Dot cant wait to try out the new TUBE.
iPhone killer on the way.
DOT reckons the end is nigh for iPhone unless Iphone 2 can compete with the new barrage of touch screen phones set to swamp the market in 2008.
Dot’s just heard that Nokia is developing a touchscreen-equipped handset to take on the Apple iPhone, and has shown off pictures of the upcoming phone to drooling onlookers.
The Finnish giant's handset is codenamed 'Tube'.
The Nokia handset will be entirely touch operated, will also support Java -- something which the iPhone doesn't yet officially support -- and will allow photos to be uploaded to the web.
Given the codename, it's fair to suggest Nokia sees it as a mobile video platform. And with the DVB-H mobile digital TV standard now starting to gain momentum, Tube will probably be a handheld TV too.
Nokia hasn't said when the Tube will be available, or how much it will cost.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
DOT’s view on MWC or 3GSM………
| Dot spots the hottest topics at this year's |
| |
| Mobile World Congress (or 3GSM) :) if you still think like most folks) is by far the must-be mobile tech show in the world, but you need the legs for it. Dot’s already ruined two pairs of expensive stilettos and vows to only bring good running shoes next year. They’re all there, the hardware hawkers, software slickers, content kings and the perennial telco tchies. Speaking of telcos: they were a bit subdued this year. Apart from Mobile TV (last year’s hype) there was no new buzz, no new technology message to rock Dot’s socks. Maybe, just maybe, they’ve realized that they’ve failed to come up with any new business models to generate that explosion in content consumption we all dreamt about last year. Apart from over charging for data and voice , only advertising seems to be their next hope. The device fragmentation issue has not gone away. Now we have platform and client fragmentation to add to the worry lines that were very obvious among the brave few content providers and publishers who ventured to spend the marketing budget on floor space in Hall 7. From what was on offer Dot’s concerned that device, platform and OS fragmentation is increasing more and more. As well as your 500+ current handset models to support, you now have Adobe with Flashlite/Cast, JavaFx, Android, Symbian, Yahoo Go, Windows Mobile to deal with. And that’s before we look at other handhelds !. So what will Mobile Web 2.0 mean for us ? :)
|
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Phone Features:A turn -on or a turn off?
These days having a mobile phone is as common as owning a pair of shoes. Everybody has one if not two. But if that these shoes get worn and become un-wearable for some reason or another (unfashionable! god forbid), what motivates the consumer when buying new ones?
When people set out to buy a phone they’re looking for a phone that directly suits their own personal needs.
These needs could be Cost, Technology (features), Style, Image (very importantJ) Size, Memory etc.
The other day I brought grandma Pixel out shopping for a mobile phone. She told me she wanted two things; firstly, that she could hear the phone ring and secondly that she could see the numbers on the screen.
These old people and their extravagant demands! That was it, no need for a camera, video, TV, games. Nada. Now here was a woman with simple tastes!
A loud ringtone and a big screen was all she wanted, you’d think that would be easy enough to find?
I was sorely mistaken. It was nearly impossible to find a phone in the shop without a camera, or Bluetooth or any other super duper feature that phones these days have embedded in them. She ended up settling for a Nokia 6101, with its big buttons and enlarged screen. (Mind you I personally think it was the bubblegum pink cover that sold her!)
But although Grandma Pixel is in her 80’s, is she typical of a trend?
According to a UK report by Continental Research a large majority (68%) of mobile users agreed with the statement that they would prefer a more basic mobile phone that was simple to use and affordable. It’s not just the UK either, in the US there is a large segment who just want free basic phones. According to a report from J.D. Power and Associates,(May 2007) Americans are keeping their phones an average of 17.5 months. That means that people are opting against the latest technology. Do people care about high tech? Well, not that many since over one-third of Americans opt for the cheap-o free phone.
So why is economy and simplicity reining over innovation and technology?
The novelty of having a mobile phone has worn off. Mobile phones are no longer luxury items, they are necessities. To gain street cred it used to be crucial to have a top of the line handset with the latest gizmo on it. Nokia kicked this off with its changeable covers and snake. Then came the camera phone, another must have. Nowadays we are confronted by a wealth of handsets boasting so many different features that unless the consumer is techno learned he/she will end up feeling totally overwhelmed. And that’s before you ever read the user manual.
Continental Research’s report showed that only a quarter of mobile owners would pay more for the latest in mobile technology. A similar number are prepared to pay more for a phone that looks stylish.
So what is the other 75% basing their choice of a new mobile phone on?
