Mobile phone gamers are looking to the next generation of mobile gaming to meet their needs to easily discover, share and play fun and high quality mobile games, according to a study by Nielsen Entertainment in China, Germany, India, Spain, Thailand and the United States.
The results of the survey, commissioned by Nokia, found mobile phone gamers frequently play mobile games for an average of 28 minutes per session, value improved game graphics, prefer to trial games before buying, and find communities increasingly integral to their overall mobile gaming experience.Â
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— Play more, play longer
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The mobile phone gamers surveyed frequently play mobile games with the vast majority (80%) playing at least once a week and 34% playing every day. The average length of a session is 28 minutes with India (39 minutes), United States (31 minutes) and Thailand (29 minutes) playing longer than average.
Mobile phone games are played on the move (61%) almost as much as they are played at home (62%). Also, mobile phone gamers are making the most of their idle time with 56% preferring to play while waiting.
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— Next generation appeal
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Almost two thirds (63%) of the respondents preferred the richer experience of Nokia’s next generation mobile games offering over existing Java 2D and Java 3D games offerings, particularly following game trials.
Good gameplay (83%), replayability (79%) and game genre (78%) are key motivators when considering which mobile games to purchase. Graphical quality (84%) and using the phone for other purposes while downloading (78%) were found to be the most important features when deciding to play Nokia’s next generation mobile games.
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— Try before you buy
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If given the opportunity to trial a game before buying it, most (43%) would prefer to trial two to three games per week as opposed to only one (21%). Post-trial, the majority (65%) would prefer to pay for a full game outright rather than buy a subscription (27%).
When it comes to getting games, over-the-internet (OTI) distribution (34%) is almost as popular as over-the-air (OTA) distribution (45%).
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— Connect, compete and share
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Worldwide gaming trends show that connecting people, either as teammates or as opponents, is becoming an increasingly important part of what consumers want from their mobile gaming experience. Globally, 45% play multiplayer games on their mobile phones at least once a month.
Not only do players want to defeat their foes, they also want to share game demos with their friends (62%). Additionally, a large majority (79%) would trial games sent by friends.
“These research results further validate that consumers are looking to the next generation of mobile gaming to meet their gaming needs,” says 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.”
“Web 2.0 saw the birth of a new, more empowered use of the internet and with the next generation of mobile gaming we are on the brink of the same evolution,” adds Kaidesoja. “Since the start of the N-Gage Arena, Nokia has recognized consumers’ desire for communities and connected social gaming. We are evolving our online community strategies to bring truly connected easy to use mobile gaming experiences to millions of mobile device owners worldwide.” Â
