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Mobile Gaming via Smartphones Growing Leaps and Bounds

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comScore has released the findings of its recent study on the mobile gaming industry.  Frankly, it didn’t surprised me at all to know that mobile gaming on smartphones have grown dramatically from 2009 to 2010. According to comScore’s data the number of gamers via smartphone has increased by 60% while gamers via feature phone have declined by 35%. This resulted in an overall decrease of 13% for mobile gamers in the U.S. Total percentage of mobile gamers via feature phones was 80% of the market.

There report also indicated that mobile gamers on smartphones were also heavier as compared to gamers on feature phones. Smartphone subscribers are three times more likely than feature phone subscribers to play games on their mobile devices at least once a month. Smartphone gamers are also five times more likely to play games almost everyday.

In terms of number of games installed in their mobile devices, the report found out that smartphone gamers install more apps than feature phone users. There were 27.3% of mobile gamers who have installed at least one game on their phones. For feature phones, it was only 5.6% of subscribers. Majority of the smartphone gamers have installed more than five games in their mobile devices.  And only less than 1% of the feature phone subscribers have installed that many apps on their phones.

And in case you’re interested to know, majority of the mobile gamers surveyed by comScore have the following top three games – arcade type, card, word or number.

There you go. If you’re a mobile app developer, you would be glad to know that this report points to one thing – the smartphone gaming niche is growing and more apps are certainly needed.

Originally posted on April 14, 2010 @ 12:34 pm

Zynga Rolls Out Mafia Wars Mobile Access

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Fans of Mafia Wars on Facebook would be glad to know that Zynga, the game’s developer has just enabled full mobile access features.  Whereas previously, the game’s mobile feature only allows users to receive updates of what was happening with their games, the new mobile features now allows you to do more activities.

To register for this feature you need to register from the Mafia Wars Facebook app page.  The SMS Mobile feature link can be found from the HELP option on the main Mafia Wars page. You need to sign up your mobile phone number. And right after registration you can start sending “MAFIA” plus action commands such as “FF” for fighting your last opponent, “J” for doing a job and other available SMS commands.  Send your SMS to the number (623-42). To get a list of commands, simply send “? to the said number.

Now, while this might seem an honest move on Zynga to inrease the engagement level of Mafia Wars players, this may also lead these members to purchase virtual good via their mobile phones.

What I’m not really sure is how Facebook will take this mobile feature as it will certainly take away valuable site eyeballs on Facebook.com. Of course, since you will be using your mobile phones, be reminded that those SMS messages will entail charges on your end.  But if you don’t mind spending on SMS just to play Mafia Wars via text, then check out the new Mafia Wars Mobile feature.

Originally posted on April 7, 2010 @ 5:36 am

MLB.com Names Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball ’10 as Official Fantasy Game

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For those of you who are into fantasy sports league, specifically Fantasy Baseball, you might be interested to know that Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball ’10 has just been chosen as the official fantasy baseball game of MLB.com. This means that Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball ’10 will now be promoted on MLB.com as well as on its online properties.

With the support of MLB.com, Yahoo’s fantasy league hopes to deliver the most compelling experience for fantasy baseball players, or gamers seem to be the more appropriate term.  The deal would incude integrated in-game and post-game video highlights of the action on the Major League Baseball directly from the player’s homepage.

Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball ’10 gamers can now purchase MLB.com’s new Fantasy Highlights package which would give them an opportunity to watch customized, in-game and post-game video highlights direct from their homepage.  MLB.com’s fantasy highlights package will be available for free-trial during the first two weeks of the MLB regular season.  The full season of MLB will be available for $9.95.

In addition, Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball ’10 will provide new live online auction draft application and free live scoring as well.  This will give MLB fans the ability to view live stats as well as instant scoring for teams or match ups. Users will also get real-time league standings straight to their homepage.

MLB.com senior vice president for business development, Kenny Gersh said that this product will suit fantasy baseball players’ growing appetites.

“Integrating this new highlights package with Yahoo!’s industry-leading fantasy baseball game will take fans beyond the box score to watch the performance of their fantasy roster as it unfolds on the field,” said Kenny Gersh.

With MLB.com’s support, Yahoo now has three fantasy sports game which have been blessed by the game’s official league administrators.  Yahoo also has fantasy games for NHL and PGA.

Via Yahoo PR

Originally posted on March 8, 2010 @ 10:58 am

Sony Playstation Network Starts Offering HD Movies

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Sony Computer Entertainment America has just snagged a content distribution deal with several major movie studios that will allow Playstation 3 owners to have some great movie titles delivered via the Playstation Network.  This deal just made the Playstation as the first to offer HD movies from practically all the major studios, hence establishing itself as a powerful home entertainment platform not just for video gaming but for total entertainment as well.

Among those who agreed on the movie distribution deal are 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. The deal includes both purchase and rental of the major studios’ titles on their movie catalogs.

To kick this deal off, here are new titles available today on the Playstation Network:

  • “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”, “Jennifer’s Body” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” – 20th Century Fox
  • “Up”, “G-Force”, “Earth” – Walt Disney Pictures
  • “Star Trek”, Paranormal Activity”, “Zoolander” – Paramount Pictures
  • “This Is It”, “2012”, “District 9” and “Zombieland” – Sony Pictures
  • “The Hangover”, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince”, “Wizard of Oz” – Warner Bros
  • “Inglorious Basterd”, “Couples Retreat”, “Public Enemies” – Universal

There are great movie titles. One is even nominated for the Oscars recently – Inglorious Basterd”. So if you own a Playstation 3 and have registered for the Playstation Network, you can grab these great movies and have delivered to you via your connected Playstation 3 console.

Originally posted on March 9, 2010 @ 5:32 pm

Street Fighter IV Goes to the iPhone, Haduken!

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This is it folks! Finally, the iPhone is becoming a rich portable gaming device in the likes of the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. Recently, the classic Final Fantasy I and II games were released. I’m currently finishing FF I and loving every single minute playing it. But that would have to stop for now. Because every video gamer’s favorite game  just made its way to the iPhone. I’m talking about Street Fighter, in its fourth incarnation.

Hey, wait up fanboy! Don’t you want to finish reading this post first before you hit that “install” button on your iPhone’s Apps Store Menu? Alright, go ahead do it, and then read this post again.

So, what’s in store for us Street Fighter-loving fanboys from Street Fighter IV for the iPhone?  I’m still downloading the game from the Apps Store so I couldn’t really say anything about the game’s look, feel and game physics. But the TUAW folks were able to witness the game in action and even played it right before it went live on the Apps Store.

According to TUAW don’t expect too much on game depths from SF IV for the iPhone. Definitely, the iPhone controls will have to suffer given that it relies on the touchscreen features of the iPhone. While you will be able to pull off some nice Hadukens, the control factor still leaves too much to desire.

But, do you really care about this flaw at all? I know you’re not. I bet you’re downloading and installing it right now. If you haven’t installed it yet, here’s the iTunes Link.

Originally posted on March 10, 2010 @ 6:42 am