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Majority of mobile gamers are female: Mpowerplayer

Mpowerplayer, a provider of mobile content storefronts for Web sites and social networks, has collected results from the recent launch of its Mplayit Mobile Arcade application on the Facebook and MySpace platforms.

Launched in December 2008, the application lets consumers discover and try mobile games directly in their Web browser. Mpowerplayer tracks what types of games most appeal to various demographics on the Facebook, MySpace and OpenSocial platforms.

"Games are an extremely important tool for marketers and advertisers, because branded games or in-game advertising like product/brand placements can help to pull in a far wider audience than just ads themselves,"said Michael Powers, CEO of Mpowerplayer, Ashburn, VA.

"According to our numbers, advertisers and mobile marketers need to keep in mind that the average mobile gamer is likely to be a female and between the ages of 18 to 34,"he said.

Understanding the mobile gaming audience is important for carriers, mobile game publishers and marketers looking to reach new consumers.

Indeed, sampled from more than 50,000 users, the audience on the Mplayit Mobile Arcade http://mplayit.com is nearly two-thirds -- 65 percent -- female, and more than half are between the ages of 18 and 34.

This is a difficult demographic to target because they are generally not inclined to waste time trying to find a game on their phone, according to Mpowerplayer.

However, when they discover that many Web games are available for their phone, they get interested.
When you add the social element and the content is recommended by their friends, they are often inclined to play, according to Mpowerplayer.

"Previous research has shown that females tend to be more active with casual games, which means that they are more likely to enjoy shorter games that do not require a massive time commitment or a high learning curve,"Mr. Powers said.

"Mobile games tend to mirror this aspect,"he said. "They are short and fun without requiring lengthy tutorials or long periods of game time to complete."

Nearly every visitor to the Mplayit Mobile Arcade tries out the games, while a larger number return to check out new games as they are added to the catalog.

Mplayit Mobile Arcade users also register strong intent to buy, the company claims.

On average, one in every eight games played -- 14 percent -- produces a click to buy, while the top titles perform at a ratio of one in three -- 33 percent.

While mobile games publishers continue to release new titles on a regular basis, the most popular games played and recommended on the Mplayit Mobile Arcade are evergreen casual titles such as Bejeweled and arcade classics including Ms. Pac Man.

People often find mobile content in the same way that they find Web content: on the recommendations of their peers, according to Mpowerplayer, making mobile social networks ideal sites to discover content such as games.

Mpowerplayer's revenues are not ad-supported. Publishers, carriers and content providers pay Mpowerplayer a fee whenever someone buys a game through Mpowerplayer's portal.

Mpowerplayer's online demo platform lets carriers and mobile game publishers to reach untapped markets and bridge the gap between casual online gamers and mobile games. That's the way the company positions its service.

Put simply, Mpowerplayer is a consumer destination for online demos of mobile games.

The company's proprietary software enables mobile content providers to merchandise, market and interact with a targeted audience of mobile consumers.

Mpowerplayer is backed by New Atlantic Ventures.

"We partner with a variety of companies within the mobile space, from content publishers like EA Mobile and Sega Mobile to wireless carriers like Sprint,"Mr. Powers said. "Mpowerplayer also has partnerships with gaming, lifestyle and entertainment Web sites, including LimeLife.com.