Free Cell Phone Games Big, Paid Ones Not

Even more on NPD's mobile gaming survey in today's Forbes.com. This article offers additional market commentary from NPD's Clint Wheelock on the state of mobile gaming.

Regarding pricing, Wheelock say "[Consumers] are saying, 'I'm not going to pay five to ten dollars for a game on my cell phone, all I want to do is play Tetris.'"

Wheelock feels there is potential but the major console developers, such as EA and Take Two, might need a different approach than creating mobile versions of their franchise games. "They have to focus their inventory on the things that appeal to consumers. There's a large percentage of people that are interested in a good card game or a really addictive puzzle game," he said.

Wheelock predicts an industry shakeout, either via consolidation or attrition "Most [mobile game] developers and publishers who are in the market today won't be around in a few years." He does cite JamDat's current leadership concluding that "If you think about casual games you have to think about Tetris and Bejeweled, and [Jamdat] has both. They're likely the most valuable property in the market."

As if it's a surprise, casual and simple gamees are where it's at on the mobile scene until notified otherwise...