Hey all, I''ve been reading and thinking about getting into mobile gaming very soon because I really think like many others that it''s going to be huge in a couple years It will be a great time for small-time developers to get into the market since games will be simplistic at first and won''t cost so much to produce. Could anybody lead me in the direction of information on when the US is getting phones strong enough to do this or do we already? (I know nothing about mobile phones, I''ll just say that right now.) Also if anybody know of any programming resources for Mobile phones i''d appreciate that greatly. Thanks for any help you can provide. - Dustin Hubbard

So many "predictions" about mobile gaming seem to focus on the sheer volume of mobile devices that are currently in use. Completely forgetting that the people who own mobile devices *already* use them for entertainment: They talk to each other on them.

Is there a market for games based on cell phones and other mobile devices? Sure. At the very least, it would seem that if someone can think it up, someone else will play it. And some of them might even pay for it.

After all, 1-900 "entertainment" numbers make money. And maybe that''s the "entertainment model" that the Prophets of Mobile Gaming should be focusing on, instead of trying to be "EverQuest on a Phone".

You can''t create a need that isn''t there. And I''ve never seen anyone look longingly at their cell phone, wishing they had something to do with it besides call their friends and business associates.


DavidRM
Samu Games

I''m not one to say that mobile games will be big at any time, but the extra plus of being able to play a game on a cellphone will give the users an extra thing to do, even if they "don''t know" they want it right now.

All that can be done is to try it.

Multi-user quiz shows might be cool... hmm...

To find out more information about where mobile gaming is heading use the following buzzwords to look for articles and tutorials with a search engine like google:
J2ME
MIDP
MIDlet

Java (J2ME) phones probably wont start turning heads until the second half of this year. In the US I think you can already get the Motorola i85s.

Dev kits, forums, phone information, etc. are available from Sun, Nokia, Motorola, Siemens, Borland, etc.

Even the fairly basic Nokia phones already have simple games on them - have for years (snake etc.) and there are always someone playing them on the train as they go to work each morning.

Here in Australia, I remember one of the phone companies last year did a simple version of who wants to be a millionaire - not sure how it worked exactly, but involved SMS''ing answers etc. I think... might give you some ideas...

Yes, that is all understandable but how is mobile gaming profitable for the developer.Do phone companies pay for each license of the game or they buy it from you for like $50,000-$100,000.


Veldin Vrabac
Distinct Creations

$50 - $100K ! Wouldn''t that be nice...

There is a company offering $1K for mobile games. Check the recent news for "Overload." (?) And that''s for completed games that they''ve given the OK for! Good luck making a living off of that...

The "problem" with mobile gaming is how to make money. Currently the only oneswith a billing relationship with the end-users are the carriers. And the carriers would like the industry to stay that way otherwise the will make less money (and therefore they''re not that keen on allowing other solutions, after all, they''ve got quite some power because the games must be distributed somehow).

Therefore, that fact of todays mobile industry, is that you have to hook up to a carrier (billing system integration, conforming to carrier style-guides, etc) to be able to distribute or make money.

Due to the hassle of integrating to a carrier (even just getting to talk to the right persons at a carrier is hard) there are a number of "distributor/publisher" companies in the mobile gaming industry with already established distribution channels that could be a viable solution for mobile game developers.

Check out companies like:
Picofun (Europe)
Digital Bridges (Europe)
Jamdat (US)

Check out the chapter Wireless Game Design in the upcoming Charles River Media book Game Design Perspective, it is an introduction to the wireless game industry covering both technologies, game design and business models.

shareware is another distribution option for Java mobile games. You would need a WAP website for the user to download the trial game, and some payment/registration/unlock code facility using either WAP, premium rate telephone numbers etc.