RE: Straw Poll....
"Dave Mariner" <[email protected]> Wed, 9 Apr 2003 00:22:47 +0100
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.games.mobile |
|---|---|
| Organization | Medlab Games |
| Message-ID | <000001c2fe25$c482d9b0$0500a8c0@tweedledum> |
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Me?
Well, I'm Chairman of Medlab Games Ltd. based in Cyprus. We're
concentrating on a PS1 project at the mo (yup - it *is* still alive!),
and also have a GBA project under development. I supposed I'm best
described as a geek in a suit - started on Commodore PET back in the
day, progressed up the CBM line until the Amiga died. Have done
PC/console stuff as well as the usual GBC/AGB stuff. Now I spend my time
juggling code and business - I love doing both so it doesn't leave me
much time for other things (life bit clear in DAVCON0).
We haven't really touched any phone stuff yet - the market went all
funny when we were first looking into it and it kinda scared me off;
since then other things cropped up to keep us away from it.
I suppose the quietness (?!?) of this list is testament to how tough
it is out there - I noticed the gbadev list went comparatively silent
once publishers started dropping the platform like a stone.
The main problem as I see it with the mobile market (if we're
talking phones here) is that carriers are unwilling/unable to finance
the development of the games up-front. It's still very much a new media
(without the capital letters) - technology is moving very rapidly and
the customer demographics shifts wildly with each new incarnation. Thus
there's a lot of uncertainty and therefore risk associated with pouring
money into a project. Who foots the bill? The developers of course,
hoping to make it back on a revenue share. If you then combine this with
the reluctance of the carriers to deal with the "little guy", and throw
into the mix that it's not really profitable to tout your product all
the way round the world to every carrier, you end up with the
aggregators.
So what's the solution?
Well the way I see it is that the aggregators DO have a valid raison
d'etre - it *is* unprofitable for the small developer to do the rounds,
and carriers aren't really interested in meetings to discuss just a
couple of products. What I believe we need is the mobile games
equivalent of the FairTrade organisation.
If anyone's willing to entertain the prospect, I've got a pretty
good idea of how it could work for the benefit of *all* concerned. If
you'd rather play your hands close to your chest for the time being then
mail me off-list, let me know and I'll keep it confidential, just
letting others know the numbers rather than the names.
Well, that was quite a diversion from the "me too" posting I'd
envisaged - so who's up for it then?
Dave.
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-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Nova [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 08 April 2003 21:28
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [m_game-dev] Straw Poll....
Sam Nova
CTO of Mobile Scope AG.
German based company (But I'm working from Switzerland).
We develop J2ME games for various phones (Nokia, Siemens, Motorola 720,
Sharp GX10...)
We have also developed a few i-Mode games for the European market.
We also help with distribution of games (as a publisher).
My background is programming on PC (assembler), PSX, GBC, GBA & J2ME
(did
the game api for Siemens BW phones).
Guess that's it..
What about yourself Dave ? :)
Cheers,
Sam
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave Mariner [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 10:15 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [m_game-dev] Straw Poll....
>
>
>
> Seeing as we're starting to get some actual conversation going
> here....can I ask you guys what your interest in the mobile market is?
I
> know there are a number of professional developers here, as well as
some
> people that work for distribution channels.
>
>
> Can we get a heads-up of who's here?
>
>
> Dave Mariner.
>
>
>
>
>
> I've stopped 285 spam messages. You can too!
> Get your free, safe spam protection at
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<DIV><SPAN class=405124422-08042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Me?
