TIGA, the trade association representing the
UK games industry, says the phenomenal shipment of the new Samsung Galaxy S3
will help cement Android as a major gaming platform.
The handset is set to ship
10 million units next month and it is being seen as the major competitor to
Apple's iPhone.
Thousands of games already exist for Android but the massive sales of handsets
carrying the operating system could soon make it the most far-reaching gaming
platform in the world.
Dr Richard Wilson, CEO of TIGA, said this
would provide UK developers with greater potential for revenue. He said:
“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.
“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.
“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.
“Games
tax relief, which effectively reduces the cost of games development, should
come into operation next year. This means that developers should be able to
take additional risks and be creative in their approach and we look forward to
seeing how developers make use of the potential on offer.”
Oli Christie, TIGA board member and CEO of
Neon Play, said:
“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.
The number of Android devices being
shipped is vast and despite the lower monetisation compared to iOS, it’s
clearly another huge opportunity for mobile developers.”
Notes to editors:
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 11 business awards and has
been nominated a finalist for 9 other awards. In 2010 TIGA won two business awards including
‘Trade Association of the Year’ from the Trade Association Forum. In 2011, TIGA
won eight business awards including ‘Trade Association of the Year’ from the
Trade Association Forum, ‘Outstanding Organisation’ from the Chartered
Management Institute and two Global Business Excellence Awards, including
‘Outstanding Marketing Campaign’.
Richard Wilson won the ‘Leadership Award’ from the Trade Association
Forum and the ‘Outstanding Leader’ award from the Chartered Management
Institute. In 2012, Richard Wilson won the
IoD’s East of England Director of the Year Award. TIGA is an Investors in People
organisation.
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.