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Mobile Gaming - UK - February 2017

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Products covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Revenue growth continues in the UK mobile gaming market
Figure 1: value of overall mobile apps and mobile games app sales and in-app purchases from the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store in the UK, 2013-16
Smart phone and tablet ownership static
Console ownership on a decline
Mobile gaming is a crowded market
Core game developers are using established IPs to get into the mobile gaming market
Factors in user retention
Companies and brands
Supercell launch Clash of Clans spinoff, Clash Royale
Pokémon Go puts the ‘mobile’ in mobile gaming
Nintendo brings its most famous IP to mobile devices with Super Mario Run
Celebrities extend their brands in mobile games
2016 sees biggest mobile gaming championships to date
Four developers account for 89% of marketing spend on mobile games
Figure 2: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on mobile games, 01/01/2016-01/01/2017
TV accounts for 92% of mobile game marketing spend on traditional channels
Figure 3: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on mobile games, 01/01/2016-01/01/2017
The consumer
45% of mobile device users play mobile games more than once per week
Figure 4: Mobile gaming frequency, October 2016
Puzzle games the most popular genre of mobile game by far
Figure 5: Genres of mobile game played, October 2016
Mid-core games hit the right balance between broad appeal and monetisation
Figure 6: Spending on mobile games by players of a genre, October 2016
Four out of five female players do not spend money on any genre of mobile game
Volume of players makes up for low download-to-spend ratio in casual genres
No ‘catch-all’ way to motivate players to make in-app purchases
Figure 7: Reasons for making in-app purchases in mobile games, October 2016
Mobile gaming sessions are often longer than 10 minutes
Six in 10 players want simplicity from their mobile games
Figure 8: Attitudes to mobile games and mobile gaming, October 2016
Attitudes of mobile gamers interested in core games on mobile devices
Figure 9: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, by attitudes towards mobile gaming, October 2016
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Mid-core games are the best at persuading mobile gamers to pay
The facts
The implications
Can mobile devices capture the core gaming audience and replace handheld consoles?
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Revenue growth continues in the UK mobile gaming market
Smart phone and tablet ownership static
Console ownership on a decline
Mobile gaming is a crowded market
Core game developers are using established IPs to get into the mobile gaming market
Factors in user retention
MARKET SIZE
Revenue growth continues in the UK mobile gaming market
Figure 10: value of overall mobile apps and mobile games app sales and in-app purchases from the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store in the UK, 2013-16
MARKET DRIVERS
Smart phone and tablet ownership static
Console ownership on a decline
Figure 11: Ownership of static and portable games consoles, December 2013-September 2016
Mobile gaming is a crowded market
Core game developers are using established IPs to get into the mobile gaming market
Figure 12: GAMEVICE physical control modules for iPhone
Factors in user retention
Rewarding daily/regular play
Figure 13: Daily play bonus in Pokémon Go
Encouraging player investment
Breaking repetitiveness
In-game limited-time events
Mobile games and eSports
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Supercell launch Clash of Clans spinoff, Clash Royale
Pokémon Go puts the ‘mobile’ in mobile gaming
Nintendo brings its most famous IP to mobile devices with Super Mario Run
Celebrities extend their brands in mobile games
2016 sees biggest mobile gaming championships to date
Four developers account for 89% of marketing spend on mobile games
TV accounts for 92% of mobile game marketing spend on traditional channels
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
Supercell launch Clash of Clans spinoff, Clash Royale
Figure 14: Clash Royale gameplay
Pokémon Go puts the ‘mobile’ in mobile gaming
Figure 15: Pokémon Go gameplay
Nintendo brings its most famous IP to mobile devices with Super Mario Run
Figure 16: Super Mario Run gameplay
Celebrities extend their brands in mobile games
2016 sees biggest mobile gaming championships to date
Sea Hero Quest is a mobile game helping dementia research
Figure 17: Sea Hero Quest gameplay
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ACTIVITY
Four developers account for 89% of marketing spend on mobile games
Figure 18: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on mobile games, 01/01/2016-01/01/2017
TV accounts for 92% of mobile game marketing spend on traditional channels
Figure 19: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on mobile games, 01/01/2016-01/01/2017
Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
45% of mobile device users play mobile games more than once per week
Puzzle games the most popular genre of mobile game by far
Mid-core games hit the right balance between broad appeal and monetisation
Four out of five female players do not spend money on any genre of mobile game
Volume of players makes up for low download-to-spend ratio in casual genres
No ‘catch-all’ way to motivate players to make in-app purchases
Mobile gaming sessions are often longer than 10 minutes
Six in 10 players want simplicity from their mobile games
Attitudes of mobile gamers interested in core games on mobile devices
MOBILE GAMING FREQUENCY
45% play more than once per week
Figure 20: Mobile gaming frequency, October 2016
Women more likely than men to play mobile games
GENRES PLAYED
Puzzle games the most popular genre of mobile game by far
Figure 21: Genres of mobile game played, October 2016
Players generally stick to one or two mobile gaming genres
Figure 22: Repertoire of genres played, October 2016
SPENDING ON MOBILE GAMES
Mid-core games hit the right balance between broad appeal and monetisation
Figure 23: Spending on mobile games by players of a genre, October 2016
Four out of five female players do not spend money on any genre of mobile game
Volume of players makes up for low download-to-spend ratio in casual genres
Figure 24: Proportion of mobile gamers spending money on genres of mobile game, October 2016
Players who spend money on mobile games also more open to advertising
Figure 25: Mobile gaming behaviours, by spending on mobile games, October 2016
Figure 26: Number of genres mobile gamers spent money on, October 2016
Increase in core games creates more potential to attract high spenders
Figure 27: Attitudes to mobile gaming, by spending on mobile games, October 2016
REASONS FOR IN-APP PURCHASES
No ‘catch-all’ way to motivate players to make in-app purchases
Figure 28: Reasons for making in-app purchases in mobile games, October 2016
MOBILE GAMING BEHAVIOURS
Mobile gaming sessions are often longer than 10 minutes
Figure 29: Relative frequency of mobile gamer behaviours, October 2016
Players more likely to download new game than delete existing ones
Mobile gamers are open to opt-in advertising
In-app purchases more likely to be habitual than one-offs
ATTITUDES TOWARDS MOBILE GAMING
Six in 10 players want simplicity from their mobile games
Figure 30: Attitudes to mobile games and mobile gaming, October 2016
Attitudes of mobile gamers interested in core games on mobile devices
Figure 31: GAMEVICE physical controls for iPad Pro
Figure 32: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, by attitudes towards mobile gaming, October 2016
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology

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