无线游戏的时刻到来！

苏公雨

转载自《Wireless Week》

Developments like the iPhone software development kit, Nokia’s revamped
N-Gage platform and Android are giving mobile game publishers reasons for optimism.

TheApple iPhone on AT&T’s network gets a lot of credit for gettingcustomers to use the mobile Web, listen to music, watch video and hookup on social networks. But what did it do for mobile gaming?
Thefirst iteration of the iPhone didn’t include mobile gamingcapabilities, so it’s pretty much a wash. Of course, that’s about tochange, with the June release of the iPhone 2.0 software. Companiessuch as Electronic Arts Mobile, Gameloft, Glu Mobile, Namco Networksand Sega Mobile already are planning their moves on the iPhone.
Gameloftsays it plans to develop more than 15 mobile games built on the iPhoneSDK. The company calls the iPhone a “revolutionary gaming device,”thanks in part to its 3.5-inch screen, the touch factor, a 3D processorand other cool features, including the accelerometer.
In the spanof two weeks, Sega developed a 3D Super Monkey Ball game for theiPhone, which it previewed at the Apple conference in March. The game,set for a June launch, uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to power a tiltcontrol feature. “We are excited about what the iPhone is doing forthis business,” including improved discovery and a better overallgaming experience, says Linda Chaplin, vice president of Sega Mobile.
TheiPhone isn’t the only encouraging sign for gamers ahead. The commercialrelease of Nokia’s renewed N-Gage platform on more devices and theGoogle-led Android initiative are cause for optimism as well. Eventhough it means developing for more platforms and doing somecost-benefit analysis, mobile game publishers are positive about theopportunities. “The handsets and technology are improving every day,”says Maria Pacheco, vice president of marketing at Vivendi Games Mobile.
BEYOND SMARTPHONES
AsM:Metrics discovered, smartphone owners are more avid users of mobilecontent than the owners of feature phones. In the United Kingdom, about17% of smartphone owners played downloaded games in a month during thefourth quarter of 2007 compared with just 9.8% of non-smartphoneowners, the researchers say.
While games might look and playbetter on smartphones, not everybody wants to shell out hundreds ofdollars for a handset. “For us, we want to make sure we target the massmarket, and that tends to be lower-end handsets,” Pacheco says.
Oneway to get players interested in mobile games – and coming back formore – is through episodic gaming. One of the most popular episodicgames from Vivendi Games Mobile is Surviving High School, a titleacquired through the 2006 purchase of Centerscore. More than 7 millionepisodes of the series were downloaded last year.
Drivingawareness was a campaign on MySpace, which attracted more than 10,000friends. Plus, the site helped Vivendi’s developers, who don’t alwaysknow who’s actually playing the games because carriers don’t like toshare a lot of information. But with the MySpace linkage, Vivendidevelopers were able to get feedback – one gamer suggested a story lineabout a girl trying out for the football team. “It’s great fordevelopers,” she says. “They love it. It helps them develop storylines.”
It’s almost a soap-opera approach to mobile gaming.There’s not a new story each day, as in a TV soap opera, but each week,new episodes are available. Glu Mobile is taking a similar approachwith Mystery Case Files: Agent X, which is episodic in that players getthe core game and play through various levels – 26 episodes in totalwill be available for download. The game, created by Big Fish GamesStudios, has players solve mysteries by finding hidden objects within avariety of scenes.
MOVIES STILL RULE
Episodic games aregood for encouraging repeat customers, but games tied to movie releasesare still popular for attracting both new and existing players. Earlierthis year, Vivendi released The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on thetheatrical release by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies. Thegame recreates the fantasy world of the Spiderwick film and book series.
Othermobile game publishers like movie tie-ins as well because they oftencoincide with big marketing events, draw a global audience and, if doneright, will continue their momentum after the first big splashsurrounding a movie’s release. Glu Mobile is preparing to release a newIce Age 2-related game that will not be centered around a new movierelease, indicating the appeal of the franchise, says Justin Kubiak,vice president of marketing at Glu. Also coming this summer from Gluwill be The Dark Knight, based on Warner Bros. Pictures upcoming filmabout Batman and The Joker.
Glu also is preparing a game for therelease of Warner Bros.’ family adventure film Speed Racer, which isproduced by the Wachowski brothers and opens in U.S. theaters on May 9.Both The Dark Knight and Speed Racer will be in the initial line-up ofgames to be launched on the N-Gage platform this year.
Outsidethe movie studios, Sega is counting on the Olympics to generate buzzaround some of its titles this year. Sega secured the official licensefrom International Sports Management, the exclusive licensee of theInternational Olympic Committee, to develop and publish Sonic at theOlympic Games and Beijing 2008 – The Official Mobile Game of theOlympic Games. Both games are scheduled for launch this summer. (Segawill be conducting demos of its games at both the Samsung and Qualcommbooths during CTIA Wireless 2008.)
Sega’s 2008 portfolio crossesa variety of genres, from casual sports and puzzle games to action andarcade. Crazy Taxi puts gamers in the driver’s seat as a “fearlesscabbie with serious attitude.” Sonic Spinball will feature Sonic theHedgehog whirling through the action.
Glu, which last monthannounced the acquisition of Superscape, wants to be known as awell-rounded publisher, distributing games that generally fall into oneof four categories: Hollywood, licensed content, casual titles andoriginal themes, Kubiak says. Glu averages between four to six releaseseach quarter, but it has to be careful not to flood the market. “Wespend a lot of time and energy on the timing,” he says. “We’re alwaysworking very closely with the carriers to make sure what we’rereleasing fits well within their time spot.” Sounds like they’re notplaying around.