Personally I prefer a phone with a decent camera and a nice keypad to make it easy to play games on .But what do others want from their phones?
Back to Continental Research again and they report that the most common use of phones is sending SMS text messages. In second place is downloading ringtones. For these requirements you don’t exactly need a high spec phone!
Mobile phones are becoming disposable luxuries. Their shelf life lasting about 1 to 2 years at most before it’s stolen/it falls down the toilet/screen breaks/ it becomes too embarrassing to use in company or it gets that one last fatal drop that puts the final nail in the mobile phone’s coffin for ever.
Grandma Pixel’s certainly not going to spend her precious pension money on frivolous features whose longevity may not match her own.
When people set out to buy a phone they’re looking for a phone that directly suits their own personal needs.
These needs could be Cost, Technology (features), Style, Image (very importantJ) Size, Memory etc.
The other day I brought grandma Pixel out shopping for a mobile phone. She told me she wanted two things; firstly, that she could hear the phone ring and secondly that she could see the numbers on the screen.
These old people and their extravagant demands! That was it, no need for a camera, video, TV, games. Nada. Now here was a woman with simple tastes!
A loud ringtone and a big screen was all she wanted, you’d think that would be easy enough to find?
I was sorely mistaken. It was nearly impossible to find a phone in the shop without a camera, or Bluetooth or any other super duper feature that phones these days have embedded in them. She ended up settling for a Nokia 6101, with its big buttons and enlarged screen. (Mind you I personally think it was the bubblegum pink cover that sold her!)
But although Grandma Pixel is in her 80’s, is she typical of a trend?
According to a UK report by Continental Research a large majority (68%) of mobile users agreed with the statement that they would prefer a more basic mobile phone that was simple to use and affordable. It’s not just the UK either, in the US there is a large segment who just want free basic phones. According to a report from J.D. Power and Associates,(May 2007) Americans are keeping their phones an average of 17.5 months. That means that people are opting against the latest technology. Do people care about high tech? Well, not that many since over one-third of Americans opt for the cheap-o free phone.
So why is economy and simplicity reining over innovation and technology?
The novelty of having a mobile phone has worn off. Mobile phones are no longer luxury items, they are necessities. To gain street cred it used to be crucial to have a top of the line handset with the latest gizmo on it. Nokia kicked this off with its changeable covers and snake. Then came the camera phone, another must have. Nowadays we are confronted by a wealth of handsets boasting so many different features that unless the consumer is techno learned he/she will end up feeling totally overwhelmed. And that’s before you ever read the user manual.
Continental Research’s report showed that only a quarter of mobile owners would pay more for the latest in mobile technology. A similar number are prepared to pay more for a phone that looks stylish.
So what is the other 75% basing their choice of a new mobile phone on?
Personally I prefer a phone with a decent camera and a nice keypad to make it easy to play games on .But what do others want from their phones?
Back to Continental Research again and they report that the most common use of phones is sending SMS text messages. In second place is downloading ringtones. For these requirements you don’t exactly need a high spec phone!
Mobile phones are becoming disposable luxuries. Their shelf life lasting about 1 to 2 years at most before it’s stolen/it falls down the toilet/screen breaks/ it becomes too embarrassing to use in company or it gets that one last fatal drop that puts the final nail in the mobile phone’s coffin for ever.
Grandma Pixel’s certainly not going to spend her precious pension money on frivolous features whose longevity may not match her own.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Surfs Up!....naaah not just yet!
I eventually succumbed to it. The data charges (WAP, GPRS) scared me away at first but once the apprehension had faded slightly I decided to take a leap of faith and try what I would normally do on my laptop on my phone.
I started with browsing my favourite sites. Facebook,eBay, Newgrounds, MySpace ….Surfing the Internet from a mobile phone always seemed to me to be a peculiar user experience. Screens are too small to capture the amount of data normally included (y’know the important things such as group photo’s I may be tagged in on facebook!).Speeds are slow compared to broadband and a lack of unique content for mobile has often resulted in really ugly WAP pages (those rendered for PC screens just don’t sit well on small screens) .No pictures, just text. Now what’s the point in that!? The overall feel I got from this experience is simply that Web surfing should be left to big boys aka the big screen computers. Sounds like the prehistoric days of web pages…..remember those early pages that are now worse than the output from beginner level students on web authoring classes! Time and technology moves on and so does our tolerance of what is interesting and useful.
When people think of the internet now they think, high speed, broadband, information appearing before our eyes within millisecond’s of a simple ‘click’.
