Mobile gaming gaining ground in Europe

In-Fusio, a European mobile games publisher and game service provider, has recently conducted a survey among a sample of 400 mobile gamers in France. The study suggests that games are becoming increasingly important to mobile phone users in Europe, with 87 percent of those surveyed knowing that games were included with their handset at the time of purchase. A third of the respondents also told In-Fusio that games were a key criteria when choosing a phone.

In-Fusio's study also showed that the demographics of mobile gaming are becoming more diverse, with an increasing number of the users interested in games falling into the 25-and-over age category. Female users only accounted for 22 percent of the survey respondents, but the results suggest that they are three times more likely to consistently download games. That said, In-Fusio's report also explains that "the vast majority of female players (87 percent) are interested in "classic" and "evolution"-based games whereas the majority of games being developed are for the male market (sport, combat, adventure, and video-game licensed)."

Whether it is possible to extend the survey's findings globally is unclear. "There will be cultural differences," said Billy Pidgeon, senior analyst with the Zelos Group, who notes that the audience for mobile gaming is primarily made of casual players. "Almost everyone plays PC games such as Minesweeper. The same thing is true of mobile phones, they [users] don't self-identify as gamers. They're looking for entertainment."

Carriers like online mobile games because they drive nonvoice over the air minutes and the fees that come with them. Pidgeon believes that it is a matter of time before the inherent communications functions of a mobile phone are more fully wed to gaming. In the meantime, he said word of mouth has helped mobile gaming gain exposure. The survey discovered that 60 percent of respondents would like to be part of a mobile-gaming community.

Intriguingly, the survey indicates that 58 percent of mobile games are played at home. "Although, the common notion is that people play games while they are on the go, the fact of the matter is, our study found that mobile gaming activity peaked in the evenings and on weekends--when people actually have some free time for leisure activities," In-Fusio co-CEO and founder Gilles Raymond told GameSpot. "It isn't that mobile gamers aren't playing other devices when they are home, even though they might have a console or PC as well, it is that they are also playing mobile games in their free time."

In-Fusio has recently been named in the Red Herring 100, 2004, which is the industry's definitive ranking of private technology companies impacting the marketplace.