The phone is calling
WHILE the UK currently leads the world for mobile gaming, Juniper Research predicts that this will be rapidly overtaken by the US market when state lotteries adopt mobile as a lottery distribution channel.
Million-2-1, the mobile subsidiary of IGT, has been working in the US for some time and interest in mobile gaming and technology has increased significantly during the past 12 months.
This is a result of the success of the Apple iPhone, which proves a growing demand for entertainment-type services for mobile, while the iStore provides a very effective distribution channel for mobile content which bypasses the mobile operators and traditional content aggregators.
Figures also show that 32% of iPhone users have downloaded a mobile game compared to only 3.8% of other mobile phone users.
It is clear that over the next 12 months, other handset manufacturers will mirror the iStore strategy and offer direct markets and communities for their customers.
This will vastly simplify mobile marketing and the supply channel and more advanced handsets with better screens will enable providers such as Million-2-1 to develop more sophisticated gaming applications. In particular, the quality of games will continue to improve greatly and it is likely that more traditional gaming companies will become involved in this area.
Many of the current mobile gaming applications (first generation) lack quality and playability factors, this will improve dramatically as handset technology continues to evolve.
At Million-2-1, we are now able to replicate exactly the gameplay, maths, features and logic of our traditional and most prized land-based slot games such as Rainbow Riches. This will give customers a greater choice of where they can play their favourite games.
The future is beginning to look very positive for mobile gaming, with further growth and development in the UK market due to new handsets and distribution/marketing channels but also opportunities are beginning to open up overseas.
Countries such as Spain are already in the process of developing new regulations for mobile gaming, and it is clear that significant opportunities exist in the US, particularly in the area of mobile lotteries and mobile-skill gaming.