[IGDA Mobile-SIG List] Future of mobile games

[DrDon]

I think part (but not all by any means) of it is that the evolution of
phone game design is not progressing as fast as the evolution of
hardware capabilities. This being due to the incredibly rapid rate at
which hardware capabilities increase. In the past, game hardwares have
been relatively stable and largely driven by capabilities developers
wanted. With phones, it's the other way around. Definitely a unique
problem.

Licensing (with the possible exception of sports games) have always been
a "iffy" prospect where you have to weigh the cost of the license with
the cost of development, and hopefully some mitigation of risk when
compared against original ip. Some have succeeded, many have failed
regardless of platform. You still have to have a decent game.
Presumably, the cost of a license will be offset by the increased sales
right? Easier said than done! Especially on phones where the value of a
movie or TV license isn't the same as on other game platforms.

dd

Jorge Gonzalez Sanchez wrote:

> Yeah, as DrDon said, mobile industry, as chaotic as it is (no more

> than the PC), has yet to find its Command n Conquers, its WoWs or

> whatever, a game which represents the mobile industrys finest.

>

> Licensed games dont always sell that well. I remember reading

> something on Gamasutra a while ago saying the LOTR mobile game(s?)

> bombed in the face of simpler, classinc titles like Tetris or

> Parcheese. Licenses are good. Taking inspiration from classics also

> is, but mobile games are a kind of it own (mainly because of the

> horrible, inconsistent human interfaces), and should be treated as such.

>

> A couple of years ago nobody gave a dime for Touch-screen games, and

> now the DS prints money. GPS, SMS, the microphone and the Camera are

> great interfaces which offer great possibilities, but are still pretty

> much unexplored.

>

>

>

> On 3/7/07, *DrDon* <don at sonaural.com <mailto:don at sonaural.com>> wrote:

>

>     IMHO - the killer-app game for mobile has yet to be made (as many

>     point out).

>

>     dd

>

>     � wrote:

>>     Hi all,

>>

>>     I saw last year's TOP 50 games (according ELSPA) and the speech of Trip 

>>     Hawkins in GDC, and I went to sleep with a question biting my head last 

>>     night: Is there a future for original mobile games?

>>

>>

>>     As we can see, most of downloaded games are adaptations from Console/PC 

>>     games or those using TV show brands. As Hawkins said, only 5% of mobile 

>>     customer download a game and, coincidentally, 5% of mobile customers are 

>>

>>     console/PC gamers (or ex-gamers). Maybe that would explain why the most 

>>     downloaded games are remakes of console/PC ones.

>>

>>     We know that it is too expensive to keep getting brands to create a new 

>>     game. Only big companies, like EA, Ubisoft and others, that already got 

>>

>>     their own big brands, do not have big costs to worry with.

>>

>>     So, I would like to listen to some opinions about this.

>>

>>     PS: The article can be found at:

>>

>>     http://www.mobileindustry.biz/article.php?article_id=2327

>>

>>     PS2: The ELSPA article can be found at: 

>>     http://mobilegames.blogs.com/mobile_games_blog/2007/01/elspas_2006_lis.html

>>      <http://mobilegames.blogs.com/mobile_games_blog/2007/01/elspas_2006_lis.html>

>>

>>     Thanks and best regards,

>>

>>       

>

>

>     -- 

>

>     *Don Diekneite*

>

>     *Sonaural Audio Studios*

>

>     (408)799-6123

>

>     Hear us online: www.Sonaural.com <http://www.sonaural.com/>

>

>

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>

>

>

> -- 

> Jorge Gonzalez Sanchez

> Blue River S.A.

>

> TEL. +54 (11) 4777-9431

> MOV. +54 (911) 6167-5412

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-- 

*Don Diekneite*

*Sonaural Audio Studios*

(408)799-6123

Hear us online: www.Sonaural.com <http://www.sonaural.com/>

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