With the advent of mobile devices, more people are playing video games than ever before. Apps like "Angry Birds" and "Candy Crush Saga" have millions of users — many of whom had never played video games before. For the most part, traditional console video game makers like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have not had to deal with competition from mobile gaming companies because their market has been "core gamers."
Core gamers usually play 20 or more hours a week and are drawn to more sophisticated games with in-depth story lines. The finance website The Motley Fool reports, however, that the mobile gaming industry may be drawing in more of these serious users.
"As mobile devices […] continue to grow, the mobile game category will show the biggest growth due to the entertainment value provided by games compared with other app categories," Brian Blau, research director at Gartner, told the source. "This growth is fueled by healthy premium mobile device sales globally and a desire by consumers to play games on these multifunction devices that are capable of displaying increasingly sophisticated game content."
Microsoft and Sony seem to be feeling the pressure as both companies have reduced the prices of their consoles and games. Mobile devices offer multiple entertainment options and console makers will have to prove that their products provide the same value.
As a small business owner, you're probably not developing video games, so what does this information mean to you? Namely, that the number of smartphone and tablet users is growing at a rapid pace. If your target audience also happens to include gamers, you may want to take advantage of this fact. To learn more about how your business could benefit from mobile phone advertising, consider partnering with a firm like KeyMedia Solutions.