Tag Archives: gaming

Apr 5 2013

Zynga announces real-money mobile gambling for Brits

Summary: Zynga has launched two new online gambling platforms for UK consumers.

Zynga has stuck to its promise of launching real-money mobile gambling in the UK.

From today (April 3rd), the social games provider is fulfilling the wishes of its customers and offering them the chance to play games via ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino while splashing some real cash.

The first of the two games is an online poker room that features a collection of games and tournaments with the option to buy-in at all levels. Meanwhile, ZyngaPlusCasino has introduced Brits to more than 160 slots games and various table games, including Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack and Video Poker, as well as the first ever FarmVille-themed slots game.

While the initial rollout of the games will only be available on PCs, both platforms are serving as a test run for a Facebook-based model and mobile games, which will be announced in the coming few months.

When mobile users do have the opportunity to access the titles on their handsets, no matter where they play from, they’ll be able to use a single wallet shared across all channels. Furthermore, both platforms will treat users to a host of welcome packages that include real-money bonuses and free cash on deposit.

In a statement, Zynga’s chief revenue officer Barry Cottle explained the company’s long-term vision is to offer its players the next generation of real-money games on multiple platforms in regulated markets worldwide.

He added: “This is just the beginning for us and we’re looking forward to seeing what our UK players think about ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino and creating the most valuable casino games and social experiences for them.”

The games will be powered by bwin.party, one of the world’s leading real-money gaming operators. However, details of the agreement between the firm and Zynga have not yet been revealed, but CNBC reports analysts are predicting the London-listed gaming company will rake in a majority share of revenue.

Indeed, a recent survey conducted by Games Investor Consulting found the UK’s gaming sector is thriving due to the increased uptake of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

More studios are having to be set up to meet the rising demand for mobile gaming – it was shown in the research that the number of people employed throughout the industry rose from 8,888 to 9,224 in 2012.

Investors are likely to be hoping Zynga is able to take advantage of its strong customer base – which currently stands at around 300 million – and plough this into the online and mobile gambling market, which H2 Gambling Capital stated could be worth $30 billion (£20 billion) by the end of this year.

It could also be the case that Zynga sees an increase in its turnover, after previously holding back from getting involved in the mobile gaming revolution.

The firm’s plans to press ahead with introducing the gambling platforms for Facebook and mobile devices will mean more consumers are making use of its products, given that so many people at present are opting to access their favourite apps on their phones over laptops or PCs. This way it’ll be able to catch up with competitors like All Jackpots Casino, which announced last month it is offering its online casino services to mobile users.

Dynmark is the power behind global cloud mobile messaging and mobile marketing. We help organisations from SME through to global enterprise, to leverage the power of messaging as a business communication tool, for marketing or operational uses. Read more about Dynmark here.

Feb 22 2013

Mobile ‘more popular’ for gaming than dedicated devices

Summary: More people are choosing to play games via their mobile phones than on dedicated handheld devices.

An increasing number of gamers are choosing to access titles powered by Google and Apple on their smartphones rather than play on PlayStation Vitas or Nintendo 3DSs.

This is according to the new Portable Gaming Report published by the International Data Corporation (IDC) alongside AppAnnie, which claimed combined spending on games hosted by the App Store and Google Play in the final three-month period of last year was far higher than that shelled out on dedicated handheld devices.

It noted particular seasonality among consumers who purchased the latter gadgets and found close to 60 per cent of fourth-quarter spending on Nintendo and Sony software occurred during December, which was dramatically higher than was the case for Google Play and iOS App store spending.

However, over one-third of downloads made from the two app stores were games, demonstrating how mobile users are becoming more willing to part with cash to play their favourite titles on their handsets.

Bertrand Schmitt, chief executive officer of App Annie, said the partnership between the two firms has resulted in the provision of a broad picture of the gaming industry, which will be able to inform business and investment strategies across a range of gaming devices, regions and platforms.

He added: “The marriage of App Annie’s leading app store market data with IDC’s worldwide video game and entertainment physical shipment data allows for industry insights not currently available to the various portable gaming stakeholders.”

