Mobile Gaming

Sony Ericsson unveils motion gaming phone

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:06:46 -0400

Sony Ericsson announced a series of new mobile devices, most notably the F305 with Motion Gaming, which employs Wii-like technology enabling users to control gameplay with a flick of the wrist or a swing of the arm. Also boasting horizontal gameplay and dedicated gaming controls, the F305 uses motion sensor technology to imitate actions like throwing a bowling ball or casting a fishing rod--three motion games are preloaded on the device, with additional motion games developed by Gameloft now available via Sony Ericsson's PlayNow arena alongside dozens of 2D and 3D titles. The quad-band EDGE phone also includes a 2.0 megapixel camera, 176 x 220 TFT display resolution and memory up to 10MB. Sony Ericsson will release the F305 with Motion Gaming in selected markets in the third quarter.

For more on the F305 with Motion Gaming:
- read this release

Related article:
Sony Ericsson debuts Windows Mobile device

Google demonstrates Android applications

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Google publicly demonstrated its forthcoming Android mobile operating system Wednesday during its annual developer conference in San Francisco, touting the platform's mobile web services, mobile gaming prowess and map features by means of an iPhone-like touchscreen device. Speaking at Google's I/O conference, the firm's vice president of engineering Vic Gundotra said Android heralds its attempt to extend the browser to handheld devices: "We believe over time, the browser on mobile devices will be the entry point for many, many applications," he said.

During the brief demonstration, Google showed the audience Android versions of its Google Maps Street View service (bolstered by the device's internal compass and accelerometer) as well as a snippet of a Pac-Man game--other bells and whistles include mobile website bookmarking and a mobile web content magnifying tool.

Andy Rubin, the Google exec charged with spearheading the Android initiative, said Android-based devices remain on track to hit retail sometime during the second half of 2008. Rubin also hinted strongly that Google is planning to launch an Android application storefront: "It would be a great benefit to the Android community to provide a place where people can go to safely and securely download content and where a billing system would allow developers to get paid for their effort," he said. "We wouldn't have done our job if we didn't provide something that helps developers get distribution."

For more on the Android demo:
-read this Associated Press article and watch this Android live demo

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Mobile gaming: turning enthusiasm into revenues

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:41:47 -0400

By Mark Donovan

The mobile industry isn't all fun and games. But gaming remains the most popular form of entertainment among U.S. mobile phone owners. M:Metrics MobiLens research found that more than 20 percent of mobile subscribers reported playing a game on their phone in March 2008. This compares to 7 percent who used their phone to listen to music and the nearly 6 percent who watched video on their third (or is that their fourth?) screen.

It seems clear that Internet-based services that stitch together people's online and mobile lifestyles are a winning proposition, but the current audience using their mobile browser to access news, information and entertainment online stands at less than 14 percent.

With one in every five mobile subscribers playing games, it's no wonder that nearly 150 game publishers are vying for their attention. But those publishers who make games-and the operators and direct-to-consumer aggregators who merchandise them-don't have an easy task in turning this general enthusiasm for mobile gaming into growing revenue streams: Usage among most gamers tends to be irregular, often doesn't involve a game purchases, and sales continue to flow primarily to the few titles. It's a challenge for publishers to rise above the noise inherent in large catalogs and crowded decks.

It's useful to put mobile game usage in the context of other popular mobile services. Mobile phones remain predominantly about person-to-person communication and so it's not surprising that over half of people who send text messages and 44 percent of those who send mobile email do so almost every day. Perhaps more surprising, though, is that nearly one-third of those relying on their mobile browser or applications for news, information and entertainment do so almost every day while more than 25 percent of mobile music consumers get a music fix on their phone almost daily. In contrast, just 21 percent of mobile gamers play their games almost every day and fully half play games only one to three times in a given month.

Don't take those data points as evidence of a gloomy market outlook. Current realities aren't dim so much as they are complicated. From March 2007 to March 2008, the audience of mobile game downloaders grew 17 percent, nearly twice as fast as the overall U.S. market. Developers gathered for BREW 2008 will be happy to know that game downloaders on Verizon Wireless increased by 21 percent over the same period.

