Mobile gaming has come a long way since the days of Nokia's Snake game, with its simple graphics, challenging but repetitive game play, and limited sound effects of bleeps and blips. Today's consumer has a much wider range of choices, and can even extend their home gaming experience (from, say, a gaming console like the Xbox or the Wii) by bringing along a portable version of some best-selling game franchise.
A large part of this is driven by technology. The technology behind mobile phones is constantly improving, driven by consumer demand for richer phone experiences and higher levels of functionality; and at the same time, costs are going down. The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) points out that affordability and functionality are key trends in the rapid growth of the mobile phone industry in Asia* . Initiatives across Asia have made handsets affordable, even for low-income consumers, while competition in the marketplace is lowering service prices.
Phones now come with high-level graphics and sound capabilities, which allow more complete multimedia playback, as phones take over the role formerly played by portable media players. This is also good news for game developers, who can utilize these features to create more immersive games. Smartphones like Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's Blackberry range are even more impressive, with high-powered onboard processors that put a computer in every user's pocket. These devices, more so than other phones, serve as the platform for the most sophisticated games.
Because mobile phones function as part of networks, the network itself has become a feature of mobile gaming, allowing players to challenge not only a single artificially-intelligent computer opponent, but also to challenge friends or nearby strangers over the cellular network or using technology such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This makes mobile gaming even more compelling, with winners able to register their achievements on global leader boards, or brag about them over social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
The network also allows for better distribution of games over the air, without the need for installation discs or messy computer-based downloads. Mobile phone manufacturers are busy creating their own versions of Apple's App Store, which allow customers to browse a catalog of applications (many of them games) and purchase, download and use them in a matter of minutes. These stores make it even easier for mobile phone users.
While the mobile gaming market has grown in the rest of the world, Asia has seen significantly stronger growth. Rising mobile penetration, increased adoption of smartphones and a large segment of young mobile phone users have seen the rise of mobile gaming, particularly in India, which currently has a US$15 million mobile gaming market.
The mobile phone is now the perfect platform for gaming. The US gaming industry has already learned the value of casual gaming, largely from the experience of the iPhone. New research reveals that 80 percent of the population plays some kind of computer game, including casual games. The success of mobile gaming in India is only a precursor to the growth that can be expected in other parts of Asia, particularly in mature markets such as South Korea (which already has a substantial gamer base), and Singapore (which has a developed infrastructure).
It seems likely that the bleeps and blips of the past will be replaced by the sound of millions of phone users playing games, out in the field, as they go about their business every day.
*MMA, Solidiance -- Asia Mobile Telecommunications Innovation Report
Rohit Dadwal is managing director, Asia Pacific, for the Mobile Marketing Association.
