Mobile gaming goes global

For the first time ever there are over 1 billion smartphones and tablets worldwide used for regular gaming sessions.

For-the-first-time-more-than-1-billion-mobile-devices-are-being-used-for-gaming-Photo-AFP-Goodluz-shutterstock-com

For the first time ever there are over 1 billion smartphones and tablets worldwide used for regular gaming sessions.

Games account for fewer than 30% of downloads from Apple's App Store and just under 40% of apps downloaded from Google Play, yet over the past 12 months, the amount of money consumers are spending on gaming apps is rocketing.

According to the Portable Gaming Spotlight, 2014 Review published Wednesday by International Data Corporation (IDC) and App Annie, between the fourth quarter of 2013 and the final quarter of 2014 Apple's revenues from games grew more than 30% and Google's revenues jumped by 75%.

Games are by no means the only types of apps that are premium or that feature in-app purchases, however, the report's data shows that almost three quarters of Apple's App Store revenues are generated by games apps and over on the Google Play Store it's over 80%.

'2014 saw a convergence of spending shares when viewed on a regional basis,' said Lewis Ward, Director of Gaming at IDC. 'iOS game spending grew relatively quickly in Asia/Pacific in 2014, for example, and Google Play performed better in North America last year than in 2013. These shifts brought the app stores closer together from the standpoint of game spending by major region -- and closer to the established regional distribution of spending on handheld games for devices like the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Vita. This convergence trend implies that competition among portable game developers and publishers will remain fierce in 2015.'

When it comes to who's spending the most on or in games, Asia-Pacific consumers are spending the most via their iPhones, iPads or iPod Touch devices while North American Android device owners are outpacing the spending rates of their counterparts in other countries.

The most popular game globally on the iPhone and iPad in 2014 based on revenues, was Clash of Clans, while over in the Android ecosystem, Puzzle & Dragons; Clash of Clans was in second place.

Top iOS games of 2014
1 Clash of Clans
2 Candy Crush Saga
3 Puzzle & Dragons
4 Game of War - Fire Age
5 Hay Day

Top Android games of 2014
1 Puzzle & Dragons
2 Clash of Clans
3 Candy Crush Saga
4 Monster Strike
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