Mobile gaming to hit $6.1B in revenues in 2010

The worldwide base of mobile gamers will more than double by 2010 as publishers develop better games and carriers market the offerings more effectively, according to a study from iSuppli Corp.
The market research firm predicts revenues from mobile gaming will grow from $3.1 billion this year to $6.1 billion in 2010 as the number of monthly users jumps from 63 million to 134 million. The “heavy adoption” of game-focused handsets will help fuel the growth, iSupply said, primarily in the developing markets of China and India.
However, the company warned, the market’s potential is threatened by a lack of consumer awareness, high data fees, game piracy and cumbersome carrier decks.
“With more games, better-quality games and increased consumer awareness, mobile gaming has become a prime opportunity for the title publishers, along with the entire wireless handset value chain,” said Mark Kirstein, vice president of multimedia content and services at iSuppli. “In the coming years, expect to see mobile games that leverage multiplayer capabilities and 3-D graphics. The emergence of games with these advanced features will further expand the market.”