Portable gaming has always been a bit of a problem for the UK specialist media. Dedicated Game Boy magazines have never really worked while mobile games remain something of a mystery to most mags (with the exception of Games Master, which has a dedicated mobile section).
This week, however, a group of six veteran UK games journalists has launched a new site dedicated to all forms of handheld gaming. Pocket Gamer is aimed squarely at a mainstream audience and seamlessly includes mobile gaming alongside DS and PSP. It's a neatly presented site, rejecting the dense, cluttered design of US giants like Gamespot. I just like the fact that it'll review UK mobile titles - previously I had to check out Wireless Gaming Review, which was always exhaustive and up-to-date but naturally favoured US releases.
The writers have pretty strong credentials, too - Joao Sanches, Owain Bennallack, Jon Jordan and Jez Bridgeman are all Ex-Edge magazine, inhabiting the publication at various points between 1996 and 2004. Hopefully, this will mean a fare few Japanese import PSP and DS reviews alongside the UK fare - although I suppose this won't reside well with the site's inclusive ethos.
I asked Owain if they had plans to support WAP as well as the custom browsers likely to find their way into the Sony and Nintendo machines - a vital element of communicating to a handheld gaming audience, I reckon. He told me there were plans to support mini-browsers in the near future - apparently the news line down the centre of the page is exactly the same width as the PSP screen...
It will be interesting to see if the casual portable gamer can be tempted into regularly using a news and reviews site. The mobile entertainment industry - desperate for avenues to publicise its wares - will no doubt be watching with bated breath.