They don’t think loading-loading–loading………. for around a minute until some pathetic excuse for a web page appears on their screens.
Today, what people see on PC full screen browsers and what appears on people’s tiny mobile screens are poles apart. The user expectations, motivations and circumstances are entirely different. So should be the end product.
You see, people who browse on-the-move have different uses, needs and preferences for accessing the net on their mobiles. Tailor-made content for your mobile is the key to driving these users to addictively use the Internet on their mobiles as much as they do on their computers. Not too much, just snappy bits of useful relevant data that we need on the go and more importantly delivered to the user immediately .Snappy answers, quick guides rendered in small graphics. No elaborate designs needed just clarity and speed.
The heavens have already answered this call in the States where mobile network Helio is already selling phones with pre-loaded MySpace features. MySpace have treated the consumer to tailor made applications to view friend’s profiles, and apparently MySpace hope to, by the end of 2007 have all handsets preinstalled with the MySpace application. Now that’s what I’m talking bout’.
Reports show that an average 29 percent of European Internet users access the Web on mobile devices. This includes users in Germany (34 percent); Italy (34 percent); France (28 percent); Spain (26 percent); and the U.K. (24 percent). In the U.S., 19 percent of Internet users access the Internet on cell phones and other mobile devices. Across all six countries, mobile Web users are predominantly male (55 percent). comScore Networks, 2006.These stats prove that yes , there is indeed a mobile market out there for use of the Internet ,but they also prove that there’s also plenty of room for this market to grow provided it is given the means to!Lack of high bandwidth 3G network is the convenient excuse to why mobile Internet usage hasn't picked up yet, but it is the user experience, the content and applications that haven't convinced users of their mobile value. There are tremendous opportunities for relevant applications initiated over Internet mobile networks, but these should be defined clearly to the mobile user and rendered appropriately. Simply taking Internet applications and trying to run them on mobile phones does not work and that’s the situation today.
I mean what’s the point in having bebo on my mobile if I can’t l can’t browse through friends of friends photo albums, see peoples flash box’s ,or check out my celebrity look-a-likes!?
Let’s get relevant mobile browsing based applications in front of the user. Google maps, quick answers, searches, location based info, driving directions, ticket purchases and most importantly social networking sites are what the busy mobile user wants.
These days’ people are expecting more and more from their mobile phone. Their time is spent increasingly in transit and their mobile phone is supposed to be their trusty companion to see them through these time, it wouldn’t want to be letting them down!
I started with browsing my favourite sites. Facebook,eBay, Newgrounds, MySpace ….Surfing the Internet from a mobile phone always seemed to me to be a peculiar user experience. Screens are too small to capture the amount of data normally included (y’know the important things such as group photo’s I may be tagged in on facebook!).Speeds are slow compared to broadband and a lack of unique content for mobile has often resulted in really ugly WAP pages (those rendered for PC screens just don’t sit well on small screens) .No pictures, just text. Now what’s the point in that!? The overall feel I got from this experience is simply that Web surfing should be left to big boys aka the big screen computers. Sounds like the prehistoric days of web pages…..remember those early pages that are now worse than the output from beginner level students on web authoring classes! Time and technology moves on and so does our tolerance of what is interesting and useful.
When people think of the internet now they think, high speed, broadband, information appearing before our eyes within millisecond’s of a simple ‘click’.
They don’t think loading-loading–loading………. for around a minute until some pathetic excuse for a web page appears on their screens.
Today, what people see on PC full screen browsers and what appears on people’s tiny mobile screens are poles apart. The user expectations, motivations and circumstances are entirely different. So should be the end product.
You see, people who browse on-the-move have different uses, needs and preferences for accessing the net on their mobiles. Tailor-made content for your mobile is the key to driving these users to addictively use the Internet on their mobiles as much as they do on their computers. Not too much, just snappy bits of useful relevant data that we need on the go and more importantly delivered to the user immediately .Snappy answers, quick guides rendered in small graphics. No elaborate designs needed just clarity and speed.
The heavens have already answered this call in the States where mobile network Helio is already selling phones with pre-loaded MySpace features. MySpace have treated the consumer to tailor made applications to view friend’s profiles, and apparently MySpace hope to, by the end of 2007 have all handsets preinstalled with the MySpace application. Now that’s what I’m talking bout’.
