Earlier this week, EA founder and 3DO visionary Trip Hawkins featured heavily in a lengthy New York Times article about mobile entertainment. At every stage of his dramatic rollercoaster career, Trip could always be relied upon for a soundbite, and he's good value here, discussing his latest company, mobile game developer, Digital Chocolate.
By concentrating on simple social experiences, rather than console conversions or retro ports, the company hopes to discover the elusive killer app that's going to drag mobile gaming out of its current ghetto. At the centre of these plans there are two community-themed titles - MLSN Sports Picks, in which players can make friendly bets against each other based on forthcoming sports events, and The Hook Up: Ava Flirting, an avatar-based dating game following in the traditions of Hotel Habbo. Both are subscription-based and aimed at US customers.
Sports and flirting are, let's face it, pretty smart areas to focus on, and Hawkins is clear on why mobile can exploit these interests effectively:
"Because it's when you're mobile, you're the most socially needy and vulnerable and insecure, and that's when the one platform you have is the mobile, wireless platform"
This is, in some ways, close to what I was saying in my Gamesblog column for the Technology section a couple of weeks ago. Mobiles phones now fill those awkward moments of social exclusion, perhaps when we're waiting for friends in a bar, or just sitting alone on a bus. Pushing buttons on a handset not only provides a focus for the solitary user - it also sends out a message: 'I'm comfortable being in this space, I'm not bored, I'm not alone'.
If mobile developers can provide a better, more fulfilling use of this time than simply texting friends or clearing out your image gallery... well, there's your killer app.
Mobile games vs social vulnerability? Bring it on.
