MOBILE GAME APPLICATIONS SPECIAL REPORT

JANUARY 2013
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#MobileMix

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Mobile Developer Trends: Game Applications

This Special Mobile Mix Report focuses on mobile game developers and their applications on the Millennial Media platform. Weve highlighted what mobile game developers are doing on mobile, how mobile users are engaging with game applications, and how mobile game developers can evolve their mobile strategies moving forward. From card games to adventure games, and from classic arcade games to quizzes, a wide variety of game developers and advertisers are utilizing the unique features of the mobile platform to reach and engage mobile users.

Top 10 Mobile Application Categories

Ranked by Impressions CHART A

Game Applications Sub-Channel Mix

Ranked by Impressions CHART B

RANK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CATEGORIES GAMES MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNICATIONS MOBILE SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCTIVITY & TOOLS SPORTS BOOKS & REFERENCE WEATHER NEWS DATING

12% 4% 9% 30%
Arcade Word Puzzle Board Card Others

19%

26%

Source: Millennial Media, Q3 2012.

Source: Millennial Media, Q3 2012.

Insights:
Games were the number one application category on the Millennial Media platform in Q3 2012 (Chart A), a position the category has held for each quarter of 2012. This position on our platform mirrors the popularity of game applications in mobile app stores, such as iTunes and Google Play; Games are the number one application category in each of these stores. The Games category contains a diverse mix of gaming applications for every kind of user at any level of diculty. The breakout of game applications on our platform by sub-channel is shown in Chart B. Arcade games, such as those that lead a character through a series of levels, account for 30% of the game applications from which we see impressions. Word games are the second largest sub-channel of mobile game applications (Chart B). The popular Words With Friends game, by developer Zynga, pairs a social aspect to the gaming experience by allowing players to nd social media friends as opponents and chat through the application.

119%
Source: eMarketer, October 2012.

GREW

AD SUPPORTED REVENUE IN MOBILE GAME APPLICATIONS

YEAR OVER YEAR IN 2012

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Mobile Game Applications: Device Trends

Game Applications by Device Type
Ranked by Impressions CHART C

Game Applications by OS
Ranked by Impressions CHART D

3%

1%

5%

23% 74%

Smartphones Non-Phone Connected Devices Feature Phones

30% 64%

Android iOS BlackBerry OS Windows

Source: Millennial Media, Q3 2012.

Source: Millennial Media, Q3 2012

Insights:
With such a diverse mix of mobile games available, game applications can be played on almost any mobile device. On the Millennial Media platform, the breakout of device types that games are played on favors smartphones, followed by connected devices (Chart C). According to our platform data, 74% of mobile game impressions come from smartphones. Feature phones have limited functionality for gaming since they often have only a traditional keyboard for input, excluding other engagement methods such as swipe or tap. 64% of games impressions on our platform came from Android devices (Chart D), which was higher than our platform average for Android. iOS was the second largest operating system for mobile game applications on our platform, accounting for 30% of impressions (Chart D). Android and iOS devices have the edge over Windows and Symbian devices for game applications due to the number of games available in their app stores. According to data from eMarketer (Chart E), there were 102 million mobile gamers in the US in 2012, or about 42% of total mobile phone users. The number of mobile gamers in the U.S. has grown each year, and is expected to continue to grow to more than 140 million gamers or over 50% of mobile phone users in 2014. The current 102 million mobile gamers spans a wide range of demographics, and with so many games available for mobile devices, theres a game out there for everybody.

U.S. Mobile Gamers

2010-2014 CHART E 150

120

90

60

30

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Millions of Mobile Gamers

Source: eMarketer, August 2012. Mobile gamers is dened as mobile phone users of any age who play games on mobile phones at least once per month.

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Mobile Game Applications: Audiences

Top Audiences Engaging with Ads in Mobile Game Applications
CHART F
Business Travelers In-Market Auto Buyer Tradesmen Insurance Shoppers Movie Bus

Fashionistas

Single & Dating

Parents

Business & Finance Enthusiasts

Mobile Switchers

Source: Millennial Media Q3 2012.

Insights:
A diverse group of audiences engaged with ads in mobile game applications on our platform. The audiences most likely to engage with ads in mobile game applications were Movie Bus, Mobile Switchers, and Insurance Shoppers (Chart F). As we saw on our platform, Parents were also a top audience for game applications. Parents often load their phone with applications to entertain and educate their younger children. Business travelers were also among the top audiences engaging with ads in mobile game applications on our platform (Chart F). When Business Travelers are away from their home entertainment systems, they can turn to mobile games as on the go entertainment. Games are also an easy application for mobile users to use while doing another activity, such as waiting in line or watching TV. Brand advertisers have recognized the popularity of mobile game applications and have utilized these applications as part of their overall mobile advertising strategy. The Top Verticals Advertising in Mobile Game Applications on our platform are Travel, Entertainment, and Education (Chart G). Travel advertisers, such as hotel and booking site brands, share similar campaign goals as game application developers, driving mobile users to download their branded applications to search and book travel.

Top Brand Advertiser Verticals in Mobile Game Applications

Ranked by Spend CHART G

RANK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Source: Millennial Media, Q3 2012.

CATEGORIES TRAVEL ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION RETAIL & RESTAURANTS FINANCE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CPG/FMCG PORTALS & DIRECTORIES AUTOMOTIVE DATING

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About Millennial Media Millennial Media is the leading independent mobile advertising and data platform. Our technology, tools and services help app developers and mobile website publishers maximize their advertising revenue, acquire users and gain audience insights. Our platform also enables us to oer advertisers powerful Mobile Audience Solutions (MAS) that utilize our signicant scale, sophisticated targeting and uniquely engaging creative capabilities to deliver meaningful results.

About Millennial Medias Mobile Mix Millennial Medias Mobile Mix reports key advertising trends with a focus on mobile manufacturers, devices, operating systems, connected devices and more. Millennial Medias Mobile Mix is in complement to the Scorecard for Mobile Advertising Reach and Targeting (S.M.A.R.T.) report, which delivers monthly insights on advertising performance and engagement. Both reports are based on actual campaign and platform data from Millennial Media. As the leading independent mobile advertising and data platform, we are capable of reporting and analyzing data collected over tens of billions of monthly ad requests. Elevating and driving the whole mobile ecosystem forward is central to our company mission.

For questions about the data in this report, or for recommendations for future reports, please contact us at research@millennialmedia.com.

2012 Millennial Media, Inc. All rights reserved. All product names and images are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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