In the U.S., 135 million people play at least one hour of games per month (compared to 56 million in 2008). Most of the new gamers belong to more casual segments and have been attracted to the gaming world by smartphones, tablets, and social and free-to-play games.
New devices and monetization models have made it easier for more people from diverse segments to try and play games. Gaming on tablets is particularly popular among owners of these devices.
2012 will be a formidable year for mobile games as penetration of lower-priced devices like the Kindle Fire increases. The Amazon tablet in particular will benefit from a growing app store and the retailer's huge customer base (with credit cards saved in their accounts).
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