TIGA, the trade association representing the UKgames industry, said today that the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona showed
that innovation was intensifying in the mobile phones sector.
More than 74,000 people are attending the trade show
which showcases the very latest phones from most of the big players in the
industry.
The unveiling of the new Firefox mobile operating
system has attracted much attention, opening up potential new markets for game
developers. TIGA believe that the low-cost nature of the operating system will further
increase the take up of smartphones.
Another innovation that has been attracting
attention is LG's demonstration of video streaming in 4K, allowing for ultra HD
over Wi-Fi to phones. This would allow for game streaming services to turn
phones into gaming machines that more than match up to home consoles.
AR spectacles, similar to Google
Glass, are also turning heads. It demonstrates the talent within the mobile
space and the continuing innovation in the sector.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 has
also been a massive launch. It brings the S Pen stylus on to a smaller tablet
which could open up Nintendo DS style gaming on a smaller pad.
Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:
“The Mobile Games Congress in Barcelona showed the
extent of innovation that is taking place in the mobile phones sector.
Innovation is being driven by intense competition and this is good for
consumers and developers. Manufacturers are devising new ways for people to
interact with their phones such as wearable technology in a similar vein to
Google Glass. They also look to producing faster handsets and better streaming
capabilities as well as different display qualities and enhanced sound capabilities.
“As smartphones and tablets evolve into
powerful game platforms, top tier mobile games increasingly resemble console
games. UK studios with their great experience in console development are well
suited to take advantage of these increasingly powerful and innovative devices.”
Jason Kingsley OBE, TIGA Chairman and
CEO and Creative Director at Rebellion, said:
“A massive show like the MWC in
Barcelona shows just how important new technology and new games experiences are
to the tech sector. Hardware, no matter how innovative, needs great software to
give it a purpose.”
TIGA
research from 2012 showed that there were 134 British games businesses making
games for mobile in the UK today, providing work for nearly 960 highly skilled
development staff and contributing £98.5 million to UK GDP. In 2011 these
studios released or updated 460 titles.
About
TIGA:
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s
games industry. The majority of our members are either independent games
developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have games
publishers, outsourcing companies, technology
businesses and universities amongst our membership. Since 2010, TIGA has won 14 business awards and has been nominated a
finalist for 16 other awards.
TIGA's
vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games
business. We focus on three sets of activities: political representation,
generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the
competitiveness of our members. This means that TIGA members are
effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the
media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their
businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.
For
further information, please contact Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO on: 07875 939
643, or email: richard.wilson@tiga.org.