Goody Two Shoes Media

Infinity Blade

The game I chose to write about is Infinity Blade III, the third edition Adventure, Action, Sword Fighting, RPG published by Epic Games, and developed Chair Entertainment Group.  The first Infinity Blade The game is a touch screen fighting game, powered by the Unreal Engine available for iOS (iPhone, Ipad, and iTouch, not Android or Windows Phone).  This is one of very few mobile fighting games.  I chose this game because I enjoy using my tablet for gaming and it is a fun fighting game with an interesting mysterious theme.  I am motivated even more for this game than the one’s in the past because of the female character that is available.

While it has has only been available for two months, Infinity Blade III has already hit number 72 on the iTunes store list of top paid apps (Itunes, 2013).   This may be partly due to their approach to incorporate advertising and in-app purchases, given the new free status.

According to International Business article, “iOS 7 and Apple to Change Console Gaming, Debuts with Infinity Blade 3 and Controller Support,” the advent of this game is setting the stage for an industry change that would support mobile gaming as a viable option to console gaming (2013).   To support international availability, it is available in over 15 languages.

As for the market for this game, it is rated for the age of nine and up in the App store.  Forbes Magazine published data from the NDP Market research report between April and June of 2013 stating that American consumers spent $1.77 billion on digital game content, including downloads, subscriptions, mobile, and social network games. Additionally, $769 million was spent on physical copies of new console and PC games, and  $343 million on used or rented games.

According to Entertainment Software Association (ESA) report of 2013, 53% of Americans play video games on some platform.   If their numbers are accurate, this would be around 165,000,000 game players, as the US census reports the US population as 317,000,000.  This is the market for Infinity Blade, while further research into the population and spending on fighting games versus other games genres would give a more accurate analysis of this market.  Further research into the international marketplace could also give clarity to the potential global market.  Historical data also adds clarity to the market for Infinity Blade III, as it is the last game in a trilogy.  The first games won several awards and ranked among the best mobile games by many standards.

This game and the Unreal engine are  an example of the changes and innovations I love to see in the game industry.

Works Cited

Chair Entertainment. (2013, September 15). Infinity Blade Extended Interview.  (Web video) Retrieved November 20, 2013.  http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/v94vl2/infinity-blade-extended-interview.

Ewalt, D. M. (2013). Americans Spent $2.88 Billion On Video Games In 2nd Quarter. Forbes.Com, 1.

ESA. (2013). Essential facts about the computer and video game industry.  Retrieved December 6, 2013.  http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2013.pdf

ITunes. (2013).  iTunes Charts. Top Pair Apps. Retrieved December 6, 2013. http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/paid-apps/.

International Business, T. (2013, September 17). iOS 7 and Apple to Change Console Gaming, Debuts with Infinity Blade 3 and Controller Support. International Business Times.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2013).  Population Clock. Retrieved December 6, 2013. http://www.census.gov/popclock/