Junk SMS text messagers are the latest nuisance spammers. VIDEO courtesy of BBC News Technology
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Japan leads mobile game craze
Game makers have been offered a glimpse of the latest in games for mobile phones, with insights into the sort of things keeping Japanese thumbs busy.
They include virtual pets which are fed by photos, pronunciation puzzles and games that are the quality of PlayStation One titles.
"The Japanese market is years ahead of Europe and the US," explained David Collier of Namco, one of the most successful Japanese mobile game publishers.
The games currently popular on mobiles in Japan hint at the sort of thing you could be playing on your phone in the future. He told his audience of industry professionals that the quality of the games was improving all the time, as handsets pack more and more computing power.
One of the games on show was the console racing title, Ridge Racer, which has been adapted for the mobile.
"You now have a PlayStation One game running on a mass market handset in Japan, delivering a fully interactive 3D game," said Mr Collier.
But gamers are being asked to pay a premium for such high quality games. Ridge Racer is being sold in Japan for $11, about double the price of other titles.
More -> BBC Online
Game makers have been offered a glimpse of the latest in games for mobile phones, with insights into the sort of things keeping Japanese thumbs busy.
They include virtual pets which are fed by photos, pronunciation puzzles and games that are the quality of PlayStation One titles.
"The Japanese market is years ahead of Europe and the US," explained David Collier of Namco, one of the most successful Japanese mobile game publishers.
The games currently popular on mobiles in Japan hint at the sort of thing you could be playing on your phone in the future. He told his audience of industry professionals that the quality of the games was improving all the time, as handsets pack more and more computing power.
One of the games on show was the console racing title, Ridge Racer, which has been adapted for the mobile.
"You now have a PlayStation One game running on a mass market handset in Japan, delivering a fully interactive 3D game," said Mr Collier.
But gamers are being asked to pay a premium for such high quality games. Ridge Racer is being sold in Japan for $11, about double the price of other titles.
More -> BBC Online
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Text messages play games with TV
Your TV and mobile are coming closer together, with game shows played by text message set to grow, say experts. Voting via SMS is already immensely popular in programmes such as Pop Idol, Fame Academy and Big Brother. But soon you could be shooting, kicking or punching other people on screen over a mobile handset.
"We want to react to what happens on TV and SMS acts as a form of communication," said new media consultant Ashley Smith.
There already are shows in Finland, the Philippines and Poland where people can become part of the action on screen.
"But you have to be creative. You have to think beyond votes," he told the Game Developers Conference currently being held in London.
"We might see the mobile device influence what you see on the TV," said Mr Smith, who is part of the new media consultancy Van Dusseldorp. He pointed to the success of multiplayer TV games such as WaterWar in Finland. The programme is shown in the afternoon on a small youth channel which has between 5,000 and 10,000 viewers. In the game, two teams battle each other for a few minutes using water pistols. A player sends instructions to their character in a text message.
Up to 50 people are playing at any one time, with others waiting in the wings to join in.
Despite its niche appeal, the show has provided a lucrative source of revenue for the TV channel. Mr Smith said the average player sent 26 texts at a cost of around 50 pence each.
More -> BBC Online
Your TV and mobile are coming closer together, with game shows played by text message set to grow, say experts. Voting via SMS is already immensely popular in programmes such as Pop Idol, Fame Academy and Big Brother. But soon you could be shooting, kicking or punching other people on screen over a mobile handset.
"We want to react to what happens on TV and SMS acts as a form of communication," said new media consultant Ashley Smith.
There already are shows in Finland, the Philippines and Poland where people can become part of the action on screen.
"But you have to be creative. You have to think beyond votes," he told the Game Developers Conference currently being held in London.
"We might see the mobile device influence what you see on the TV," said Mr Smith, who is part of the new media consultancy Van Dusseldorp. He pointed to the success of multiplayer TV games such as WaterWar in Finland. The programme is shown in the afternoon on a small youth channel which has between 5,000 and 10,000 viewers. In the game, two teams battle each other for a few minutes using water pistols. A player sends instructions to their character in a text message.
Up to 50 people are playing at any one time, with others waiting in the wings to join in.
Despite its niche appeal, the show has provided a lucrative source of revenue for the TV channel. Mr Smith said the average player sent 26 texts at a cost of around 50 pence each.
More -> BBC Online
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
Mobile gaming 'set to explode'
People are going to be spending millions of pounds to play games on their mobiles by next year, say experts. Mobile gaming is seen by many as the next big thing, as phones become more powerful and come with colour screens.
"This has been a very good year for mobile gaming," said games consultant Robert Tercek.
"With what's happening in Asia, Europe and North America, we're well on track towards a billion dollar market in 2004," he said.
People are going to be spending millions of pounds to play games on their mobiles by next year, say experts. Mobile gaming is seen by many as the next big thing, as phones become more powerful and come with colour screens.
"This has been a very good year for mobile gaming," said games consultant Robert Tercek.
