We all saw smart device-based mobile gaming exploding in popularity in China last year. TalkingData, a Chinese mobile data analytics service, concludes that causes include 1) smartphone makers, such as Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo, launched various low-cost Android phones during the year, 2) those low-priced Android phones are able to run sophisticated mobile games.

TalkingData detected that 96% of 550 million active smart mobile devices have at least one mobile game installed as of the fourth quarter of 2013. Itโ€™s thanks to, according to TalkingData, the fact that mobile game developers use all kinds of distribution channels, numerous Android app stores in China, telecom operators, pre-installs in mobile devices, WeChat, and so on that users can hardly avoid them. But the number isnโ€™t that surprising as a majority of Android phones in China have games pre-installed before being sold to users or even before being shipped.

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A cumulative 9.76% of total gamers became paying users in 2013, which is 2.5 times greater than that at the beginning of the year, that contributed roughly 80% of the total profits in China market. The absolute number of paying users increased by more than 5 times.

As of the fourth quarter of 2013, revenues from mobile games on the Android platform has surpassed the incumbent Appleโ€™s iOS.

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Tracey Xiang is Beijing, China-based tech writer. Reach her at traceyxiang@gmail.com

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