US : Multiplayer gaming service providers are preparing the ground for offering true connected gaming through collaborations with device vendors, platform providers, applications developers, and mobile operators. While leading mobile operators already offer real-time multiplayer gaming on their 3G networks, platform providers help applications developers create, offer, and manage multiplayer mobile gaming services. This allows mobile subscribers to choose from a wider array of services.
Above shows screenshots from the mobile phone ame : Multiplayer World Poker Tour which was launched recently by Hands On Mobile.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan , An Insight into U.S. Mobile Multiplayer Gaming Markets, finds that downloads of all categories of mobile multiplayer games (solo play high score, shadow play, turn-based, and others) expects to exceed 155 million in 2013. However, real-time multiplayer games would be a small percentage of this number.
If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with insights into the U.S. mobile multiplayer gaming markets, then send an e-mail to Mireya Castilla, Corporate Communications, at mireya.castilla@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.
Capable handsets and next-generation networks are key factors in this move toward popularizing mobile multiplayer gaming. In fact, all tier-one U.S. mobile operators have rolled out high-speed networks that combine high bandwidth and low latency - a combination that is vital for the success of a sophisticated mobile multiplayer game.
“The high bandwidth for next-generation mobile networks allows for downloads of complex applications such as 3D color multiplayer mobile games,” saysFrost & Sullivan Senior Analyst Vikrant Gandhi. “Meanwhile, the low latency permits real-time multiplay, which can then be supported by advanced handsets with better processors and screen displays.”
Multiplayer games also have a huge boost with the extension of popular online social networking communities into mobile. Nevertheless, gaming service providers should be aware that multiplayer mobile games cannot offer the same level of functionality as the console or PC or replace them. Moreover, gamers’ attention span shrinks while gaming on mobile phones.
Considering these issues, the networking services clearly need to be targeted toward mass-market phones in order to gain traction. Further, developers have to create mobile-specific games that include the two critical components of ‘community’ and ‘competition’ within the same application.
“A multiplayer game can be as simple as a single-play, high-score game or something as complex as 3D, real-time multiplayer game that pitches real people against each other,” notes Gandhi. “There are clear use cases for different categories of mobile multiplayer games, with business models of the involved value-chain participants continuously evolving.”
Even though the availability of advanced infrastructure catalyzes the availability of multiplayer gaming, the lack of clarity around data charges when playing multiplayer, connected games has prevented the large-scale adoption of this service. While only a small percentage of gamers use the multiplayer capabilities of connected games, users of real-time mobile multiplayer games are even fewer.
Customer education through strategic marketing is the answer to several of these challenges.
“To improve the adoption rates, service providers have to educate mobile subscribers about the possibilities in multiplayer gaming, and position mobile phones as a gateway to such interactions,” observes Gandhi. “Additional revenue streams such as mobile advertising and m-commerce, particularly in-game transactions, can also hearten the industry participants and encourage them to develop compelling applications.”
An Insight into U.S. Mobile Multiplayer Gaming Markets is part of the Mobile and Wireless Growth Partnership Service program, which also includes research in the following markets: mobile DRM markets, mobile banking and mobile payments, mobile social networking market, premium mobile content and applications markets, mobile video services, mobile advertising and search, U.S. mobile connection aggregation markets, strategic insight into mobile content adaptation-porting with transcoding and rendering, mobile handheld devices, mobile office, enterprise mobile and wireless applications, and MVNO markets. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.