This audience growth is encouraging but needs to be tempered by the fact that the number of consumers purchasing games grew with the market. So more people are downloading games but a roughly the same percent are purchasing them. The growth in the audience of mobile game downloaders is not proportionately increasing the number of mobile games purchasers, but this doesn't mean that revenue from mobile games is not increasing. Earnings results reported in May 2008 by Electronic Arts and Glu Mobile, the clearest barometers of the industry, show revenue growth. What's going on? There is a shift in the business model.

In April 2007, less than half of the mobile games inventory available on carrier decks was offered on a subscription model. A year later, 61 percent of titles were available under a recurring billing model, usually a monthly fee. This steady move to a recurring revenue model is a boon to the sector, though a glance at the ringtone market urges caution if you're building a business based on a breakage model.

As I write this, consumers in the United States have nearly 1,400 mobile games from which to choose. Mobile gaming remains at the core of carrier-promoted services. In April, Verizon Wireless customers had more than 300 games to choose from while customers of rival AT&T Mobility had nearly 600 titles from which to pick; games continue to represent the largest collection of downloadable applications in any category.

While this robust inventory creates lots of consumer choice, this vast selection poses a challenge for consumers wishing to discover new content. That's a lot of choice to wade through on that tiny screen. Most consumers don't wade, they select what's most prominent, and here we can clearly see the challenge faced by publishers who are not on the A list. Strike that: Not on the A+ list.

In the month of March, the period for which M:Metrics has the most recent data, the top ten titles accounted for 20 percent of game purchases. Put another way, about 1 percent of the inventory accounted for one in every five purchases, a statistic that makes the 80/20 rule look magnanimous.

Mobile games-like movies, music, and console gaming-remains a hit driven business and this is true whether we're looking at the success of GTA4 or mobile Tetris. In many ways this characteristics of the sector is a self-fulfilling prophecy since carrier merchandising tends to reinforce hits, making it difficult for a naïve consumer to ever discover what's lurking beyond the first page or so of the deck.

Once more BREW developers can take some solace. While the top five game publishers command a 62 percent share of premium placement on AT&T decks and a 75 percent share at Sprint, they account for less than half of the premium promotional slots on Verizon Wireless.

This much is clear: Mobile phone owners like to play games, have a vast selection to choose from, have increasingly capable devices that improve the gaming experience, and are downloading them in record numbers. But the limited ability of consumers to discover titles outside of the hits-or at least those promoted as such-is a throttle on market growth.

Consumers are spending more money than ever before on mobile games, but this rising tide is not lifting all boats. That might just be market forces, or perhaps it's a function of a merchandising ecosystem that needs improvement. Did I mention it's complicated?

Mark Donovan is the chief marketing officer and senior analyst at mobile media measurement firm M:Metrics.

Mapping Technology

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:39:02 -0400

By Lynnette Luna

When the Federal Communications Commission mandated enhanced-911 capabilities 2001, the mobile industry had its eye on monetizing the requirement by offering mass-market navigation services. Seven years later, 2008 is becoming what Yankee Group calls the turning point for location-based services in North America as the majority of handsets now have integrated GPS capabilities and all major mobile operators plan to offer at least one GPS-based navigation application this year.

"We have taken as an industry people driving and walking around with paper maps to where customers expect a great mapping experience on their mobile devices," said Dave Singer, vice president and general manager of the Americas with mapping and navigation solution provider Telmap.

Indeed, mobile operators have now discovered a financial incentive to leverage their E911 investments and bring consumer navigation services to market, notes Jill Aldort, senior analyst with Yankee Group, in a recent report. "With the first indications that consumers would pony up $10 per month for driving directions, operators (namely Verizon and Sprint) painted their marketing campaigns with LBS."

Mapping and navigation applications aren't just about reading a map on a mobile screen anymore. It's now about premium services such as turn-by-turn directions, 3D maps, traffic overlays, inserting landmarks and points of interest to ultimately location-based advertising, social networking and mobile gaming, Singer said.

