Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Revenue growth continues in the UK mobile gaming market
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- Figure 4: Mobile gaming frequency, October 2016
- Puzzle games the most popular genre of mobile game by far
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- Figure 5: Genres of mobile game played, October 2016
- Mid-core games hit the right balance between broad appeal and monetisation
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- 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
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- 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
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- Figure 8: Attitudes to mobile games and mobile gaming, October 2016
- Attitudes of mobile gamers interested in core games on mobile devices
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- Figure 9: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, by attitudes towards mobile gaming, October 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- 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
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- 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
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- Revenue growth continues in the UK mobile gaming market
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- 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
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- Smart phone and tablet ownership static
- Console ownership on a decline
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- 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
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- Figure 12: GAMEVICE physical control modules for iPhone
- Factors in user retention
- Rewarding daily/regular play
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- 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
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- 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
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- Supercell launch Clash of Clans spinoff, Clash Royale
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- Figure 14: Clash Royale gameplay
- Pokémon Go puts the ‘mobile’ in mobile gaming
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- Figure 15: Pokémon Go gameplay
- Nintendo brings its most famous IP to mobile devices with Super Mario Run
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- 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
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- Figure 17: Sea Hero Quest gameplay
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Four developers account for 89% of marketing spend on mobile games
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- 45% play more than once per week
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- Figure 20: Mobile gaming frequency, October 2016
- Women more likely than men to play mobile games
Genres Played
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- Puzzle games the most popular genre of mobile game by far
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- Figure 21: Genres of mobile game played, October 2016
- Players generally stick to one or two mobile gaming genres
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- Figure 22: Repertoire of genres played, October 2016
Spending on Mobile Games
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- Mid-core games hit the right balance between broad appeal and monetisation
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- 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
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- 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
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- Figure 25: Mobile gaming behaviours, by spending on mobile games, October 2016
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- Figure 26: Number of genres mobile gamers spent money on, October 2016
- Increase in core games creates more potential to attract high spenders
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- Figure 27: Attitudes to mobile gaming, by spending on mobile games, October 2016
Reasons for In-app Purchases
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- No ‘catch-all’ way to motivate players to make in-app purchases
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- Figure 28: Reasons for making in-app purchases in mobile games, October 2016
Mobile Gaming Behaviours
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- Mobile gaming sessions are often longer than 10 minutes
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- 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
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- Six in 10 players want simplicity from their mobile games
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- Figure 30: Attitudes to mobile games and mobile gaming, October 2016
- Attitudes of mobile gamers interested in core games on mobile devices
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- Figure 31: GAMEVICE physical controls for iPad Pro
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- Figure 32: Attitudes towards mobile gaming, by attitudes towards mobile gaming, October 2016
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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