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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

Selatra signs Tropix, Island Paradise of Gaming fun

The award winning game will be distributed through Selatra's channels in the second quarter of 2007 following a deal with Airborne Entertainment Inc, the leading provider and publisher of premier mobile entertainment content and applications.
A big PC hit created by Robot Super Brain, Tropix is a unique combination of four different games, all set within a sunny island paradise. Players collect 'sand dollars' enabling them to travel to new islands, buy toys and food for their Tamagotchi-styled monkey and discover even more games to play.
"Easy to play and highly addictive, Tropix blends many classic game play ideas into one title," Cronin said. "Tropix is undoubtedly a fantastic deal for our casual gamers - one download delivers four games with state of the art graphics, which are quick and easy to learn and can be played in short bites or in long sessions." "We have relationships with every major wireless carrier in North America, so when we were looking for a global distributor of mobile entertainment content to help Tropix reach the widest possible audience, it had to be Selatra," said Airborne President Andy Nulman.
Puzzle fans will relish the challenge of 'Sandoku', the familiar Sudoku game, while shoot-'em-up fans will head for Puffer Popper action. Jungle Jump, is an adventure through the Tropix rainforest, but don't forget to look after your pet monkey or he will misbehave!
"Tropix has been developed to the highest standard by Creative North, a world class developer of games for the mobile phone," Sean Cronin continued. "Whether you're a fan of puzzles, adventures or word games, Tropix offers 'an island of fun' for everyone."
Phil Mundy of Creative North added: "We are very excited by the launch of Tropix across the US and the rest of the world territories. Tropix offers great playability and superb value with truly global appeal. We also look forward to forthcoming projects with Selatra and anticipate an excellent future relationship."

Selatra shines the light on Flash Lite

Company adds three new games to Flashlite catalogue

March 13, 2007: Selatra, the global distributor of mobile Java games, announced today the availability of the three exclusive new games from its Flashlite catalogue. Sean Cronin, CEO of Selatra confirmed that Meteors, Reversi and Invasion, all gaming classics, are now available and he said, Selatra would be announcing further titles shortly. "We foresaw the great impact FlashLite would have on the mobile gaming market and committed early to producing a comprehensive catalogue with content developed aggressively through our partner programme," said Cronin. "The latest figures from Adobe show that shipments of Flash-enabled devices have passed the 200 million mark, confirming we were right to have faith in the market. We firmly believe casual gaming will grow strongly as consumers seek to bring their PC console experience to the mobile and play their favourite flash games while on the go."
The three new exclusive titles available from today in the Selatra Flashlite range are Meteors - a shoot-em-up space game, Reversi (also known as Othello) the instantly recognisable puzzle game and Invasion, a classic style alien shooter game.FlashLite is a key technology for developers seeking to offer next generation mobile content. Over 30 Nokia models already include the FlashLite Player, allowing millions of customers to access the applications offered in Selatra's dedicated FlashLite catalogue:
"By working with Selatra, FlashLite developers can be confident their games will have the widest possible reach and revenue earning potential, as they tap into markets which they otherwise might not have been able to access with their games," Cronin said. Selatra has partnered with Buffalo, NY based JRVisuals Studio, a best of breed developer who has delivered some of the most played Flash games on the Internet to bring these titles to market: "We have been creating games on the Flash Platform for as long as it has been possible," said Jose R. Rodriguez, Managing Director of JRVisuals. "The move to mobile with Flashlite was a natural one and working with Selatra has made it possible to do so ahead of the curve."All games are available on GSM and 3G networks. Selatra's full range of games is available on www.selatra.com

Selatra 'breaks the ice' in Iceland!

Selatra's mobile games are due to break into the Icelandic market this August via a partnership with operator Siminn.
High profile brands in Selatra's portfolio include Tom and Jerry, Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man.
"Selatra's industry leading games catalogue, featuring major brands and latest releases is now available to enjoy in Iceland," said Sean Cronin, CEO of Selatra.
"Siminn, which has one of the highest mobile usage rates in the world, will benefit from our robust, scalable games service that saves them time, money and helps build new revenue streams quickly," he added.

Brynjólfur Bjarnaso, CEO of Siminn added: "We chose Selatra because of their flexible support and their outstanding games catalogue.
"By delivering the best games to our demanding subscribers, we can establish an even stronger relationship with our customers and continue to drive value added revenues. Partnering with Selatra allows us to achieve this.''

