SEATTLE-Mobile gamers continue to rely on carrier decks for their wireless entertainment even as off-deck businesses continue to gain traction, according to the latest figures from M:Metrics.
The firm’s most recent monthly survey found that 90 percent of wireless game consumers discover and purchase titles through operators. On-deck activity has held strong during the last six months, M:Metrics said, despite the rise of direct-to-consumer content providers such as Jamster and Buongiorno.
Jamdat Mobile placed the most games on carrier decks in October, owning 14 percent of all titles that received premium deck placement on top-tier U.S. operators. Mforma titles accounted for 11 percent of premium placements; game-makers THQ, I-Play and Gameloft each owned about 9 percent of all carrier deck placements.
“This data shows that companies who are marketing their games outside of the on-device channel face a formidable challenge,” said Seamus McAteer, senior analyst at M:Metrics. “Visibility on the device is essential. In addition to looking to premium SMS as a means to merchandise game content on the Web, in print or on TV, mobile games publishers should focus on alternative mechanisms that deliver exposure on the deck, via a link to an independent portal that’s integrated with the carrier’s billing infrastructure, or through their own branded retail outlet.”
