DeNa beats Zynga and EA, mobile social games get serious

While in late 2010 it was just speculation, Japanese social game publisher DeNa has officially ousted both Zynga and EA in annual revenue. The company expects an earning of $1.3 billion by the fiscal year's end come March 2011. Zynga and EA expect to rake in between $500 to $800 million and $750 million, respectively, Social Times reports. So, how did DeNa do it?

The company claims that its games generate 13 times more revenue per player than Zynga does through games like CityVille. Research firm In-Stats has also found that for every $3 spent by an American social game player, an Asian-Pacific social gamer spends $7, according to Social Times. In other words, DeNa is making way more moolah than American social games companies. The creator of runaway Japanese social gaming network, Mobage Town, DeNa recently bought US mobile game developer ngmoco for $400 million and plans to expand into China shortly with a mobile version of Mobage Town.

But with a US developer under its belt and more money than it likely knows what to do with, what's DeNa's next move after that? Given its huge foothold in the mobile games space with ngmoco, the company could very well start looking at US iPhone users to grow. And ngmoco's pedigree of games like Rolando and GodFinger could lead to some impressive mobile social games. Could DeNa beat Zynga and EA to the punch when it comes to serious mobile social gaming? That's still uncertain, but your next iPhone or Android phone addiction could be coming from Japan.

[Image Credit: Fat Foogoo]

What do you think DeNa will do next with its oodles of money? Do you think an expansion into US mobile social gaming is a possibility? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.