. In addition, 80 percent of those surveyed indicated that they play mobile games at least once a week, while 34 percent play each day. Trial game downloads continue to be a popular option among mobile game players, with 43 percent of those surveyed indicating that they would like to try out two or three games a week. In addition, following the trial, 65 percent indicated that they would prefer to purchase the full game outright rather than buy a subscription to service (27 percent). Key factors driving the decision to purchase a mobile game include good gameplay (83 percent), replayability (79 percent) and game genre (78 percent). When looking to game downloading options, over-the-internet (OTI) distribution (34 percent) was found to be almost as popular as over-the-air (OTA) distribution (45 percent). The research also found that while a significant portion of those surveyed indicated that they play mobile games outside of the home (61 percent), nearly the same amount also noted that they play these games at home at well (62 percent). 56 percent of participants indicated that they play mobile games in situations where they are waiting. Concerning the types of games being played, the survey found that 45 percent of participants play multiplayer mobile games at least once a month. Players surveyed from India represent the upper echelon of mutiplayer game enthusiasts for mobile phones, with 56 percent playing at least once a week and one in four playing everyday. Players also indicated a desire to share game demos with friends (62 percent), while 79 percent noted that they would try out games sent to them by their friends. “These research results further validate that consumers are looking to the next generation of mobile gaming to meet their gaming needs,” commented Jaakko Kaidesoja, director, games, multimedia, Nokia. “Consumers are demanding great graphics, great content and great game play and we have listened. Next year, we intend to deliver superior mobile gaming experiences which will include great looking, involved and connected games that are easy to find, manage and play.”