EA: 7% of mobile gaming done on toilet

By Fred Dutton Published 11 February, 2011

Loo would've thought it?

Here's something to bear in mind next time you ask a mate if you can borrow their grubby, smeary iPhone to make a quick call. Seven per cent of all mobile gaming time is enjoyed while the user is perched on the porcelain throne, so says a top EA exec.

During an address at the annual DICE gaming summit in Las Vegas, as reported by VentureBeat, EA Mobile VP Travis Boatman outlined five of the biggest mobile gaming myths. First on his list was the perception that people only play while on the move.

According to unattributed research, 47 per cent of the time people are playing at home, 12 per cent of the time it's during a commute, 14 per cent while at work, seven per cent while in the restroom, three per cent during school hours and one per cent at the airport. 'Miscellaneous' made up the rest of the pie chart.

Boatman's other four myths, should you be interested, were as follows:

  • Myth: The top mobile games are all casual: He insisted that 'core' gamers were under-served on mobile platforms but Epic's Infinity Blade and EA's Dead Space, both of which topped the App Store charts, were proof of high demand for more substantial software.
  • Myth: One size game fits all platforms: Not so. The splintering of the Android market means developers have to make multiple versions of their games.
  • Myth: Brands don't matter: Oh yes they do, Boatman insisted, citing the fact that eight of the top 25 iPhone games were brands.
  • Myth: This is as good as it gets: According to Boatman, the mobile game industry will have come on in leaps and bounds in three years time.
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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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