The popularity of multiplayer mobile games, including solo-play high score, shadow play, turn-based, real-time and other models, is growing among US consumers, says a new report from Frost & Sullivan. The market researcher expects more than 155 million downloads of such games in 2013, but predicts that real-time multiplayer games will make up only a small portion of the total, according to a 3G.co.uk article on the study.

High-speed/low-latency networks and capable phones are key to the advancement of multiplayer games of all types, as is the expansion of online social networks to the mobile environment, the report finds.

Frost warns, however, that gaming service providers need to remember that mobile games can't support the same level of functionality as console or PC games - or serve as a replacement. Also, mobile game providers need to recognize that a gamer's attention span is shorter while playing on a cell phone than while sitting in front of a TV or PC.