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Galaxy S III's stellar success seals Android's position as gaming giant, says TIGA

Devs need to grasp the opportunity

Galaxy S III's stellar success seals Android's position as gaming giant, says TIGA
Samsung's prediction Galaxy S III shipments will hit 10 million by the end of July cements Android's position as a major gaming platform.

That's the view of UK trade association TIGA, which claims the success of Samsung's handset – set to become the fastest selling in the manufacturer's history – will open up new revenue opportunities for mobile developers.

Sweet relief

"Samsung has emerged as a major manufacturer of mobile phones over the past few years and the interest in its new handset has been amazing with nine million pre-orders," explained TIGA CEO Dr. Richard Wilson.

"But regardless of manufacturer, it shows the potential of Android given that it will be in more hands than ever before. It is opening up new markets and providing new customers, many of whom will have never played a game before."

Dr Wilson claimed that UK developers are "well placed to take advantage of this, producing games which can draw in non-gamers while satisfying those who have played for years."

And thanks to tax relief for games developers – announced in the 2012 budget after a decade-long campaign by TIGA – developers should be "able to take additional risks and be creative in their approach."

Opportunity knocks

According to TIGA board member and Neon Play CEO Oli Christie, Samsung has now pulled well ahead of its rivals on Google's ecosystem.

"It's clear that Samsung has become the number one choice of Android phone and it goes to show that if you create a cracking smartphone, the sales will follow," Christie detailed.

"The number of Android devices being shipped is vast. Despite the lower monetisation compared to iOS, it's clearly another huge opportunity for mobile developers."

[source: TIGA]
Staff Writer

PocketGamer.biz's news editor 2012-2013