Mobile games set to overtake handhelds in 2013

Written by David Hing

April 25, 2013 | 09:07

Tags: #handheld #smartphone #smartphones #tablet #tablets

Companies: #idc

Gamers will be spending more money on mobile and tablet games than on handheld games in 2013 according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

The research company forecasts that sales of Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita bundle packages will fall 7% year-on-year each year on to 2017. Due to the very high proportion of mobile gamers only spending small amounts of money however, handheld games will still be generating a higher average revenue per user throughout.

IDC research manager Lewis Ward points out that Android as a platform still has some way to go in terms of gaming but that Sony and Nintendo have some strong competition ahead of them.

'Android is extremely fragmented but also on its way to becoming a critical mobile/portable gaming platform," said Ward. [i]'The reality is that the gaming-optimised handhelds from Nintendo and Sony will have to work hard to differentiate and remain ahead of smartphones and tablets on key metrics.'

Free-to-play games are also name checked as the key for mobile games conquering handheld titles.

'The digital transition inflection point has arrived in mobile and portable gaming industry, and mastering the freemium business model will be crucial to future success,' added Ward.

The report included data from Nintendo, Sony, Apple, Samsung, Google, Amazon, Razer, PlayMG, Nvidia, Hyperkin and Wikipad.

By 2017, IDC predicts mobile and handheld revenue combined to be close to $23m.
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