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Free Cell Phone Games Big, Paid Ones Not

Forbes.com indicates that the future of cell phone gaming may not live up to the hype that the carriers and game developers are predicting.

The good news is that the number of wireless gamers is increasing. According to a survey by the NPD Group, 27% of all U.S. wireless subscribers play games on their cell phones, compared to 20% last year. And young consumers (aged 13 to 17) are three times more likely to play mobile games; in fact 60% of kids who have phones use them to play games.

But further growth prospects seem weak. Only 6% of wireless subscribers who aren’t already gaming say they’re interested in starting over the next year. And even those people who are already playing don’t spend much time doing it: The average gaming session is just 11 minutes.

Even worse, they aren’t spending money. According to the survey, two-thirds of all mobile gamers play only the free games that come with their phone. Only about a third of them paid to download more sophisticated games.

The newest handsets in the US certainly have far superior gaming capability than handsets of yore. The newest games are taking advantage of the technology but apparently most users are not. During my hour long commute I do see people of all ages fiddlling with their handsets. I see mostly, older people, suits if you will, with Blackberry’s playing solitaire or breakout. I recently demo’d a Texas hold’em game but not compelled enough to buy it. Perhaps because the measly 10 minutes they gave me was not long enough to get me addicted. Personally, staring at a tiny screen with awkward controls is not my idea of mobile gaming. Which is why I am transfixed when the guy in the seat over is playing with his PSP. I doubt that true gamers will every feel the need to game on their cell phones. Why would they when they have their PS2s and XBOXs at home and moreso, their GameBoys and PSPs in their pockets. The mobile gaming experience doesn’t compare. Take, for instance, Madden 06 or Tiger Woods Golf. EA has created some amazing console and PC games. If you expect similar gameplay on your mobile phone you are in for a rude awakening.

Snake, Tetris, Solitaire are great mobile games because of their simplicity, speed of gameplay, and the fact that I don’t really care if I win or lose. I can play for 5 or 50 minutes and be entertained. If I get a call, or I arrive at my stop- game over. Like it is mentioned in the article, it is a “digital snack.” If you want a meal, the mobile phone is not the place to go looking.

Snake was free; which probably led to it’s greatness. Would anyone have purchased the game for $2-5? Doubtful.

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