There was an interesting article from Mobile Insider posted on the 15 April 2010 analysing comScore data. The data looks at mobile gaming trends between February 2009 and February 2010. BuzzCity’s mobile gaming platform Djuzz also allows us to constantly monitor trends in gaming and handset preference so it was interesting to compare results.
We agree with the comScore data when it comes to feature phones enjoying the lion’s share of mobile gaming and application usage. Our data shows that Nokia and Samsung phones – specifically those that are three to four years old - are particularly popular with mobile gamers.
Both comScore and the Djuzz analytics have found that arcade and puzzle games are most popular and we have also looked at why. Arcade and puzzle games are both easy to pick up, require no gaming commitment and can be played on the move with one thumb, making them easy to enjoy on a mobile device.
The one statement that we do disagree with is “gaming on feature phones is plummeting because the gaming experience is ‘limited and inferior’”. Djuzz has seen a 53% increase in unique monthly visitors (795k to 1.2m) and an 86% increase in downloads (400k to 750k). The mobile gaming experience is casual and intended for ‘bite-sized’ consumption so long-term play and a premium visual / audio experience is not required. This is why arcade and puzzle games are so popular – snacking on stimulating games on the mobile fulfills one need and feasting on PC or console-based games fulfills another.
