Free mobile game site booms, IDC predicts success for subscription model

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 03 January 2007 02:46

Your IT - Mobility

According to IDC's survey, more than three quarters of all games being purchased by respondents as of 3Q06 were based on a one-time unlimited use model. IDC says one-time purchased games is the largest category and will remain that way over the next four years. However, IDC models suggest that subscription-based channels will gain traction and represent a third of total revenue by the end of the decade. IDC predicts that the price per mobile game will rise more than $US2.50 by 2010 due in part to the impact of growing subscription revenues.

"Flexible discovery and billing mechanisms are emerging trends making mobile game purchases easier and more attractive to consumers," says Lewis Ward, research manager of IDC's Mobile Consumer Services: Entertainment service. "Game bundles, flat subscription fees that include access to multiple games, weekly game rentals, pay-per-play and other models today compliment the standard one-time purchasing model or single-game monthly subscription model."