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=405124422-08042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2> Well, I'm Chairman of Medlab Games Ltd. based in
Cyprus. We're concentrating on a PS1 project at the mo (yup - it *is* still
alive!), and also have a GBA project under development. I supposed I'm best
described as a geek in a suit - started on Commodore PET back in the day,
progressed up the CBM line until the Amiga died. Have done PC/console stuff as
well as the usual GBC/AGB stuff. Now I spend my time juggling code and business
- I love doing both so it doesn't leave me much time for other things (life bit
clear in DAVCON0).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=405124422-08042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=405124422-08042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2> We haven't really touched any phone stuff yet - the
market went all funny when we were first looking into it and it kinda scared me
off; since then other things cropped up to keep us away from it.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=405124422-08042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=405124422-08042003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2> I suppose the quietness (?!?) of this list is
testament to how tough it is out there - I noticed the gbadev list went
comparatively silent once publishers started dropping the platform like a stone.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003> The main problem as I see it with
the mobile market (if we're talking phones here) is that carriers are
unwilling/unable to finance the development of the games up-front. It's still
very much a new media (without the capital letters) - technology is moving very
rapidly and the customer demographics shifts wildly with each new incarnation.
Thus there's a lot of uncertainty and therefore risk associated with pouring
money into a project. Who foots the bill? The developers of course, hoping to
make it back on a revenue share. If you then combine this with the reluctance of
the carriers to deal with the "little guy", and throw into the mix that it's not
really profitable to tout your product all the way round the world to every
carrier, you end up with the aggregators. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=405124422-08042003>So
what's the solution? </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=405124422-08042003>Well
the way I see it is that the aggregators DO have a valid raison d'etre - it *is*
unprofitable for the small developer to do the rounds, and carriers aren't
really interested in meetings to discuss just a couple of products. What I
believe we need is the mobile games equivalent of the FairTrade organisation.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003> If anyone's willing to entertain the
prospect, I've got a pretty good idea of how it could work for the benefit of
*all* concerned. If you'd rather play your hands close to your chest for the
time being then mail me off-list, let me know and I'll keep it confidential,
just letting others know the numbers rather than the names. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003> Well, that
was quite a diversion from the "me too" posting I'd envisaged - so who's up for
it then?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=405124422-08042003>
Dave. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<HR>
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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Sam Nova
[mailto:[email protected]] <BR><B>Sent:</B> 08 April 2003
21:28<BR><B>To:</B> [email protected]<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE:
[m_game-dev] Straw Poll....<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><TT>Sam Nova<BR>CTO of Mobile
Scope AG.<BR>German based company (But I'm working from
Switzerland).<BR><BR>We develop J2ME games for various phones (Nokia, Siemens,
Motorola 720,<BR>Sharp GX10...)<BR>We have also developed a few i-Mode games
for the European market.<BR>We also help with distribution of games (as a
publisher).<BR><BR>My background is programming on PC (assembler), PSX, GBC,
GBA & J2ME (did<BR>the game api for Siemens BW phones).<BR><BR>Guess
that's it..<BR><BR>What about yourself Dave ?
:)<BR><BR>Cheers,<BR><BR>Sam<BR><BR>> -----Original Message-----<BR>>
From: Dave Mariner [mailto:[email protected]]<BR>> Sent: Tuesday, April
08, 2003 10:15 PM<BR>> To: [email protected]<BR>> Subject:
[m_game-dev] Straw Poll....<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> Seeing as we're
starting to get some actual conversation going<BR>> here....can I ask you
guys what your interest in the mobile market is? I<BR>> know there are a
number of professional developers here, as well as some<BR>> people that
work for distribution channels.<BR>><BR>><BR>>
Can we get a heads-up of who's
here?<BR>><BR>><BR>>
Dave
Mariner.<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> I've stopped 285 spam
messages. You can too!<BR>> Get your free, safe spam protection at<BR>>
<A
href="http://www.cloudmark.com/spamnetsig/">http://www.cloudmark.com/spamnetsig/</A><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>>
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:<BR>>
[email protected]<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> Your
use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to <A
href="http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/">http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/</A><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR><BR></TT><BR><BR><TT>To
unsubscribe from this group, send an email
to:<BR>[email protected]<BR><BR></TT><BR><BR><TT>Your use
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