Reports show that an average 29 percent of European Internet users access the Web on mobile devices. This includes users in Germany (34 percent); Italy (34 percent); France (28 percent); Spain (26 percent); and the U.K. (24 percent). In the U.S., 19 percent of Internet users access the Internet on cell phones and other mobile devices. Across all six countries, mobile Web users are predominantly male (55 percent). comScore Networks, 2006.These stats prove that yes , there is indeed a mobile market out there for use of the Internet ,but they also prove that there’s also plenty of room for this market to grow provided it is given the means to!Lack of high bandwidth 3G network is the convenient excuse to why mobile Internet usage hasn't picked up yet, but it is the user experience, the content and applications that haven't convinced users of their mobile value. There are tremendous opportunities for relevant applications initiated over Internet mobile networks, but these should be defined clearly to the mobile user and rendered appropriately. Simply taking Internet applications and trying to run them on mobile phones does not work and that’s the situation today.
I mean what’s the point in having bebo on my mobile if I can’t l can’t browse through friends of friends photo albums, see peoples flash box’s ,or check out my celebrity look-a-likes!?
Let’s get relevant mobile browsing based applications in front of the user. Google maps, quick answers, searches, location based info, driving directions, ticket purchases and most importantly social networking sites are what the busy mobile user wants.
These days’ people are expecting more and more from their mobile phone. Their time is spent increasingly in transit and their mobile phone is supposed to be their trusty companion to see them through these time, it wouldn’t want to be letting them down!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Casual game on!
What is it about things in their simplest form that makes them so appealing?
We live in such complicated societies where everyday people are looking to cut steps out, rationalise and simplify. The same could be applied to mobile gaming.
The concept of ‘casual gaming’ is a relatively new one to all spheres of the mobile gaming world and is growing in popularity; all anyone has to do is take a look at other mediums of gaming to see this. Take online gaming, sites such as Newgrounds, Pop Cap, and addicting games .com have cropped up and get hundreds of thousands of hits each day, organisations such as MSN and Real Networks have launched successful casual game download sites for PC user. Also Nintendo has hit this demand head on with casual gaming on the Nintendo DS with the ever popular Brain Trainer and even developed a whole console based on casual games, one of Dot’s favourites, the addictive Wii.
So why has this new genre of games proved so successful?
I put it down to two factors. Firstly, cost. Gamers, hardcore or not resent having to fork out at least 50 to 60 euro for a top of the line console game .This requires commitment, and lots of mullah.
Casual games are cheap and plentiful, a gamer can purchase one, give it a play if it’s a good game great, if its not how bad, just get another one. Nothing ventured nothing gained! As Rob Fahey put it “Sometimes, a snack between meals is what’s desired, not a four course dinner,” well said Rob.
And although this snack’s graphics and levels may not be as sophisticated as its console counterparts its gaming experience rests on its simplicity, with minimal control keys and limited levels. And it is in this simplicity that lies its second key to success.
Because of this simpler playability it appeals a wider audience in particular to the older generation who were not given mobile phones at the age of seven to purchase frog ringtones and buy pretty wallpapers. It also appeals to the non-gamer consumer, Tony Pearce CEO with Player X a major distributor of mobile games and content says “It isn’t the big style action-packed format anymore. The average consumer isn’t a gamer.” These games are simple, approachable to the technologically illiterate user and because operators are making it easier and easier to download them, booming. People want to play games they recognise and already know the rules how to play. Crosswords, puzzles, card games etc. are no longer in the form of magazines, books and papers carried around in bags and briefcases, they are now saved onto mobile phones and whipped out of the pocket whenever a free moment arises. I mean before Dot got her mobile Sudoku you should have seen my Sudoku book, full of cross outs to the point where you could barely read the numbers!
One recently new type of mobile gaming technology that caters for this surge in popularity is Flash lite. It allows Flash game developers to transfer their expertise into the mobile version that is Flash lite. And with 33 million flash enabled handsets worldwide, flash lite games are bound to take off hand in hand with casual gaming.
It is clear that there is a huge market for casual flash games on the net. The joy of these games is that they will transfer well onto other mediums and I reckon it’s only a matter of time before these flash games are brought to our mobile phones. Selatra has already began to do this with games such as Reversi (otherwise known as puzzle classic Othello) and Invaders.
People will look towards these games seeking diversion, socialization and competition and will get in return an immediately rewarding experience!
We live in such complicated societies where everyday people are looking to cut steps out, rationalise and simplify. The same could be applied to mobile gaming.
