See how I pitched that with a hint of self-depreciating understatement? I know a lot of Gamesblog readers shudder at the very thought of mobile games (and usually quite rightly - sometimes I wonder how I got myself into this particular area of specialisation), but once in a while it's worth taking a peak at emerging concepts just in case they transform into a killer app.
Anyway, UK mobile games publisher Advanced Mobile Solutions (fair enough, it sounds like one of those shady companies that run direct marketing operations out of the Azores), has got together with Cat games, the developer of a successful series of online multiplayer management sims, to port key titles over to mobile. Soon phone users will be able to hook into titles like Sunday League Manager (which apparently has two million registered users), Cricket Manager and Manage the Band to compete against PC users using the same database of live stats.
"The mobile element will basically be plugged into the existing database so the player will be able to register for the games through their phone and actually manage their team from the handset," explains Richard Neale, Director of Advanced Mobile Solutions.
"There will be a front end java app to download that will contain all the regular game selections/options - i.e. for Sunday League, training the team, selecting your side, formation etc. Your team will continue playing its season on the database, and you will be able to log in at any point to check league positions, results and upcoming fixtures as well as make changes, as in regular management games."
"When the player logs in, the app will connect to the database via 3G/GPRS to receive all the latest stats/info from the database meaning the game will constantly be up to speed, setting it apart from current java management games on the market."
Getting to control the activities of amateur sportsmen may not be that attractive to many gamers, but the technology is interesting, hinting at a near-future where, say, World of Warcraft could be accessible wherever you are. The interplay of network-enabled handset with home computer is certainly something Sony and Nintendo are looking at with their respective Wi-Fi portables and next-gen consoles. Also, earlier this year Yahoo got together with US mobile operator Sprint to offer mobile-to-PC online gaming in the States. It has been hinted at many times in the past, but maybe the true role of mobile gaming is as a roaming host to larger experiences offered by more powerful platforms.
