Mobile games are spending more on TV advertisements than console games

Mobile game publishers are breaking out their checkbooks to invest in expensive TV advertisements, outpacing console game publishers, according to the iSpot.tv advertising tracking firm. Companies such as Machine Zone, Supercell and King want to attract more mobile gamers to their products, and don't have the name recognition as larger, traditional game studios.

Thirty percent of the overall TV advertising revenue spent during Q1 was dedicated to King, Machine Zone and Supercell, with mobile game companies spending $130 million so far in 2015. Companies such as Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, 2K Games, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft all trail the mobile gamers - and it looks like gamers are paying attention.

"These spending patterns may merely indicate that mobile games are taking advantage of the relative lull in major game console advertising," said Sean Muller, CEO of iSpot.tv, in a guest post on Venture Beat. "But so long as this TV ad push results in more app downloads, we may likely be seeing a new long-term competitor to the mix."

Chances are, you've noticed Machine Zone's Game of War 2015 Super Bowl commercial: