• by July 14, 2006

Did you know that 53 percent of all games played on mobile phones are downloaded by a subscriber, while 39 percent of games played are pre-existing on a subscriber's phone? The remaining eight percent of games are played online on the mobile Web. Seventy-one percent of all downloaded mobile game revenues are generated from on-portal game purchases, while 29 percent come from off-portal purchases. These findings come courtesy of Telephia, a provider of syndicated performance for the wireless industry.

Telephia found also that familiarity with gaming titles through other gaming platforms, such as PCs and consoles, is a key purchase driver for consumers, as well as price and free trial offers. In fact, four out of 10 mobile game downloaders cited familiarity with titles through other gaming platforms, such as PCs and consoles, as a critical factor when purchasing mobile games. This factor was third only to price (59 percent) and free-trials (48 percent), underscoring the price-sensitive nature of mobile phone purchasers.

"The large share of pre-existing games reflects an opportunity for carriers and content providers to generate more revenue by converting that game play into downloaded, pay-for-play games," said Kanishka Agarwal, vice president of new products, Telephia, in a statement. The findings were part of Telephia's Audience Measurement Survey taken in April.

Apart from games played on your mobile, casual games appear to be a burgeoning category. Such games are particularly popular among women and people over 35. DFC Intelligence estimates that revenues from casual games worldwide will grow to $953 million this year, from $713 million last year, after increasing from $228 million in 2002.

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The OMMA Awards honor the brand marketers, agencies, and content providers that continue to push the potential of online advertising creative. The Awards honor the year's most innovative and brilliant creative work in 27 categories. Deadline for entries is July 28, and winners will be announced Sept. 26. For more information, go to: https://www.mediapost.com/ommaawards/