May 22, 2006
For Tiny Screens, Some Big Dreams
A good write-up in The New York Times of Digital Chocolate a mobile phone gaming company, who's business premise - going against the trend of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to adap current brands in television, movies... - is that social interaction can be much more lucrative than costly, classic content.
"Digital Chocolate's creations appear decidedly low-tech, the easiest-to-use games possible without fancy graphics or elaborate storytelling. And its newest games and entertainments are designed to foster conversation and flirting
For instance, Digital Chocolate's summer release, The Hook-Up: Ava Flirting, allows players to create an avatar, an image representing the user in a virtual reality, and interact with others' avatars, in a PG-13 setting.
People willing to spend $2.99 a month can decide everything from their avatar's hair color to shoe choice and then socialize in settings ranging from a hip nightclub to a library. Then they can compare notes with friends about their adventures.
There is also the potential, if the two avatars hit it off and are willing, to exchange text messages and perhaps meet in real life.
Relevant Stats on the mobile gaming business
"The Yankee Group estimates that pure mobile entertainment — games, music and video — accounted for about $500 million last year, less than 5 percent the wireless carriers' data revenue". (The New York Times)
Mobile Gaming Blog of Note
Jordy Mont-Reynaud who works for Digital Chocolate has just opened a blog well worth looking up, MoJordy, covering mobile games, web/mobile social networks, SMS/WAP services, mobile advertising, and whatever else hecan think of that’s related to the consumer mobile space.
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