Author Archive

New Blog Design

November 14th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Other news | 2 Comments »

Last night we have changed the design of the blog. We hope you will enjoy it as it has been several weeks of pondering what needed changing for optimal usage of the blog. We kicked off with the backend which is a bit smarter these days.

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OrangePixel Releases SupaSanta

November 14th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in 1 | No Comments »

Goes, Netherlands (November 14, 2006) OrangePixel announces the release of SupaSanta on mobile phones. A special christmass release game, not a remake, but an original game concept! Help SupaSanta with his Toy delivery agency. Using the unique game controls from OrangePixel’s Thumb-It, SupaSanta features a gameplay that is very easy to master for anyone with text-messaging skills.

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MIA to deal around FHM content

November 11th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Brand Licensing | No Comments »

Mia, known for their saucy mobile content, has inked down a deal to start selling FHM branded content over 30 countries. This deal expands on a content deal in the UK and a technical relationship with FHM in Australia. To support the quality of service, MIA will train FHM staff in the countries how to handle mobile content the best way.

Namco Bandai Europe Launches

November 11th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Companies & M&A | No Comments »

We don’t know what’s going on, but Namco seems to have made some changes in it’s plans for Europe. They started with launching Namco Bandai Networks Europe, which will distribute all popular Namco games. Also other IP from Namco Bandai will be brought into the portfolio. A good example would be Tamagotchi which has been previously released by Living Mobile which is now Disney Mobile. The full news is on Mobile Entertainment Magazine.

QB’s Mahjongg Roundup

November 11th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Games | No Comments »

QB just announced it’s newest roundup. This time the guys wills struggle to find the best Mahjongg game on the market today. Make sure they have your version in there!

Herocraft releases Bikini Balls 2: Christmas Edition

November 11th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in 1 | No Comments »

Beauties, furs and bikinis… is anybody there who can decline such a present? It is a new edition of immensely popular arcanoid. It includes fashionable picturesque animation, unusual game abilities and of course – charming winter girls…

This game is available in following languages: English, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Russian, Portuguese and French. Please let me know if you haven’t found required additional languages in you package.

Features:

Broadened photo gallery
Festal collection of outstanding beauties
Amusing graphics
About thirty new levels
Additional worldwide hall of highscores

More screenshots, trailers and press-releases are available here:
http://herocraft.com/info/bikiniballs2ce.zip

Adobe sets first steps to open up Flash Lite

November 10th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Platforms: Adobe Flash & Air | 1 Comment »

Though our credits for this finding go out to the Device54 blog, we also thank Biskero for pointing us toward them. Device54 reports that Adobe has set the first steps in opening up Flash Lite to the consumers. Everyone who owns a Flash Lite enabled device, can get free upgrades at Adobe. Also developers can download Flash Lite for their devices. Developers are not allowed though to spread the Flash Lite binaries. However the question remains, how to detect if the user needs an upgrade or not?

Japanese portal hits 2 million registered users

November 10th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Multiplayer Gaming | No Comments »

MocoNews reports Mobagetown (mobile games town), a portal in Japan, has reached 2 million registered users of their connected/multiplayer games in just over nine months. The site allows users to chat and blog next to playing games, all under the same account. Mobagetown hereby shows us that building the ultimate mobile games community is no longer just a dream. In Europe we already see guys like Orange Pixel work hard on connecting mobile games (RumbleX).

Moai Acquired by UI Magic

November 10th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Companies & M&A | 1 Comment »

QB points us to the news that Moai has been acquired by UI Magic. Moai is based in Korea where it focuses primarily at connected/multiplayer games for their home market. UI Magic bought the total shares of the company, but financials where not disclosed.

“We are very excited to have Moai Technology as part of UI Magic. This acquisition will enable us to move into the real-time mobile networking gaming segment, which we expect will have huge potential in the US. The strategic sales/marketing channels with existing major Korean carriers and other global carriers that Moai will be brining to the table will prove to be a significant asset,” stated Satoru Yukie, President and CEO of UI Magic. Yukie continued, “The Mobile gaming segment in the US is growing at an unprecedented rate. Experts believe the market size will exceed $1.5 billion by end of 2009. Nevertheless, there aren’t any true real-time mobile network games available in the US market. Our 100% owned subsidiary Moai will be introducing a handful of real-time mobile games including Massive Mobile Online Role Playing Games (‘MMORPG’), which can cater to as many as 500 simultaneous game users. It is our strong belief that the US market and US consumers are ready for these types of real-time, mobile network games.”

“We are very pleased to be a part of UI Magic, Inc. I truly believe the mobile gaming know-how and experiences that we have accumulated over the period of 4 years will be pivotal assets for UI Magic going forward. Additionally, I can foresee huge synergy and arbitrage opportunities being generated as a result of this cross-border consolidation,” stated Harry “Jun Hwa” Chang, CEO and President of Moai Technology.

LAGC: Mobile Games

November 10th, 2006 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Analysis & Editorial | No Comments »

Gamasutra has put online an extensive coverage of the LA Games Conference. They kicked off directly by a presentation on true market figures by Mike Volhaus, MD at Frank N. Magid Associated Inc.

Gaming in general is everywhere, especially among teens, young adult males, and older women from 55 to 64, with a very broad base relative to other mainstream entertainment like concert going and DVD purchasing. However, looking specifically at gaming on CD/DVD media the picture is dominated by males in their teens, followed by adult males from 18 to 34. The typical balancing factor is the free webgame space, where older women dominate.

In the mobile game space, however, women again have greater presence; between 39% and 46% of females from 12 to 44 play games preloaded onto their mobiles. Among males 18-24 44% have played preloaded mobile games, and the numbers in other age groups fall off sharply. When it comes to actually purchasing mobile games, females 18-24 lead all with 23% having done so compared to 19% for their male counterparts.

Disclaimer:

Arjan Olsder is the Vice President of Pixalon Studios. Opinions expressed on this publication do not have to represent those of Pixalon Studios.