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Join the GDC Mobile conference to gain global perspectives on the gaming industry and explore the entire ecosystem. Our motto is to make better games. However, despite everything being great, we are facing challenges such as flat consumption in the US, price erosion in Europe, rising costs, and carriers planning to take more revenue share. Is there room for growth or are we failing to market effectively? Let's debate and share opinions!
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Welcome to GDC Mobile 2006! • Global perspectives • Entire ecosystem • Motto: make better games! • Debate and opinions are welcome
Everything is great! Except… • … consumption has been flat for several months in the US. • … evidence of price erosion in Europe • … costs are rising • … some carriers plan to take a greater revenue share
Room for growth or failure to market? US console game-playing audience: • 50% of population • Average age: 30 • Gender: 48% female • Source: The Economist US Mobile game audience: • Fewer than 4% of total mobile subscribers download a game in any month. • Fewer than 10% play mobile games. • Source: Telephia and M:Metrics
Telephia: Subscription growth rate outpaced new purchase growth rate; purchases have grown slowly since July Expected bump due to Holidays but declined in January ~Annualized Growth =23% ~Annualized Growth =30%
“The Market is failing to give users an incentive to make repeat purchases.” - Informa research
Erosion: End user price falling • Average price for color game: • 2004: Euro 4.30 • 2005: Euro 3.49 • Source: NetSize Guide 2006 • “Vodafone makes no price distinction between 2D games and the richer 3D titles.” Source: Informa research
The best billing system for impulse purchases is wedded to the worst mechanism for merchandising.
Vicious Cycle of Stagnation? • Carrier relies on content provider to stimulate consumption. • Content provider relies on proven brands to attract audience. • Audience fails to get excited by derivative products or re-hashed arcade titles.
ELSPA #1 Mobile Game in UK • December 2004: Tetris by iFone • November 2005: Tetris by Jamdat
Extreme Makeover: mobile edition • Sorrent Glu • Digital Bridges I-Play • Dwango Wireless Dijji • Kayak / Synergenix Blaze • Digital Chocolate Digital Chocolate
Extreme Makeover: mobile edition (2) • Sprint/Nextel “Sprint together with Nextel” • Telefonica “Telefonica together with 02” • SBC “AT&T together with SBC, BellSouth, Cingular and your bank account” • Vodafone “no longer with J-Phone”
Extreme Makeover: new names for 2006? • iFone: iPlay Better • Digital Chocolate: Digital Chocolate • MFORMA: MFRM • GameVil: Game Evil: His Satanic Majesty’s Studio
Telephia: The top 10 publishers made up 70% of mobile game revenues in Q4 2005