Mobile gaming to hit $4.5bn in 2008, says analyst

The bullish projection suggests a 16.1 per cent increase from 2007 revenue of $3.9 billion. It certainly contradicts the generally perceived flatness of the sector. And with EA recently telling ME that the European market generated 100 million downloads last year (that's around $500 million at the very maximum), it looks very optimistic.

Nevertheless, Tuong Huy Nguyen, principal analyst at Gartner, said: "Although current consumer interest in, and usage of, mobile gaming is generally low, the potential for growth remains lucrative, with the market skewed toward lower-income segments, mobile workers and smartphone and personal digital assistant (PDA) users."

Gartner predicts that mobile gaming revenue will experience a compound annual growth rate of 10.2 per cent between 2007 and 2011 with worldwide end-user spending reaching $6.3 billion in 2011

The Asia/Pacific region (including Japan) represents the largest market for mobile gaming, with end-user spending forecast to total $2.3 billion in 2008 and reach $3.4 billion by 2011. India is expected to lead among Asian countries in terms of total mobile gaming revenue generated, with the 2007 figure at approximately $80 million. This is forecast to reach $450 million by 2012.
 
The North American market is projected to grow from $845 million to approximately $1.2 billion in 2011.