It should be observed by mobile marketers that the many games powered by Android and iOS could open doors for their company, as they commonly involve the use of advertising that pops up when the user is mid-play.

By taking advantage of these opportunities and rolling out optimised ads that may catch the eye of the consumer, firms could receive more page views on their mobile website and experience an increase in returns on investment.

IDC’s gaming research manager Lewis Ward pointed to figures published in the report that showed the most popular games and their business models are quite distinct, with Nintendo and Apple found to be quite close in terms of aggregate consumer spend on game software during the fourth quarter of last year.

“Seasonality is more pronounced in the dedicated handheld space and we hope this report series will help clarify the evolution of portable gaming dynamics in 2013 and beyond,” he remarked.

The publication said North America accounted for around 40 per cent of spending on iOS, closely followed by Asia-Pacific, while gamers in Europe made up around 25 per cent of revenue for handheld systems, which was a larger percentage than for both operating systems.

Indeed, it was recently noted in research conducted by Arbitron that the biggest mobile gaming enthusiasts are based in the US and consumers with iOS-enabled handsets in the country are more likely to engage in the activities than those with Android phones.

With some of the most popular gaming titles found to include Word With Friends, Angry Birds Star Wars and Fruit Ninja, the average iOS user was said to play on their mobiles for 12 hours and 12 minutes every month, while this figure was eight hours and four minutes for people with Android devices.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.appannie.com/blog/pdf/App+Annie++IDC+Portable+Gaming+Report+FINAL.pdf

http://blog.appannie.com/app-annie-idc-portable-gaming-report/

http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2013/02/21/gaming-spending-on-ios-and-android-surpassed-dedicated-gaming-handhelds-in-q4-2012-report/

http://kamino.directnews.co.uk/Article/ArticlePreview?articleId=801541523

Dynmark is the power behind global cloud mobile messaging and mobile marketing. We help organisations from SME through to global enterprise, to leverage the power of messaging as a business communication tool, for marketing or operational uses. Read more about Dynmark here.

Feb 7 2013

PokerStars launches play-money app for Facebook

Summary: PokerStars has rolled out a new virtual money poker game that is likely to be popular with mobile users.

PokerStars has launched a new virtual money poker application for mobile Facebook users that is thought to serve as a precursor to a real-money platform.

People who download the game to their smartphone or tablet device are awarded with 1,000 chips to start with and they can either gamble them away or earn more as they play, while there is also the opportunity to earn various in-game bonuses.

While these prizes aren’t explained in great detail in the game’s FAQs, it seems that extra chips can be won by completing certain Challenges or Achievements, the former of which are presented to players by PokerStars pro Liv Boeree, a professional from the UK who won the 2010 European Poker Tour in San Remo.

Poker News Daily guessed the latter to be in-game accomplishments that are more general and based on long-term play, such as 100 winning hands.

Players also have the opportunity to earn Experience Points, which will help them to work their way up the game’s level ladder. Individuals receive one point for every hand they play and they can also be won by completing Challenges and Achievements.

Once people get to the stage where they have less than 100 chips to their name, they are able to reset their account to 1,000 chips three times every hour. However, there is the option to purchase chips for real money, should anyone feel a little more adventurous.

In a similar fashion to sites like Zynga Poker, PokerStars.net on Facebook allows mobile users to buy virtual treasures that they can then show off at the table, which serve no purpose other than decoration.

However, the two sites differ in that PokerStars is linked to a player’s account with the company and people can simply login to the Facebook app on their mobiles using their standard details.

Eric Hollreiser, head of corporate communications at PokerStars, told pokerfuse.com in a statement the company is launching the app in beta because it wants to trial it and ensure it is up to the firm’s high standards.

Dynmark helps gaming companies engage customers through fully automated SMS communications; from welcome and activation to in-play bets and service messages. With proven experience integrating with gaming platforms such as Playtech, Dynmark has been providing SMS messaging and services to the gaming industry since 2006. Read more about Dynmark’s gaming experience here.

Feb 7 2013

Mobile gambling drives growth for Tabcorp

Summary: Tabcorp has announced its digital business has flourished after more consumers have been making bets on their mobiles.