Verizon Wireless, partnering with Networks in Motion, is already encompassing several advanced features through its BREW-based VZ Navigator, which allows subscribers to use audible turn-by-turn directions to find their way to any address. VZ Navigator can also direct users to some 14 million points of interest, landmarks, restaurants and ATMs. The core of VZ Navigator is its GPS positioning features, which tells users where they are and which points of interest are nearby. It's estimated that VZ Navigator supports more than 1 million subscribers.

Telmap is working with a host of BREW operators, most recently partnering with Mexico's Grupo Iusacell to deliver a white-labeled mobile navigation application. The service includes Telmap-powered location-based turn-by-turn driving and walking directions with voice, graphic and text-based guidance to subscribers' mobile phones. It also offers maps , free-text local search capabilities along with advanced address search capabilities with auto-complete and fuzzy matching to enable users to find what they are looking for even with partial information or misspelled words.

TeleCommunications Systems (TCS), which offers a host of location solutions to carriers, government and public safety, works with developers by offering up a mapping server similar to Google's and allowing them to create applications using the server across various platforms, including BREW, Java and Windows Mobile.

TCS recently expanded its relationship with regional CDMA operator nTelos to enable the operator to offer a BREW-based turn-by-turn navigation application called Rand McNally Navigator, which was developed by TCS. This version of Navigator enables users to access real-time, voice-based turn-by-turn directions from their mobile devices as well as find points-of-interest and navigate to that location. But a key element of the deployment is location roaming, said Sean Murphy, director of mobile products with TCS.

"One of the things we've been driving from an industry perspective is LBS roaming and cross-network LBS support," Murphy said. "Regardless of what network an end-user is on, they can leverage the same LBS services they are accustomed to on a daily basis."

LBS roaming is especially critical for operators like nTelos, which don't have a national presence and rely on big operators such as Sprint and Verizon for service outside of their operating areas. "The worst thing that can happen is having your navigation or directions applications stop in a strange city," Murphy said.

TCS is also focusing on mapping capability that goes beyond the automobile-whether an end user needs to find his or her way while walking, hiking, bicycling or riding various forms of public transportation.

"The states have been so focused on driving directions in the car, while Japan and others have been focusing on alternative modes other than driving," Murphy noted. "WE are seeing a lot of requests in the U.S. now for a travel guide. If someone is in New York they might not have a vehicle but will still need help to navigate from point A to point B ... I may walk and then take the metro. I need all of that information to help me navigate."

And going forward, expect to see much more integration of navigation services, starting with a search for the nearest sushi restaurant along with turn-by-turn directions on how to get there. This integration trend should eventually turn into more sophisticated applications such as LBS-based mobile advertising.

Telmap is current in trials with a CDMA operator outside of the U.S. for a mobile advertising application. "That advertising model is the next step in maps and directions , and from our standpoint, part of an overall location-based solution," Singer said.

Nokia releases SNAP Mobile SDK 2.0

Tue, 13 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Handset giant Nokia released the SNAP Mobile Software Development Kit 2.0, updating its end-to-end solution for Java-based mobile gaming. Promising more intuitive mobile game development aided by a simpler API, faster emulation and testing tools, the free SNAP Mobile SDK 2.0 enables creation of connected Java ME mobile games for a broad range of Nokia and non-Nokia devices in compliance with Mobile Information Device Profile 2.0 and Connected Limited Device Configuration 1.1. It includes the SNAP Mobile Client API libraries, an Emulation Environment app, a device and network compatibility test tool, and sample apps and documentation accessible via any Java Integrated Developer Environment.

According to Nokia, SNAP Mobile SDK 2.0 makes it easier for developers and publishers to create game titles boasting online community functionality like in-game user registration and log-in, unique user identification, multiplayer and massively multiplayer competition (complete with opponent matchmaking and player rankings), instant messaging and contact list building. In addition, the SDK cuts down on API calls to the server and reduces compliance testing from approximately two hours to one.

