The connected future of games

New devices, growing interest and improved internet stability is transforming the world of games according to a new Ericsson ConsumerLab report

There is potential for gamification to enter more areas, such as increasing employee performance, aiding education and in personal development

Many games will expand and involve interactions with the physical world some will use wearables, such as connected watches or wrist bands.

As more people and devices become connected, industries are being transformed, and the digital gaming industry is no different. It is changing like never before, according to a new Ericsson ConsumerLab report called New ways to play games. Gaming has become more socially acceptable as a mainstream form of culture and consumers are looking for game immersion and socialization. This leads to a desire for devices and tools to be continuously improving, offering new, enhanced gaming experiences.

The introduction of very personalized, app-based, multi-purpose devices such as the smartphone has enabled gaming to reach a much wider audience, says Niklas Heyman R nnblom, Senior Advisor at Ericsson ConsumerLab. Many of todays games are leveraging internet connectivity to add more aspects such as multiplaying. As this continues to develop further it will stress the importance of improved coverage, performance and reliability. Any interruptions to the gaming experience are a great source of frustration.

This report is based on online interviews with 60 gamers (20 per country) in the US, South Korea and Brazil, 8000 online respondents from Brazil, US and South Korea (Ericsson ConsumerLab, Analytical Platform 2013) and 13 interviews were made with industry and academic experts.

Interesting findings in the report were as follows:

The profile of a gamer is changing. Our research showed that 85 percent in South Korea, 75 percent in US and 53 percent in Brazil of respondents play fixed or mobile games. (Ericsson ConsumerLab analytical platform, age 16-59).There is an even split between males and females, slightly more male in Brazil. 50 percent of the gamers in US were over 34 years old, whereas in South Korea 50 percent were over 40. In Brazil almost 60 percent of the gamers were under 30 years old.

It is not bandwidth that is the most important aspect of the network quality for gaming, but rather the stability and reliability. The number one pain point for gamers is disruption of the seamless experience

As games become more commonplace, consumers are becoming used to gaming elements. This will drive uptake of gamification into other areas, such as learning and personal development.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Link to ConsumerLab

Link to report

Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at www.ericsson.com/press

About Ericsson ConsumerLab

Ericsson ConsumerLab gains its knowledge through a global consumer research program based on interviews with 100,000 individuals each year, in more than 40 countries and 15 megacities - statistically representing the views of 1.1 billion people. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used, and hundreds of hours are spent with consumers from different cultures.

Ericsson is a world-leading provider of communications technology and services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable societies around the world.

Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries. Today 40 percent of the worlds mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and we support customers networks servicing more than 2.5 billion subscribers.

We are more than 110,000 people working with customers in more than 180 countries. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2013 the companys net sales were SEK 227.4 billion (USD 34.9 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges.

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