• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, March 20, 2012

A new study suggests the large screen sizes and impressive graphics will make tablets a growing force in mobile games. Specifically, Juniper Research predicts total end-user revenue from tablet games will grow to $3.1 billion by 2014, up from $491 million in 2011.

In four years, tablets will account for more than a third of all mobile game revenue. ‘The tablet is the perfect device for playing mobile games – the screens are large enough for the user to see the action, no matter how big their hands are,” said Juniper analyst Charlotte Miller, in a statement.

Because tablets are expensive items, typically retailing for about $500, owners also tend to have higher disposable income than the general smartphone user based. They often spend more on game downloads and on in-game items than other consumer segments.

Juniper projects social and casual games will drive the bulk of mobile game downloads overall. And because of the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, game revenue on feature phones will be cut in half by 2016.