Web 2.0 started it. Now technology visionaries find it difficult, nay impossible, to talk about the future without giving it a x.0 suffix. Sony introduced its Home and LittleBigPlanet innovations with talk of the Game 3.0 era. Now EA founder Trip Hawkins has unveiled his vison for the future of moble gaming, entitled... Mobile Games 2.0. From the press release:
"Mobile Games 2.0 revolves around creating a stronger emotional connection between the games and players, as well as a sticky, longer-term relationship between consumers and carriers. The model allows for in-game cross-promotion, viral discovery and free trial, all of which culminate in driving more customers directly to the point of purchase, i.e. carrier deck, providing greater revenue opportunities for carriers."
Hawkins' current company, mobile games publisher Digital Chocolate, is planning to address these issues with its DChoc Café series of casual titles - puzzle games, card games, board games - the sort of stuff you might well play in a café - well, a bohemian non-chain café where the barristas won't glare at you for spending too long over your double super skinny latte. "Customization features of the game series include personalized avatars, groups and chat capabilities, similar to social networking site elements, all elements of Mobile Games 2.0," says the release.
Of course, mobile games publishers have been attempting to tap into the popularity of online casual games for several years. Dozens of popular titles like Slingo, Zuma and Bejeweled have been ported across to mobile, while seasoned casual games experts like Popcap are now creating mobile titles. But the social element of casual games sites has largely been missing - especially in the UK where operator support for any kind of connected online play is severely lacking.
It is, you would think, a 'no-brainer' for game developers, publishers and operators to build social networking functions into their games. Mobile phones are after all the single most important social tool of the modern age, and try as they might, manufacturers and network operators have had only limited success in convincing people that phones are also TVs and games machines. But if people feel that gaming can add to their lives, they might be more tempted.
Mobile social networking is now building momentum - game developers need to stake a claim on all that juicy data traffic now if they are to make gaming a key element of the experience. I see a future where you build a mobile IM buddy list, which allows you to check if any mates are online (whether that be via their own phone or sitting at home on a PC - cross-platform functionality is key) and if they fancy a quick game of Tetris. This is how mobile gaming will break free of its self-imposed ghetto of retro arcade shooters and second-hand casual hits.
Hawkins has a point, but it's nothing new. Everyone in the industry knows he's right. Now it's the hard part - doing it.