The concept of ‘casual gaming’ is a relatively new one to all spheres of the mobile gaming world and is growing in popularity; all anyone has to do is take a look at other mediums of gaming to see this. Take online gaming, sites such as Newgrounds, Pop Cap, and addicting games .com have cropped up and get hundreds of thousands of hits each day, organisations such as MSN and Real Networks have launched successful casual game download sites for PC user. Also Nintendo has hit this demand head on with casual gaming on the Nintendo DS with the ever popular Brain Trainer and even developed a whole console based on casual games, one of Dot’s favourites, the addictive Wii.
So why has this new genre of games proved so successful?
I put it down to two factors. Firstly, cost. Gamers, hardcore or not resent having to fork out at least 50 to 60 euro for a top of the line console game .This requires commitment, and lots of mullah.
Casual games are cheap and plentiful, a gamer can purchase one, give it a play if it’s a good game great, if its not how bad, just get another one. Nothing ventured nothing gained! As Rob Fahey put it “Sometimes, a snack between meals is what’s desired, not a four course dinner,” well said Rob.
And although this snack’s graphics and levels may not be as sophisticated as its console counterparts its gaming experience rests on its simplicity, with minimal control keys and limited levels. And it is in this simplicity that lies its second key to success.
Because of this simpler playability it appeals a wider audience in particular to the older generation who were not given mobile phones at the age of seven to purchase frog ringtones and buy pretty wallpapers. It also appeals to the non-gamer consumer, Tony Pearce CEO with Player X a major distributor of mobile games and content says “It isn’t the big style action-packed format anymore. The average consumer isn’t a gamer.” These games are simple, approachable to the technologically illiterate user and because operators are making it easier and easier to download them, booming. People want to play games they recognise and already know the rules how to play. Crosswords, puzzles, card games etc. are no longer in the form of magazines, books and papers carried around in bags and briefcases, they are now saved onto mobile phones and whipped out of the pocket whenever a free moment arises. I mean before Dot got her mobile Sudoku you should have seen my Sudoku book, full of cross outs to the point where you could barely read the numbers!
One recently new type of mobile gaming technology that caters for this surge in popularity is Flash lite. It allows Flash game developers to transfer their expertise into the mobile version that is Flash lite. And with 33 million flash enabled handsets worldwide, flash lite games are bound to take off hand in hand with casual gaming.
It is clear that there is a huge market for casual flash games on the net. The joy of these games is that they will transfer well onto other mediums and I reckon it’s only a matter of time before these flash games are brought to our mobile phones. Selatra has already began to do this with games such as Reversi (otherwise known as puzzle classic Othello) and Invaders.
People will look towards these games seeking diversion, socialization and competition and will get in return an immediately rewarding experience!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Slim and Trim from the Sim:Yo!ga
It’s summertime, although who would have guessed given the torrential rain and what not. People are starting to go on health kicks slimming down to that perfect bikini body, so they don’t look like an oversized beached whale when they strip down on that much needed trip to the sun.
I decided it’s about time Dot did a bit of Health kicking herself, I started roaming through the various sports and activities one could take up easily. I looked at team sports, but was pretty unenthused by the idea that other people would be depending on my fitness to win a game. I then started looking towards ‘flying solo’ fitness. There was walking , gyming, cycling and many more “ings” which all sounded highly taxing and involving a LOT of energy .
Then someone mentioned Yoga to me. They spoke of its soothing and de-stressing qualities, and I was sold.
Now Dot’s a busy gal, to find a few free hours a week to attend a class of complete strangers is notably difficult if not impossible.
Therefore, I started investigating other ways I could take up this new health kick.
There was dvd’s, internet sites, but I wanted to be able to access yoga instructions whenever I wanted in case another e-commerce stressful scenario arose.
My trusty mobile phone saved the day. I found three mobile applications to do this very thing .Whenever I get a few free minutes spare I just roll out my yoga mat ,scroll through my phone, follow the easy steps and within minutes feel completely relaxed and rejeuvenated.
These applications did not only show me the moves but had comprehensive backround information about the names of them and varying levels like beginner , intermediate and so forth.
Take for example the Natrajasana move
“Nataraja represents the dancing form of Lord Shiya , the Supreme Consciousness,who blissfully dances the entire universe into existance’’
Enchanting isn’t it?
With this kind of aid and enthusiasm Dot shall be Slim and Trim in no time!
I decided it’s about time Dot did a bit of Health kicking herself, I started roaming through the various sports and activities one could take up easily. I looked at team sports, but was pretty unenthused by the idea that other people would be depending on my fitness to win a game. I then started looking towards ‘flying solo’ fitness. There was walking , gyming, cycling and many more “ings” which all sounded highly taxing and involving a LOT of energy .