Tabcorp has revealed it is experiencing strong growth in its digital division thanks to a rising number of people making bets on their mobile phones.

In a statement published today (February 7th), Australia’s leading wagering, racing media and Keno operator announced its revenue and market share from gambling on digital platforms has performed consistently well and turnover in the first half of the 2012-2013 financial year grew 15.9 per cent to $1.25 billion (£0.8 billion), the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

This includes sales via the company’s online portal, tab.com.au and its wagering apps for smartphones and other mobile devices.

While its net profit for the first six months of the financial year was $72.9 million, this was only because of the loss of a lucrative right to operate poker machines. Tabcorp and its rival Tatts were stripped of this ability in Victoria in August 2012 and this skewed the results for the entire period, as Tabcorp was forced to share more of its proceeds with the Victorian racing industry.

Wagering via mobile phones made up more than one-quarter (28 per cent) of Tabcorp’s entire digital turnover in the half-year period and chief executive of the company David Attenborough explained this is because there is a tendency among Generation X and Y consumers to become early adopters of technology.

He was quoted as saying: “Smartphones are well over 50 per cent of the Australian market in phones. People are getting used to transacting over their phones with the banks, with retailers and certainly with us.”

According to Mr Attenborough, the firm’s first half figures reflect the biggest shake-up to Victoria’s gambling industry in 20 years and that Tabcorp was involved in these changes.

However, he noted Tabcorp has made a smooth transition from its poker machines business to a new, digitally-focused company that provides the new operators of the machinery with the necessary support.

It was also revealed today at 14:36 AEDT that shares in Tabcorp were 7.5 cents higher at $3.155.

Dynmark helps gaming companies engage customers through fully automated SMS communications; from welcome and activation to in-play bets and service messages. With proven experience integrating with gaming platforms such as Playtech, Dynmark has been providing SMS messaging and services to the gaming industry since 2006. Read more about Dynmark’s gaming experience here.

Feb 6 2013

Super Bowl brings opportunities for mobile marketers

Summary: The majority of US consumers were active on their mobiles during the Super Bowl.

Around one-third of the US population tuned in to watch the 47th Super Bowl at the weekend (February 3rd), with 82 per cent of people thought to use their mobile device during the game.

This is according to mobile ad network Mojiva, which stated most people went on their phones during the match to discuss the game via text, email or instant messaging (26 per cent) or post to social networks about the event (21 per cent), Mobile Marketing Magazine reports.

Selphi Shaphira, chief executive of mobile ad platform Massive Impact, told the news provider that advertising throughout the Super Bowl takes the spotlight just as much as the game itself. She added: “With mobile advertising, there is finally a unique opportunity to personalise ads in real-time, targeting individual interests and geo-location.”

The expert also said it is crucial for mobile advertising to be effective, as the Super Bowl marks a time when people are actively engaged with content and they are more likely to take an interest in the products of the advertiser.

It is likely consumers were also using their smartphones to access bet-in-play functions and place odds on who they thought the winning side would be.

There are other ways in which mobile marketers have been able to benefit from the Super Bowl and second-screening service Zeebox used the event to host a ‘virtual viewing party’. Through the application, users were able to access game stats, interact with other fans and take part in live polls, as well as enter American football-related quizzes.

It also included the option to receive live updates – which is likely to have been useful for people unable to watch the game – and play on the Buzz Bubbler feature, which showed which mobile ads were gathering the most interest through a voting mechanism.

Meanwhile, location-based social media platform Banjo uploaded images directly from the Super Bowl in order to give viewers the impression of being in the stadium.

Jennifer Peck, director of engagement at Banjo, said the company’s ability to show the game through the eyes of attendees provided “a completely immersive experience for fans around the world”.

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/content/how-mobile-super-bowl-xlvii

Dynmark helps gaming companies engage customers through fully automated SMS communications; from welcome and activation to in-play bets and service messages. With proven experience integrating with gaming platforms such as Playtech, Dynmark has been providing SMS messaging and services to the gaming industry since 2006. Read more about Dynmark’s gaming experience here.