HOVR, TIL partner for mobile gaming deal

A deal between HOVR, a ad-supported mobile content and gaming service, and Times Internet Limited (TIL), part of India's The Times Group, could change the way ads are delivered to mobile gamers. GameZone offers free mobile gaming to Indian consumers through an ad-supported platform.

by Kristina Knight

TIL is a multi-platform media and entertainment company. They will offer entertainment content, mobile gaming and social networking capabilities from one hub. The platform beta-launched in December 2007. Users are logging on to the mobile Internet by the thousands; most are already interested in social networking and mobile blogging. Mobile gaming is the next step in the mobile Internet's evolution.

"Based on the sheer number of mobile subscribers and consumer interest in ad-supported mobile content, we believe that mobile marketing is poised to overtake online marketing in India within the next few years," said Dinesh Wadhawan, CEO of TIL.

There are already 235 million mobile users in India. HOVR reports than an addition 5 million sign on every month.

Most mobile users and most gaming users have noted that free content is preferable to paying for content. Many have said they would prefer to watch an ad in order to access something on the third screen than paying for the ability. Gamers, meanwhile, have said that ad-supported games add a sense of reality to their favorite games. On the Internet, many gamers are already using ad-supported gaming platforms so offering something similar in the mobile realm makes sense for game producers and for advertisers.