Wireless gaming is poised to experience a worldwide boost in revenue and players, a new study says.
Combined revenues from the U.S., European and Asia Pacific markets for wireless gaming will rise from an estimated $950 million this year to $17.5 billion in 2006, according to a Datamonitor report.
The Asia Pacific region includes 60 million wireless gamers, half of the world's total.
Asia Pacific accounts for 87 percent of revenue. By 2006, however, the United States and Europe are to have 40 percent, compared with 13 percent now.
Europe's wireless gaming market is expected to reach $4.2 billion in 2006, up from the current $105 million. The U.S. total is expected to grow from $20 million now to $3 billion during the next five years.
In the United States, 22 million people play games on mobile phones or personal digital assistants while the European total is 41 million. Datamonitor estimates that the number of wireless gamers in the United States will rise to 124 million by 2006 while the European total will exceed 150 million, led by Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy.
