SEGA makes iPhone promise as analysts predict Apple to drive mobile gaming

SEGA has announced Super Monkey Ball 2 for the iPhone (video above), with the games development company stressing it has many more games in development for the Apple mobile platform, a platform expected to account for 24 percent of portable game sales by 2014. Read on...

That’s serendipitous to an extent, as a recent Research and Markets survey suggests the iPhone will drive future growth in the mobile gaming market. Analyst, David Cole, says. “Dedicated portable game systems from companies like Nintendo and Sony are still expected to lead the market, but it appears growth for these devices has peaked. The platforms from Apple are expected to be responsible for the bulk of market growth over the next few years.”

Oceanhouse Media Development Director Greg Uhler said: “With the iPhone and iPod touch, Apple has finally delivered mobile developers a platform with an attractive business model and a rapidly growing installed base of active consumers.”

By 2014, sales for games on the iPhone/iPod Touch are expected to account for about 24 percent of total portable game software sales, Research and Markets say.

SEGA exec Ethan Einhorn told IGN that the iPhone has, “reached out to a huge cross section of the community that is not buying a device just for games. So when you have something that's this powerful - that's easily competitive with the other handsets that are on the market - and you can put games on it that have full 3D graphics, you're able to satisfy the gamer audience that we know is there but also reach out to a totally new audience."

The company intends following up Super Monkey Ball 2 with a number of other games for Apple’s platform, most of which have not yet been announced. “SEGA is very seriously committed to making great iPhone games.”

The executive also promised more titles developed specifically for the iPhone, developed to fully exploit the platform’s potential.

In related news, Apple is expected to see iPhone sales gains in Europe as it moves to abandon exclusive deals, with analysts predicting UK sales could grow as much as 40 percent now the device is available through multiple operators.