Author Archive

I-Play exec talks tough on mobile gaming costs

June 16th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Research & Stats | No Comments »

Mobile operators may have to lower their revenue share to entice consumers

Speaking at the Mobile Entertainment Market event in London this morning, I-Play publishing and marketing VP Paul Maglione said that the mobile gaming industry may have to accept changes to its revenue models if the market is to take off.

At present, only 4 per cent of consumers with enabled handsets use them to download games, Maglione said. "We’re still not getting true traction in penetrating the potential here. We have to look at the obstacles and where we should start with removing these barriers." More …

Phones dial in to Web games

June 15th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Trends | No Comments »

Despite their vast reach, cell phone networks and the Internet seldom speak to each other yet, save for some basic Web browsing.

But that is changing fast. Wireless-to-Web — the ability to interact with Internet data and services from a cell phone — is often touted as the Next Big Lifestyle Thing with handsets, and one of its first entertainment uses outside the business realm is in gaming. More …

Player One exclusively signs Freddie Flintoff as Blast em’ Cricket goes mobile this summer

June 14th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Games | 1 Comment »

Player One Limited, leading global publisher of games and content for mobile phones, is delighted to announce it has secured the exclusive global wireless rights to publish Freddie Flintoff content for mobile.

Fully endorsed by the charismatic all rounder and cricketing hero, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, the license will see the Freddie Flintoff Blast ‘Em Cricket java game launched exclusively by Vodafone during this Summers’ first Test at Lords on the 21st July. The content will be compatible with most java enabled handsets and will become available across all networks from late Summer 2005. More …

Namco Europe Appoints New Mobile Development Engineer

June 14th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in People | No Comments »

The rapidly growing Web & Mobile Content division of Namco Europe, today announced the appointment of Gareth Evans to the new role of Mobile Development Engineer.

Gareth has in-depth knowledge of an experience in the mobile games sector. After completing his degree in 2003, Gareth established and ran his own game development studio, creating and releasing a number of games titles for the Windows Smartphone platform.

Gareth’s responsibilities at Namco’s Web & Mobile Content division encompass a wide range of quality control and post-production services. These include bug tracking and repair, conversion and porting of mobile games, and submission to and compliance with mobile network operators and portals. More …

Is mobile 3D finally on the move?

June 14th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Trends | No Comments »

3D World Magazine has an article in this edition (July 2005) on the future of 3D in Mobile Games. The article includes interviews with IGDA Mobile-SIG Chair Kurt Uhlir and Thor Gunnarsson from Ideaworks3D.

I saw the article in my print version that just showed up, but it is also show in full text on the IGDA site (with distribution rights for IGDA to show it online).

Thanks to John Tyler

Gamers turn cities into a battleground

June 10th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Location Based Gaming | No Comments »

Matt has been abandoned on Tower Bridge, London, with nothing except his clothes and a mobile phone. A woman dressed in black walks past, and Matt receives a text message to follow her. He doesn’t know who she is, or where she is going. All he knows is that he must follow her if he is to find Uncle Roy.

Matt is playing Uncle Roy All Around You, where for one day he is the main character in an elaborate experimental fantasy game played out across the streets of London. He also happens to be a pioneer of a new social phenomenon, urban gaming. If you thought the computer games of the 21st century are only ever played by couch potatoes addicted to the new generation of Xbox, Nintendo or PlayStation consoles, you’d be mistaken. For urban gamers are harnessing the power of global positioning systems (GPS), high-resolution screens and cameras and the latest mobile phones to play games across our towns and cities, where they become spies, vampire slayers, celebrities and even Pac-Man. More …

IGDA Creates Special Interest Group for Mobile Games

June 8th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Other news | 1 Comment »

The International Game Developers Association, recognizing the quickly growing sector of mobile games, has formed a new special interest group to deal with all issues in the mobile space. The group will provide a knowlege base for developers and will also strive to examine the challenges and opportunities presented by the mobile biz. More …

InfoSpace Partners with Amp’d Mobile to Deliver Suite of Popular Multiplayer Tournament For Prizes’

June 7th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in 1 | No Comments »

InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP), a leading provider of mobile entertainment, today announced it has joined with Amp’d Mobile to create a dedicated "Games for Prizes" channel on Amp’d wireless handsets. The agreement will give Amp’d Mobile customers access to InfoSpace’s leading "For Prizes Network" of popular tournament mobile games, including Hold’em Poker+ for Prizes(TM), Solitaire for Prizes(TM) and Prize-21 for Prizes(TM). More …

Telephia Report: Women Buy More Games on Their Mobile Phones; Women Prefer Bejeweled, Men Buy Buzztime

June 7th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Research & Stats | No Comments »

Newly released data from Telephia, the leading provider of performance information to the mobile communications industry, reveals that women buy more games for their mobile phones than men, and that certain games are much more popular among women. During the three months of February through April 2005, women bought 60% of mobile games compared to 40% for men.

Telephia Audience Metrics, a recently launched product from Telephia, measures monthly mobile content purchase activity from the phone bills of 30,000 panelists. Supplemental information is captured through surveys. Telephia Audience Metrics allows wireless carriers, mobile media companies, and mobile device manufacturers to deliver better and more targeted content to their customers’ mobile phones. More …

Peninsula is fast becoming Game Central

June 6th, 2005 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Trends | No Comments »

The city is a hub of the young but growing cell phone gaming business

THE MID-PENINSULA has long been ground zero for the video-game business, so it’s no shocker that the city of San Mateo is emerging as a hub for the fast-growing cell phone game industry.

But with seven phone-game companies in the same town only a few miles apart, industry leaders carefully watch what they say in public.

"It’s like Hollywood," said Andy Riedel, vice president of game production for InfoSpace, which bought Atlas Mobile last year to get into the phone-game business. More …

Disclaimer:

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