Teenagers love their mobile phones. They also love games, which seems a match made in heaven for games on mobiles. A new survey suggests 64% of teenagers do in fact play games on their mobile phones. This seems most welcome news, but I think this may require a closer look.
MobileRated has long been a source for free mobile phone games. Today they announced they are extending their domain to include free mobile phone applications. Basically, software of any kind is now available for free download from MobileRated.
Statistically, few (some say 3%) people with mobile phones play mobile phone games regularly. Some, like Michel Guillemot, the head of mobile game publisher Gameloft, predict that mobile games are improving five times faster than standard video games and will soon rival console game quality. But view the comments in the same article and hard core gamers still laugh at mobile phone games - they just are not designed to appeal to those who demand the ultimate technology-driven rush received by console games. But Gameloft is making hundreds of millions selling mobile phone games. So, who really plays mobile phone games?
MobileRated published a news item showing the 25 most popular mobile phones used for downloading free cellular games. While some lament the uptake of cellular games, there is no denying that some people are playing mobile games - plenty of mobile games. Over 1 million downloads a month at MobileRated. It is interesting to see which phones are most popular with game players.
GetJar announced this claim based upon results from an on-line survey of their customers in the UK. Furthermore, they claim only 15% of users found that their downloaded games always worked. This damning report is a serious blow to the mobile games industry and points out the dark secret that porting games to 1000s of hand-sets has left gapping holes in testing and verifications processes.
A few years back Research in Motion (RIM) was in patent trouble and the future seemed dim. While dominant in the business market for PDA devices (particularly for mobile email), it was possible their entire business model was at risk. Once those troubles were behind them, RIM pushed into the smart phone consumer market with the Pearl mobile phone. Why oh why didn’t I buy their stock back then?
The ruling British Columbia liberal party is not known for being green. The idiomatic party is conservative-minded and tends to favor business interests. But, like any political party interested in re-election, it must present itself as embracing current political sentiment. Thus finance minister Carole Taylor presented her 2008 budget dressed head to toe in green and introduced B.C.’s first Carbon Tax. The right message at the right time, perhaps. But, as is usual in politics, all is not exactly what it seems.
Advertising is touted as a natural fit for the internet culture - nobody wishes to pay for anything but most people are willing to exchange viewing advertising for that privilege. The internet is not free, of course, in that there is cost for access, usually a fixed rate per month. On the mobile internet, this cost is often not fixed and can be outrageously expensive, with per kilobyte charges. While far from prohibitive, this cost is a factor when advertising is dynamically inserted. Over sufficient time, it is possible to spend more on network costs for the advertising than for outright purchase of the merchandise.
Nokia is the world leader in the manufacture of mobile phones. This coveted position in an industry that sold over 1 billion phones in 2007 makes Nokia the world leader in sales of cameras and digital music players as well - as add-ons to their phones. Is Nokia set to become the dominant platform for gamers as well?
My current phone is a SonyEricsson W810i. I have been very pleased with this phone. It has everything I can think of a mobile phone should have, and most features are quite well done. I heartily recommend this phone for general use.