JAN. 20, 2010 • Sega released an official free Ultimate Genesis emulator app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Much like Nintendo’s Virtual Console, Ultimate Genesis makes it easy to play classic Genesis games on Apple’s mobile hardware. The emulator comes with Space Harrier II, and has an in-app feature that lets owners buy other titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin, Golden Axe, and Shining Force while using Ultimate Genesis, for between $2.99 and $5.99 each.

Impact: Our recent surveys of core game consumers indicate that the iPhone and iPod Touch have surprisingly high penetration, especially the iPod Touch.  Furthermore, it appears that owners are looking to buy games for the system.  In our recent survey, 60% of iPod Touch/iPhone owners have bought a game for the system in the past three months.  These purchases have also tended to go towards classic game brands.  It appears that unlike traditional mobile phones, the iPhone/iPod market may be a decent revenue source for game companies.