The Mexican video games market is on course to reach a value of US$1.1 billion this year, a growth rate of more than 13%, according to the market research firm Competitive Intelligence Unit (CIU).

Mexico has a market of 15 million gamers that generates annual sales of US$670 million. A large majority of these consumers are playing games on their smartphones, while console and PC gamers represent only 26%.

The Mexican video games market is one of the largest in Latin America. There are more than 100 companies producing video games in Mexico, most of which are based in Mexico City, Guadalajara, or Monterrey, according to Mexican diplomat Carlos Almada.

Many foreign game makers are also venturing into the country, seeking to grab their slice of the pie. U.S.-based online video game rental service GameFly announced in August this year that it had partnered with Mexican internet service Totalplay Telecommunications to bring games to the country.

GameFly, which is launching its service in about 20 cities across Mexico, says it enables users to play games without a console or disc thanks to cloud computing.

Even the government is contributing to the growth of the market. Some time it finances the travel of game developers participating in international game shows. That’s largely because some educational institutes in Mexico use video games to teach complicated maths and science lessons.

According to ProMexico, the country’s investment promotion agency, the government is working towards bringing all stakeholders, including game makers, mobile carriers, and academia, onto a single platform to promote the development of Mexican video games.

Several companies are also offering platforms for game developers to sell their games on mobile. For example, Naranya partners with telecom operators (such as America Movil and Millicom) to provide a platform with an already strong collection of mobile games. Telecom operators then bill the consumers and shares the revenue with game developers.

These platforms, coupled with the proliferation of smartphones, are rapidly driving the Mexican video games market forward into a bright future.