Given the rapid growth of today's mobile market, it's become increasingly important for developers to keep an eye on the space's latest trends. Platforms, business models, and even audiences are evolving at an extremely fast pace, and those of you looking to succeed on mobile will want to keep a close eye on how the market has changed. Some companies, like Flurry Analytics, work to help developers keep track of those changes, and at this year's GDC Europe, Flurry's Richard Firminger gave an in-depth talk examining the latest data on today's mobile users, games, and business models. His talk covered everything from app distribution, player demographics, game usage, and more, giving developers the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their next mobile game. For instance, Firminger offered a breakdown of player spending habits, noting that older players are much more likely to spend money to unlock content in free-to-play games. "If we look at who pays, Generation Y [age 30 or younger] plays, while Generation X [over age 30] pays. As we get older, we get less patient, we have less time, and we're much more prepared to pay our way through the game," he said. It's useful information, particularly if you're looking for the best target audience for a microtransaction-based game. Of course, Firminger's presentation was full of even more data on today's mobile market, and you can check out the entire talk for yourself by watching the above video, courtesy of the GDC Vault.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent GDC events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers. Those who purchased All Access passes to events like GDC and GDC Europe already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription Beta via a GDC Vault inquiry form. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company. More information on this option is available via an online demonstration, and interested parties can send an email to Gillian Crowley. In addition, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault admins. Be sure to keep an eye on GDC Vault for even more new content, as GDC organizers will also archive videos, audio, and slides from upcoming 2012 events like GDC Online and GDC China. To stay abreast of all the latest updates to GDC Vault, be sure to check out the news feed on the official GDC website, or subscribe to updates via Twitter, Facebook, or RSS.