Then someone mentioned Yoga to me. They spoke of its soothing and de-stressing qualities, and I was sold.
Now Dot’s a busy gal, to find a few free hours a week to attend a class of complete strangers is notably difficult if not impossible.
Therefore, I started investigating other ways I could take up this new health kick.
There was dvd’s, internet sites, but I wanted to be able to access yoga instructions whenever I wanted in case another e-commerce stressful scenario arose.
My trusty mobile phone saved the day. I found three mobile applications to do this very thing .Whenever I get a few free minutes spare I just roll out my yoga mat ,scroll through my phone, follow the easy steps and within minutes feel completely relaxed and rejeuvenated.
These applications did not only show me the moves but had comprehensive backround information about the names of them and varying levels like beginner , intermediate and so forth.
Take for example the Natrajasana move
“Nataraja represents the dancing form of Lord Shiya , the Supreme Consciousness,who blissfully dances the entire universe into existance’’
Enchanting isn’t it?
With this kind of aid and enthusiasm Dot shall be Slim and Trim in no time!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
E3 :mobile games a no show !
Notice anything missing from the E3 games show this year? Okay, maybe not entirely missing ,although an easy mistake given the fact that all there was present was a miniscule mobile games sector to highlight what has become, the biggest growth area in games.
Si que pasa hombre? Santa Monica sin juegas?
There may be a few explanations for this strange case of the missing mobile.
Firstly , last year wasn't exactly a great showcase. With only Namco and Gameloft attempting to compete in the same halls and at the same level as the big boys. Everyone else was banished to the low budget basement hall ( a brisk walk away along the long hot corridors). So no wonder mobile companies deserted E3 this year as the organisers did not provide value for money last year. €200k spent on a good marketing effort generates far better yields from carriers that E3 second rate displays.
Secondly , based on the experience of last year the mobile games industry realised it doesn't have the same need to make such a public appearance as console firms do.
After all, a demo can be done anywhere on a small phone.
Then perhaps mobile games don't suit big tradeshows. Separate PR launches may work best with careful attention to invitation lists and venues.
Or maybe the mainstream console industry still thinks mobile games are not worthy - too limited and too basic to be worth any attention.
If this is the case and the big boys do not spend marketing dollars promoting their mobile cousins they are missing a key segment of the market. The novice gamer. It is much easier to get a newbie to play and try a mobile game on their phone for a small cost rather than go to the effort and cost of acquiring a console and expensive game. If they dip their toes into a new mobile title and like it. They may well progress to the console version with the promise of better things.
The world is full of 'would be' gamers waiting to be inducted into the pleasures of gaming.
Separate events are the way to go as mobile companies will never have the cash to compete for eyeballs at such big budget dominated events. Mobile is a separate space, a slightly different demographic and a different experience so let's promote it differently also.
Si que pasa hombre? Santa Monica sin juegas?
There may be a few explanations for this strange case of the missing mobile.
Firstly , last year wasn't exactly a great showcase. With only Namco and Gameloft attempting to compete in the same halls and at the same level as the big boys. Everyone else was banished to the low budget basement hall ( a brisk walk away along the long hot corridors). So no wonder mobile companies deserted E3 this year as the organisers did not provide value for money last year. €200k spent on a good marketing effort generates far better yields from carriers that E3 second rate displays.
Secondly , based on the experience of last year the mobile games industry realised it doesn't have the same need to make such a public appearance as console firms do.
After all, a demo can be done anywhere on a small phone.
Then perhaps mobile games don't suit big tradeshows. Separate PR launches may work best with careful attention to invitation lists and venues.
Or maybe the mainstream console industry still thinks mobile games are not worthy - too limited and too basic to be worth any attention.
If this is the case and the big boys do not spend marketing dollars promoting their mobile cousins they are missing a key segment of the market. The novice gamer. It is much easier to get a newbie to play and try a mobile game on their phone for a small cost rather than go to the effort and cost of acquiring a console and expensive game. If they dip their toes into a new mobile title and like it. They may well progress to the console version with the promise of better things.
The world is full of 'would be' gamers waiting to be inducted into the pleasures of gaming.
Separate events are the way to go as mobile companies will never have the cash to compete for eyeballs at such big budget dominated events. Mobile is a separate space, a slightly different demographic and a different experience so let's promote it differently also.
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