Mobile gaming has exploded onto the scene, experienced a boom and expanded horizons. The ubiquity of the mobile device makes it the ideal gaming platform for the commuter, traveller, business person, etc. Gaming apps abound. They drip from every crevice of every online store and are as varied as there are grains of sand on the beach. They are also very, very profitable.

According to Distimo, a company specialising in app metrics, in-app purchases (IAP) have become the greatest revenue driver for apps. Distimo tracked the business model and revenues per download in the Apple App Store from January 2012 to March 2013. The results showed a clear increase in revenue for paid apps. Interestingly, the average revenue per download was highest in Japan, with Germany, the UK and the US showing barely any difference between them. In February 2013, a record 76 percent of all revenue was generated by IAPs in the Apple App Store on the iPhone in the US.