Author Archive

New cellphone puts grandpa on speed dial

July 25th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Trends | No Comments »

A generation ago cellphones were a luxury convenience for corporate chief executives. As prices dropped, they became a staple for middle-class workers, and more recently, a must-have for millions of teenagers.

Are 8-year-olds next? More …

Nokia new generation of games brings the cellphone up to speed

July 25th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Smartphones & Tablets | No Comments »

Nokia’s N-Gage QD, far left, has new and upcoming games such as System Rush, on the monitor, and Catan, Glimmerati and High Seize.

When Nokia’s N-Gage gaming cellphone landed with a spectacular thud two years ago – selling mere thousands in the American marketplace – an industry punch line was born. But with wireless analysts now suggesting the mobile gaming arena could soon become a multibillion-dollar business, it seems Nokia was literally ahead of the game. More …

EA’s John Batter Talks Mobile Strategy

July 22nd, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Companies & M&A | No Comments »

With EA Mobile’s recent publishing agreements with Verizon and Sprint, the publisher is getting ready to make a big splash in the mobile market. EA VP and Mobile General Manager John Batter says that the company is always open to making acquisitions but that’s not their immediate focus. Right now the plan is to leverage EA’s 20+ year history of great games.

EA’s move into the mobile market seems to be keeping everyone on their toes. When the company’s mobile division so much as blinks, it’s seen as a sign that an acquisition is imminent. Modojo spoke with EA Vice President and Mobile General Manager John Batter about the swirling takeover rumors, EA’s plan to grow their mobile market share, their new relationship with Sprint and Verizon, and more…

EA Inks Big Deals

July 20th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Games | No Comments »

Electronic Arts’ mobile division, EA Mobile, has signed two major agreements with Verizon and Sprint PCS to deliver a host of games based on the gaming giant’s major franchises and Pgo.com content. EA Mobile has already delivered its first mobile title in the Verizon arrange, Need for Speed Underground 2, on the carrier’s exclusive V CAST service. More …

Vivendi Universal Games’ Wireless Division Extends New Mobile Game Offerings In Europe And Other International Markets

July 19th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Games | No Comments »

Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced that its newly formed wireless division will launch five new mobile games based on its popular global franchises.

The first two games, Sierra Entertainment’s SWAT® Force and Larry’sTM Sexy Pinball, will be available to consumers starting in July 2005. The other three titles will also launch in 2005; additional details will be announced at a later date. WonderPhone will distribute all five games in Europe, South and Central America, Africa, New Zealand, Singapore, Kuwait, Bahrain and Fiji. VU Games will also launch the five titles in North America shortly following. More …

China’s mobile gaming market to reach 5.8 bln yuan in 2008

June 28th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Research & Stats | No Comments »

The mobile phone gaming market in China will reach 5.86 bln yuan in 2008, up from an expected 1.44 bln yuan this year, said Beijing IT research firm Analysys International.

Other industry experts said the introduction of third generation (3G) mobile technology in China will boost the growth of mobile online gaming, a newly emerging subsector of the mobile gaming industry. More …

Quake

June 28th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Games | 1 Comment »

The mobile gaming world is going to shake when the legendary QUAKE hits handsets later this year. Thanks to an agreement announced today between id Software and publisher Pulse Interactive, the blockbuster first person action shooter created by id SoftwareTM is rolling onto a new generation of 3D-enabled mobile handsets. More …

Cell Phones Newest Gambling Players, But US Shut Out

June 27th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Games | No Comments »

Online poker is especially fast-growing. The average daily number of players in the Internet’s most well-traveled poker rooms zoomed from about 2,400 at the beginning of 2003 to about 60,000 in recent months, according to PokerPulse, a Web site that tracks online poker sites. More …

Glu VP outlines challenges in delivering mobile multiplayer

June 27th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Multiplayer Gaming | No Comments »

Success will come in developing for the lowest common denominator

Speaking at the Mobile Entertainment Market expo, Kristian Segerstrale VP of production at Glu Mobile discussed the challenges of developing mobile multiplayer games, an area at present, accounting for just a fraction of the overall mobile gaming market.

There is a lot to learn, but the opportunities for a guaranteed and sustained revenue stream are there, predicted Segerstrale. "Connectivity is integral to all mobile devices and the billing for network usage is already in place", he added. More …

MFORMA Hires Senior Vice President of Product Management and Marketing

June 24th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in People | No Comments »

MFORMA, the world-leading publisher and distributor of mobile entertainment, announced today that Gina Centoni, former vice president of product management at leading animation software company Macromedia, has been appointed senior vice president of product management and marketing. In her new role, Centoni assumes responsibility for MFORMA’s global product and marketing strategy and will be creating and managing MFORMA’s product roadmap for the development and delivery of MFORMA’s products and services worldwide. More …