Contrary to popular stereotype, computer gaming is no longer a hobby restricted to geeky teenage boys in their parents’ basements. The mobile phone is increasingly the device of choice for gaming, and the pastime is enjoyed by one-third of mobile phone users.

That's according to the results of a survey recently conducted for PopCap Games by Information Solutions Group. The results of this new survey found large increases in overall usage and frequency of mobile game playing among U.S. and U.K. adults. For many, mobile phones have now even surpassed video game consoles and personal computers as the device of choice for gaming purposes. So what does that mean for your business? Plenty! Gaming is on the rise as a business tool as well as a fun pastime for consumers, so you'd do well to consider how you can make it work for you.

Survey Results

Overall, more than half (52%) of the 2,425 survey respondents said they had played a game on a mobile phone at some time in the past. 33.6% of all adults in America and the United Kingdom have played a game on their mobile phone handset in the past month, qualifying them as "mobile phone gamers" for the purposes of the survey, and nearly a quarter (24.6%) have played in the past week, qualifying them as "avid mobile phone gamers." Fully, 83% of mobile phone gamers who own a Smartphone said they'd played in the past week.

Evolution and Opportunity

Given this increase in mobile gaming, it's not too surprising that businesses and organizations are increasingly trying to tap into consumers' growing gaming interests. So, how can you bring an element of gaming into your own offerings? You might try a mobile application development company. With the help of such companies, you can add a "game layer" to your business model, for example, offering a fun, branded experience for users, with real-time analytics for your own purposes. One thing is for sure; this form of interactive entertainment isn’t going away anytime soon and will, in fact, thrive through the next decade to reach those optimistic forecasts of the distant past. Location, augmented reality, even real-time connectivity from a mobile device into an online world are all pieces that will play a role in expanding the mobile gaming industry even beyond where it is now.

It's a rare business indeed that couldn't incorporate offerings into a game. If you're among the majority, mobile gaming could be a relatively low-cost way to help increase engagement with your brand.