SDK's for Wireless Games - Will They Succeed? 143
Memetic asks: "There is a software
development kit for wireless games, downloadable from
TTPCom, a wireless devices IP
vendor. It's described as: 'an open API delivering access to all the
mobile phone's features in order to develop a new generation of
on-line and multi-user games...it is possible to take advantage of
the GSM, GPRS or 3GPP networks by downloading these games over the
air, sending SMS messages between players, and creating multi-user
content and games. Technologies such as Bluetooth or GPS are also
made available' My question, does anyone see independent developers
emerging for donloadable gaming or will this market be driven by the
network operators / handset manufacturers?" While using this
technology to build games on cell phones doesn't intrigue me,
adapting this for our current and future crop of handheld computing
devices does. What kind of future do you think there is for games
development on such platforms like the Visor, the PalmPilot, and the
next-generation-Gameboy that may come down the pipe in the
next couple of years?
Who needs them... (Score:3, Interesting)
Unless the breakthrough on the hardware part comes (theres some pretty cool stuff in japan already), games on such devices make only limited sense...
Re:Who needs them... (Score:2, Informative)
Many GSM networks around the world now have the General Packet Radio (GPRS) extensions enabled which offers a much faster packet-switched connection to your wireless device (40kibibits). GPRS is charged by volume, not time, and you always stay connected. [optus.com.au]
This is the kind of technology that will allow wireless-device gaming to take-off, at least outside North America
Re:Who needs them... (Score:1)
There is ALOT of money to be made in products marketed for children.
Gaming on Palm, Handspring, etc. (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, a color screen would be helpful, but not necessary.
The main problem, Cliff, is that people who want to do this kind of thing with their handheld devices typically buy the PocketPC. Palm-freaks (a term of endearment, not a slight) are usually more interested in the smooth operation of their device and the ease of use stemming from its minimalist design.
Re:Gaming on Palm, Handspring, etc. (Score:1)
Re:Gaming on Palm, Handspring, etc. (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm not quite a Palm or Windows CE nut (I have devices running both OS' and I'm interested in an iPaq to get Linux running on it), but I will say that the majority of interesting and unique games are for the Palm OS. I'll admit this is strange, because most PocketPC style PDAs are definetly better in the hardware department.
Re:Gaming on Palm, Handspring, etc. (Score:1, Insightful)
I know this is going to sound like a grumpy, old man line, but games were just more fun before Doom.
Re:Gaming on Palm, Handspring, etc. (Score:1)
And yes, I'd say that, for example, Galaga had a high fun to calculation ratio and that Zorklike and Roguelike games were really fun. They still are fun.
Re:Gaming on Palm, Handspring, etc. (Score:3, Interesting)
Imagine a game like this:
A strategy war simulation game, that can be played among a group of people. Each player starts with a set of territories, which form a country or a kingdom, or an empire, depending on what you want to call it. And the player is the leader of that country. The rest of the planet is occupied by a other countries (which may or may not have a player). The goal is to capture territories (for the aggressive), or protect yourself from being eaten up. Obviously, you want to make the game as realistic as possible, by taking into consideration your resources, your population, your military, etc. You are the chief, so you can issue orders to move your army/navy/air force, to attack, to defend, to do research on specific topics, etc. Your subordinates will send you reports, memos, etc.
The interface you need for this game is very minimal, just text. But the game must be hosted on a server somewhere. You send orders and receive reports thru wireless messages on your handheld.
This kind of game can be played on for months, even years.
Actually, in the early 90's, we used to play it thru email. You signed up thru email, you send command thru email, you receive report thru email. The game was hosted on a
It was very addicting. Now make the game go beyond planet Earth....
Re:Gaming on Palm, Handspring, etc. (Score:1)
Phone development kit (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Phone development kit (Score:1)
Thats it, I need to download an NMAP rom!
Bah, this will just turn in to another way for my girlfriend to find me won't it?
I bet the lesbian movement is behind this
Re:Phone development kit (Score:2, Insightful)
Maybe, but what'd be way cooler is if it allowed geeks to find girlfriends.
Just what we need (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Just what we need (Score:1)
Yeah... (Score:1)
Perhaps not.... (Score:1, Insightful)
Wireless gaming is doing reasonably well on DoCoMo, probably because of centralized billing.
Distributed wireless file sharing (Score:1, Interesting)
bare bones != gaming (Score:2, Insightful)
Gaming platforms are super-efficient customized hardware solutions with well thought out ergonomics and a psysical interface that is designed, from the ground up, for gaming.
