The number of new businesses entering the mobile games industry peaked in 2003, but the total number of active companies is still increasing according to UK based research group the Multimedia Research Consultancy in Games On Deck. The analysts counted 1,968 actively trading developers, aggregator-distributors, publishers and portals across 93 countries. 57 percent of actively trading companies in the mobile games space are start-ups targeting the market, while the 43 percent are companies that expanded their operations to include mobile games. More than half of the companies currently active have been trading in mobile games for 5+ years. The trend of fewer entrants but increasing participation is viewed as “a classic market development pattern suggesting sector maturity and consolidation, rather than decline”.

Last year 50 companies in the industry went defunct and 35 were acquired and had their brand identity eliminated. Another 20 were acquired and had their brand identity retained, and 41 start-ups entered the industry along with 37 companies diversifying into mobile games. Ten companies moved out of mobile games but are still trading.

The research also found 524 portals which currently offer mobile games downloads, of which 28 percent are run by operators and 7 percent by MVNOs.