Mobile consumers must be educated, says Gameloft exec

via gibiz

Gonzague de Vallois, vice president of publishing at Gameloft, has warned that mobile gaming companies must find new ways of communicating with consumers if the industry is to expand.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the Osney Media Mobile Gaming Forum in London this morning, de Vallois said, "The biggest challenge for the industry is to drive people to the portal so they know they can download games and have a good experience... The only way is to educate."

Fellow panelist Anders Hakfelt of Hands-On Mobile said that it is also important to ensure that consumers aren't disappointed by their experiences with mobile gaming. "I think we have to look at game quality... Managing people's expectations is a challenge in retail because you have limited time and limited space to do it," he said.

"It's very important to be honest with the consumer in terms of what they should expect."

Other challenges for the industry, according to de Vallois, include the need to create new distribution systems. "SMS is not the perfect way. If you have to send three SMSes and receive three SMSes before you can download a game, there is no way we're going to grow this business," he argued.

"If we want to have new distribution channels which can help grow the business, there also need to be the right billing methods."