"With what's happening in Asia, Europe and North America, we're well on track towards a billion dollar market in 2004," he said.
Data vs voice
This is good news for mobile phone companies, which have become increasingly desperate to find ways of getting more money from their subscribers.
They are looking at how to get people to do more with their mobiles.
More -> BBC Online
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Camera phone sales set to rocket
More than 55 million people will soon have a mobile which can do more than just make a call.
Wireless industry analysts ARC Group say users will be seduced by new camera phone features and better multimedia messaging packages by Christmas.
It will mostly be existing rather than new users who drive the demand for better, upgraded handsets.
This almost doubles the current number of those with phones able to take and send pictures.
More BBC Online
More than 55 million people will soon have a mobile which can do more than just make a call.
Wireless industry analysts ARC Group say users will be seduced by new camera phone features and better multimedia messaging packages by Christmas.
It will mostly be existing rather than new users who drive the demand for better, upgraded handsets.
This almost doubles the current number of those with phones able to take and send pictures.
More BBC Online
Monday, August 18, 2003
Mobile video hits Edinburgh Festival
With thousands of shows to choose from, it is not easy picking something to watch during the Edinburgh Festival.
But a new wireless video service is offering visitors a new way to use their mobile phones to sift through what is on offer. Video clips from performers at the festival are available, together with reviews from critics, and festival goers do not need a third-generation mobile phone to watch them.
The service, which is available for free, provides an indicator of how people could interact with large events like this in the future. Mobile networks have been offering reviews and information via text message for some time now, but this service takes that idea one step further.
More --> BBC Online
With thousands of shows to choose from, it is not easy picking something to watch during the Edinburgh Festival.
But a new wireless video service is offering visitors a new way to use their mobile phones to sift through what is on offer. Video clips from performers at the festival are available, together with reviews from critics, and festival goers do not need a third-generation mobile phone to watch them.
The service, which is available for free, provides an indicator of how people could interact with large events like this in the future. Mobile networks have been offering reviews and information via text message for some time now, but this service takes that idea one step further.
More --> BBC Online
Friday, August 15, 2003
U.S. late to join text-messaging party - Americans, however, are ready for next high-tech wave to hit.
For a nation that prides itself on technological leadership, the U.S. was surprisingly late to the text messaging game. But it is making up for lost time.
The number of texts sent in the U.S. is expected to increase dramatically from 8.1 billion messages in 2002, according to technology research group Ovum. Such figures are often disputed and hard to collate, but experts say about one billion texts are sent in the U.S. per month.
The watershed came when AT&T Wireless, the nation’s second-largest mobile phone group by revenues, sponsored text voting for the reality TV series American Idol. More than 7.5 million American Idol-related texts were sent during the contest, and a third of the senders had never texted before. The final was the largest single text-messaging event handled by a mobile phone carrier in the world.
For a nation that prides itself on technological leadership, the U.S. was surprisingly late to the text messaging game. But it is making up for lost time.
The number of texts sent in the U.S. is expected to increase dramatically from 8.1 billion messages in 2002, according to technology research group Ovum. Such figures are often disputed and hard to collate, but experts say about one billion texts are sent in the U.S. per month.
The watershed came when AT&T Wireless, the nation’s second-largest mobile phone group by revenues, sponsored text voting for the reality TV series American Idol. More than 7.5 million American Idol-related texts were sent during the contest, and a third of the senders had never texted before. The final was the largest single text-messaging event handled by a mobile phone carrier in the world.
Half of European Marketers Using SMS
A Forrester survey has found that half of all European direct marketers now use SMS. Incredible as that rate of adoption is, however, the research firm predicted the medium will remain in growth mode for two more years, as usage increases by 50 percent and campaign spending doubles.
Conducted jointly with the Federation of European Direct Marketing, the online survey of direct marketers is the second of its kind -- the first having been taken 18 months ago. Comparing results of the two polls, the market researcher found that in addition to its dramatic rate of adoption, SMS has been picked up by new sectors. Whereas 94 percent of SMS marketers polled in the first study hailed from the telecom or media sectors, today their slice of the pie is only 39 percent.
Additionally, the size of firms deploying the technology is shrinking: Adopters employ 1,500 people on average, and Forrester predicts that future users of SMS will employ 1,100.
A Forrester survey has found that half of all European direct marketers now use SMS. Incredible as that rate of adoption is, however, the research firm predicted the medium will remain in growth mode for two more years, as usage increases by 50 percent and campaign spending doubles.
Conducted jointly with the Federation of European Direct Marketing, the online survey of direct marketers is the second of its kind -- the first having been taken 18 months ago. Comparing results of the two polls, the market researcher found that in addition to its dramatic rate of adoption, SMS has been picked up by new sectors. Whereas 94 percent of SMS marketers polled in the first study hailed from the telecom or media sectors, today their slice of the pie is only 39 percent.
Additionally, the size of firms deploying the technology is shrinking: Adopters employ 1,500 people on average, and Forrester predicts that future users of SMS will employ 1,100.
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