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Let the match making begin:Google and Paypal mark the beginning of the end of Operator Dominance

July 18th 2007.
This weeks announcements by Google (mobile search results placing bidding opens for business) and Paypal (Mobile payments service launches) mark the beginning of the end of Operator dominance in the control of mobile content and loosens their grip on the lion’s share of revenues. It comes in the wake of a series of, long overdue, ‘flat rate’ data announcements from the Carriers.

Taken together, the Google and Paypal news stories follow the inexorable trend, previously witnessed in the online world where ISP walled gardens collapsed in favour of open access models. Now the hitherto captive mobile subscriber, encouraged by the arrival of ‘near’ flat rate data and a more open mobile internet world, is ready to go fully mobile. The days of the Operator controlled mobile online experiences, much like the old AOL ISP walled garden experiences are over.
But while there are profound impacts on the subscriber and their usage patterns the impact will also be felt in the pockets of Carriers and their on deck suppliers of content. A power shift is emerging.
Firstly data usage rates will rise, more content will be consumed but not from the ‘on deck’ WAP stores.

The prevailing wisdom today is that 80% of mobile content (games, tones, videos etc) sales come through operator portals today. That’s where the ELSPA mobile charts draw their data. And who would argue since the myriad of off deck portals, WAP sites and direct print retailers are never approached for their sales figures. There remains a deep question mark over the validity of the data collected as the notion that operator sales comprise over 80% is not backed up by any data from the combined set of all other channels. Now if these 80% of sales migrate to the ‘more level’ flat rate playing field . Then savvy off deck vendors will make big gains. Freed mobile subscribers will find their content easier, pay less to buy and incur less overheads in the purchase. The experience will be simpler and enjoyable and more importantly, repeated .

Why the off deckers?, because they are better at what they do. They have had to survive in an unequal playing fiield for years. They are faster and hungrier than carriers and far more focused.
So the current offdeck channels will quickly grow. (and quick in Mobile terms is within a few months). We see it all the time when we service emerging retailers with a nice D2C marketing budget and watch their volumes grow rapidly when they get the mix right. Now with flat rate ,or what passes for it today. takes off they are at no disadvantage. With Paypal Mobile, although it is still cumbersome to get registered, the PSMS revenue slices lost to Carriers are available for re-investing in better promotion and ultimately sales.
Then comes the icing on the cake. If Carriers use Google as an entry point search page, much like the current internet location of Google search on almost everyone’s screen users will become Google hooked rather than carrier portal addicted. It’s a short step to having Google as the home wap page rather than the carrier’s and then the battle is truly lost.
The retailers willing to spend on Google marketing and promotion reap the rewards and carrier portals fade away into the distant past.

The same question that applied to ISP home pages will now apply to carrier home WAP pages….why bother? The subscribers now have the keys to the whole shopping mall and will make straight for the best stores.

Winners : off deck portals who spend on Google and build awareness. Aggregators not tied into big carriers but widely spread between carriers and off deckers.
Publishers who embrace the new regime and spend accordingly. Good retail brands that can transpose their credibility to WAP supermarkets.
Users, who will grow in number now that they understand the whole buying experience better.

Losers : Carriers (will become dumber pipes since they have long ago stopped sending on marketing themselves but rely on co-promotion with developers/publishers and aggregators). Now these people can do it themselves via Google and divert purchasers to their own wap storefronts.
Large publishers who have cosy Carrier relationships and are valued on these contracts. The value of the contracts will diminish rapidly and hence their share prices???

We in Selatra have played a predominantly off deck game waiting for such an inevitable shift to happen. We expect our off deck clients to prosper more than most as the icebergs melt away.

Whither Carriers then ? The era of flirting with captive clients is over. Video, TV, Tones, Music and Games is not their core business and they are ill suited to the entertainment world. They should realise that consumer service innovation comes mainly from 3rd party service developers and should develop platforms that link service providers with advertisers and mobile consumers. Their future is not in Content sales but in voice added services and services brokering which is what they are best at doing. They will also play a key role in introducing content to subscribers and play the service ‘matchmaker’ role. i.e. provide service pipes rather than dump pipes. This is the ultimate win –win for them with revenue at both service ends. Let the match making begin…….