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According to a recent Pyramid Research survey of mobile phone users across the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries and the U.K., India ranked as the top mobile game market. Of the 355 respondents in India that identified themselves as mobile data users, 32% said that they play mobile games monthly, exceeding the UK mark of 15%.
Almost a third of Indian mobile data users were restricted from mobile gaming by a lack of sophisticated handset availability. Handsets lag behind users’ desire for data capabilities; 94% of mobile handsets in India operate on either GSM or CDMA One standards, both with minimal data capabilities. With the rollout of new handsets and networks, Pyramid Research believes the mobile gaming market could expand 700% by 2010, to more than US$200m annually.
Also noteworthy is the level of traction that occurs with India’s mobile gamers. Respondents from other countries that tried mobile gaming just once ranged between 8% and 20%; in India this figure stands at 3.9%. This indicates that subscribers in India are far more enthusiastic about mobile gaming than subscribers surveyed elsewhere and once they have tried it, they tend to get hooked. It would be wise for manufacturers and carriers to focus attention on handsets specifically designed for gaming and on the development of gaming content, particularly if it is custom-made for the Indian market.
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