Mobile game sales to reach $11.7B by 2014, led by iPhone

Mobile and portable game sales are anticipated to reach $11.7 billion worldwide in 2014 according to a new forecast issued by research firm DFC Intelligence, which expects Apple's iPhone to lead the charge. The report contends that iPhone and iPod touch devices are together expected to account for about 24 percent of total portable game sales five years from now. "The dedicated portable game systems from companies like Nintendo and Sony are still expected to lead the market, but it appears growth for these devices has peaked," said DFC analyst David Cole in a prepared statement. "The platforms from Apple are expected to be responsible for the bulk of market growth over the next few years."

DFC additionally released results on a recent study contrasting mobile gaming habits in North America and Europe. Among 8,000 gamers surveyed, 54 percent of North American respondents and 69 percent of Europeans played a game on their mobile handset within the last year--moreover, 45 percent of respondents in North America and 36 percent in Europe paid to purchase an application for their phone. A majority of respondents said they made their purchase via Apple's App Store, with about 15 percent of consumers across both continents reporting they own an iPhone or iPod touch.

For more on the DFC study:
- read this release

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