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1. Wireless Gaming
3. Technology Today Mobile PhonesEurope: SMS, WAPUS: HDML, SMS (sort of)Japan: iMode
Small Screen sizeB&W bitmaps (at best)
No application managementStatic browser model
Non-Standard “Standards”
4. Technology Today PDASPalmWinCE devicesPsion
“Pull” Data model
High Price
Few with Wireless Connections As Yet
Color Still Rare
5. Technology Tomorrow J2ME HandsetsNo integration with WAP
Fuller WAP implementationWMLscript, WTA, etc.
Color, Larger Screens
Location-Based Services
6. Technology Tomorrow GameBoy AdvanceCable-Connectible to Cellphone (in Japan at least)Japanese don’t get online
Improved Wireless PDAsColorFaster ProcessorsBetter Wireless Data model
Special Purpose Devices Cybiko, Red Jade
7. Technology A Little Later 3G2Mb data transfer ratesStreaming video (irrelevant to games)Color, Large ScreensFully packetized voice & data
Bluetooth
PDAS: Pervasive computingQuite likely voice integration (Visorphone)Desktop integration
8. Technology a Little Later Handheld Console Convergence PlatformGameBoy Advance doesn’t do the trickVoice chatSubstantial persistent data storageBluetooth for “LAN” playTCP/IP stackDownloadable appsPossibly PDA-based[Red Jade?]
9. Strengths UbiquityPlay Any Time
PortabilityPlay Anywhere
NetworkedMultiplayer Rules
Voice CommunicationCommunity
10. Weaknesses Latency of 1 sec+Desktop in µmecs; Internet 200-400 msecs3G does NOT solve the problem
No Simultaneous Voice & DataPacketized data could solve problem, but carriers haven’t been interested.
Signal Coverage & BandwidthMore of a problem in North AmericaMust handle drops gracefully
11. Game Styles Skill & Action: Fuggedaboudit
Pacing:5 minute gamesTurn-BasedSlow UpdatePersistent World
StylesPrize-BasedSimple Social“Gamers’ Games”
12. Community Vital for Online Games
No integration of community features at present.
Features:Buddy ListsMicrocommunitiesVoice Call & SMS supportInvitations/BansFind-a-Friend (“Lovegetty”)
13. The Case for the Operators Games Drive Usage Like Nothing Else30-70 mins/visit (Lycos Gamesville, Uproar, Flipside)30-40 hrs/month (EverQuest, Gemstone)
Customer RetentionAnother ‘Switching Cost’Community Persistence
Gamers Lead Hardware CurveSpurring UpgradesMaking Wireless Data a Consumer Norm
People will PayThe only successful for-fee services on the Internet: Porn, Financial services, and Games
14. Competitive Landscape EuropeDigital Bridges/Wireless Games ($17m round) [Scotland]Riot-E (Nokia, Softbank) (Licensed-based) [Finland]In-Fusio (looking for 2nd round; BT, FT, Telefonica, T-Mobil) [France]Ludi WAP (Ff60m funding from Guillemot family) [France]PicoFun (soccer game; ties to Ericsson) [Sweden]SpringToys (Sonera et al.) [Finland]
Nokia Mobile Entertainment Service platform
15. Competitive Landscape North Americapogo.com (Nokia major investor)iWireless (iEntertainment spin-off)Unplugged GamesSega preloaded games for Motorola handsets
JapanCapcom, Bandai, Sony developing for J2ME iMode handsets
16. Business Models iMode Model:customers pay by the 256 byte block9% of revenue off the top to DoCoMoRemainder split with service provider
Airtime Shareproblematic as packetized data spreads
Turn-Key Licensing
“Cable-Tier” Model
Pay-Per-Play
Advertising & Sponsorship
17. Conclusions “Wireless carriers have solved the basic business problem Internet firms have never solved; extracting revenues from customers.” — The Economist
Yes, Virginia, you can do good games with a tiny little b&w screen.
Someone’s going to make a lot of money here.