JULY 18, 2011 • Broadband distribution firm Exent Technologies launched GameTanium, a $4.99 Android subscription service that gives Android mobile users an all-you-can-eat selection of 75 titles to play. The service is seen as a method for mobile carriers to wrest more revenue from gameplay on mobile phones, which is often transacted through non-carrier app stores.

Impact: Putting aside for a moment the urge of content creators to cut out companies like Apple skimming off 30% of each App Store sale, there is a larger question about how gamers consume their entertainment. App Stores are a platform convenience that caters to impulse purchasers. A subscription service caters to consumers who have already made a decision that they intend to play a certain number of games a month. So far mobile gaming has fallen mostly into the impulse category. But if mobile platforms are the future of gaming, then subscription plans will be viable. We’re simply not sure that threshold has been crossed yet.