Big Fish's mobile transition will now be spearheaded by tablet push

The expansion of the market, combined with a similar audience, means all the big casual games publishers are now seriously investing in the mobile space.

With 25 games available on the App Store, US outfit Big Fish Games has already made its intentions clear. What's interesting is the firm's assertion that tablets should form its current focus.

Bigger fish to fry

"During 2011 and 2012, we plan to scale the franchise of Big Fish Games in new directions," Big Fish Games CEO Jeremy Lewis told VentureBeat.

"Mobile is a very natural extension to the casual game market where we already are. In particular, we are going to be active in the tablet market."

Lewis believes that, aside from the natural expansion of mobile gaming, tablets have acted as a catalyst, causing the market as a whole to accelerate further and faster.

Big Fish Games is determined to be on the bleeding edge of this expansion, attempting to acquire the kind of leadership on tablets Zynga fostered on Facebook.

"There is a proliferation of platforms and the introduction of new distribution channels," Lewis added.

"When that happens, the overall market usually expands and so does the overall audience. Both emerging and developed markets benefit as that audience expands. It is the category leaders in each of these segments - casual, mobile, social networking - that will earn the lion’s share of the revenues in each market where they participate.

"That's our belief, and that is what we are experiencing today. So we are glad that the industry is growing and our franchise will benefit from that."

Big Fish Games COO John Holland has previously told PocketGamer.biz that the higher price points on offer on iPad automatically make it a more natural fit for the company.

And more importantly iPad compliments the social gaming scene Big Fish Games has already exploited.

"It [iPad] has created the conditions to capitalise on games for mobile devices that are very similar to what we are already doing on the web," he said.

"Without a device like this, the opportunity wouldn’t be there. It's a natural change. That's the best way I can explain it. We make highly replayable games."

Lewis acknowledges that Apple isn't the only firm making waves in this area (noting that Big Fish Games has a "very good relationship with Google" and will be "testing and investing in the Android market together with them").

However, the more stable nature of the App Store is more applicable to the social gaming approach, at present.

"I am most excited how the in-app purchase business model on the iPhone is so similar to the model we use on the web," Lewis concluded.

"We have been using 'try before you buy' since the day we were founded."

[source: VentureBeat]