For more on the SNAP Mobile SDK 2.0:
-read this release

Related articles:
Nokia launches Mobile Games Innovation Challenge
Microsoft inks Silverlight deal with Nokia
Nokia to reintroduce N-Gage

AT&T Game Development Contest launches

Tue, 06 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

AT&T, Microsoft, HTC and I-play announced the AT&T Game Development Contest for Windows Mobile, a competition bringing together all four major segments of the mobile gaming ecosystem in an effort to discover the next breakthrough game title. All entries submitted prior to the July 31 deadline will be reviewed and judged based on game-play value and quality, game uniqueness and creativity, and marketplace potential. The grand-prize winner will receive a mobile game developer contract with I-play, prime placement on the AT&T MEdia Mall game portal and a cash prize of $25,000--three finalists and 10 semi-finalists will also receive prizes, with the winner announced at this Fall's CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008 event in San Francisco. According to AT&T, Windows Mobile games represent the fastest-growing segment of its gaming business--in total, the operator now offers subscribers more than 2,300 on-deck games.

For more on the AT&T Game Development Contest for Windows Mobile:
-read this release

Nokia launches Mobile Games Innovation Challenge

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Nokia launched its worldwide Mobile Games Innovation Challenge, a global competition encouraging development of new game concepts that exploit the features and functionalities of the handset giant's N-Gage-compatible devices as well as its Java-and Symbian-based Series 40 or S60 devices. According to Nokia, the three most innovative game concepts will receive Nokia Publishing pre-production contract offers, with the first-place winner also awarded $40,000, second place earning $20,000 and third place given $10,000 to further develop the concept. Entries will be judged by an external panel of mobile gaming experts based on criteria including innovation, fun, feasibility of execution, and market potential--Nokia encourages contestants to enter more than one mobile game concept, and will accept submissions here through August 20, 2008. Winners will be announced at the Nokia Games Summit, taking place in Rome in October.

For more on the Mobile Games Innovation Challenge:
-read this release

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Nokia to reintroduce N-Gage

Nokia to reintroduce N-Gage this week

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Nokia will officially relaunch its N-Gage mobile gaming platform this week, according to a post on the handset giant's official N-Gage blog. According to Nokia, consumers with N81 and N81 8GB devices will have "exclusive access to the pre-release version of the N-Gage application and one or more N-Gage games." In addition, Nokia will debut an N-Gage First Access forum to solicit user feedback and recommendations. In related news, Nokia Games Publishing will launch on N-Gage a virtual pet application titled Creebies, enabling users to customize, nurture and accessorize 3D pets that grow and mature over time. Each Creebi may also interact with others via Bluetooth. Nokia will also premiere Dirk Spanner and the Fallen Idol, an N-Gage title inspired by classic film noir.

For more on Nokia's N-Gage relaunch:
-read this blog entry

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Apple counts down most popular iPhone apps

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Apple's iPhone website posted a list of the 10 applications that have proven the most popular with the device's users. Two Google applications made the countdown, which is otherwise notable for the surprising dominance of mobile games, a segment that has largely stalled on rival device platforms. The full list, in descending order:

Google Search

Frenzic

iPunchOut!

Google Maps for iPhone Touch

iDuckHunt by Jirbo

Connect4 touch

The Zinio Mobile Newsstand

Finger Scan

MindDojo

SMASH!

For more on Apple's iPhone apps countdown:
-visit the iPhone website
- see our slideshow of some of the top iPhone apps

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QUICKLINKS: Microsoft's next wireless push courts the enterprise; Palm closes 25 percent sale to Elevation Partners;

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 07:59:55 -0400

> Microsoft's next wireless push courts the enterprise. FierceWireless

> Palm closes 25 percent sale to Elevation Partners. FierceWireless

> Jade Software extends platform to Windows Mobile. Article

> Opera unveils Opera Link. Release

> Migo Software delivers Roundhouse. FierceMobileContent

> MotoDev Game Developers Awards winners announced. Release