AIME strives to raise awareness
This week the industry was presented an initiative designed by AIME, the Association for Interactive Media and Entertainment, with an aim to raise awareness about the importance and the increasing role of mobile devices in gaming.
It was explained by the AIME spokesman: "With the advent of smartphones, and the increase in consumer confidence in the mobile channel, transactions are becoming increasingly commonplace via mobile.”
"Premium rate micropayments provide gaming companies with an important customer acquisition tool, enabling new customers to sign-up and spend money using their mobile devices on impulse.
"AIME is focused on delivering an environment of self-regulation and best practice within the premium rate industry, which both protects consumers whilst fostering a positive climate of opportunity for businesses that serve this sector.
"AIME now feels the time is right to support this area of the industry and will be setting up an initiative in the form of a Mobile Gaming Forum, set up with the key aims of assessing and promoting an environment of consumer confidence and trust in this industry and enabling its members’ commerce to flourish."
In addition, he said that the forum members will comprise some of the big names from the mobile gaming value chain, such as gaming operators; mobile network operators, platform providers and aggregators, media and rights owners, mobile betting and gaming technology providers and consumer-education groups, adding that it will be chaired by Mark Gibson of mobile gambling technology specialist Mkodo.
As for Gibson, he put a particular stress on the growing trend in the mobile gaming sector, and stated that the trend is only expected to move up, and thereby even represent a threat to the primacy of ‘online’ activity within two to three years.
"Juniper Research expects annual wagers on mobile gaming to reach GBP 30 billion a year in next 4 years," said Gibson. "Having a forum through which mobile gaming companies can liaise with mobile carriers and can lobby on mobile gaming-related issues and initiatives will prove to be of great benefit for the industry’s growth”.