I think the engineering requirements of either platforms are so at odds with each other that gaming on handhelds will never really catch on. Or at least until such a time that handhelds are far closer in terms of performance/price as desktop systems; or, to put it another way, low-end desktop systems become the size of handhelds.
Re:bare bones != gaming (Score:5, Interesting)
Plus, with such small, low-res screens, there's more than enough power for anything you could want on those babies.
Re:bare bones != gaming (Score:2)
Pocket PCs gotta multitask. Gaming isn't so much about power but about the garauntee of being able to stay relatively real-time. DOOM ran on a 486 where NOTHING ELSE was going on at the time.
But I do see your point. I still maintain that 80% of the suitability of a gaming platform must also be game-friendly controls
Re:bare bones != gaming (Score:2, Insightful)
I think that's kind of a poor attitude. Despite what we gamers like to think, gaming isn't "elite". It doesn't take the most powerful machine in the world to enjoy the majority of PC games out there and a lot of "barely better than retail" computers are up to the task. The average game player isn't too interested in having graphics options maxed out, even though the average "gamer" might be. This translates to the PDA market as well...
A lot of people would be interested in just playing a game of space invaders on their Palm. Palm gaming has already moved beyond that point, though, with a port of the original Simcity available along with fairly complex RPGs and strategy games.
Re:bare bones != gaming (Score:2)
I understand that the mass market doesn't require cutting edge performance, but that doesn't mean that raw floating point performance is a big priority in handhelds; rather their price, size, power consumption and storage capacity are
Re:bare bones != gaming (Score:1, Informative)
Sam Trychin
Re:bare bones != gaming (Score:2)
Indeed! But good point
Re:bare bones != gaming (Score:2)
Gameboy Advance is 99$, and kicks the ass, for gaming suitability (ie, the 'rich' experience that handheld makers will have to claim to sell their units via their gaming potential), off of most of handhelds that are more expensive. The gameboy and advance were designed for gaming; anything that had nothing to do with gaming was shucked from the design
If you take the average user, they probably don't play too much on their PC or whatever, because those platforms are not designed to entice casual gamers into wanting to play. For instance, on the PC, you have to learn an unintuative control set (only more-than-casual gamers, for instance, use the keyboard/mouse thing for the most part), and your PC has to be relatively 'stoked'.
Handhelds, I was only saying, are not built (currently) to make gaming accissible to the avg user. Their controls will turn away most users
I mean, people will always play "Snake" and "Tetris" on their phone, but I'd say that that's more of a "because it's there" thing than a "I'm so happy I can play games on my phone!" thing. I think the goals of the developers of SDKs are not to provide the user a moutain to climb "because its there", but rather to make people want to buy a handheld "because it's fun to climb mountains on them".
Games for Palms (Score:2, Informative)
What kind of future do you think there is for games development on such platforms like the Visor, the PalmPilot, and the next-generation-Gameboy that may come down the pipe in the next couple of years?
Head on over to PalmGearHQ [palmgear.com] and see how many games are available. Some good, some bad, many identical. Many are good enough that they have resided on my Palm, almost since day 1.
Palm has done a good job of avoiding creating a handheld PC and instead creating an advanced organizer. They've left it to other developers to do that work instead. Tools like this make that job just that much easier.
Of course they'll succeed. (Score:2)
The question is not one of "if", but a question of "when".
I don't think any propriety "Open" standard wins (Score:4, Insightful)
What gets independent game developers going is truly open standards, like TCP/IP. When is my handspring going to be able to play a game with your Gameboy, wirelessly? When both of them have wireless IP adresses. Until then, these things will remain insular, only allowing my brand to play with my brand.
Re:I don't think any propriety "Open" standard win (Score:2)
I dunno.... PDF and PalmOS seem to do ok.
There are lots of things to remember before you rail against the machine about open standards. Remember, that TCP/IP fills its nitche, but it doesn't adapt fully to everything, especially the types of connections we are discussing here. Who needs to route around trouble when you are transmitting directly to a device?
It is unrealistic to think that the major players in a multi-million dollar communciations industry are going to all want to use an open standard that they have no control over. First, they want the most efficent scheme for *their* platform, and second they want to fight it out in the market place, and see who can gain the upper hand. This isn't anything new - of course, the same thing has been happening for generation of electronic gizmos.
We are fortunate that these kind of standards are being opened up at all, so at least we have a fighting chance of getting a reasonable standard that everybody can decide on. Unfortunately, instead of a fight on a whiteboard, the winner of these standards battles will be decided in the market place.
Re:I don't think any propriety "Open" standard win (Score:1)
err.. Java? PDF? PostScript? RSA (until recently)? MP3?
Games? (Score:3, Insightful)
No... Community (Score:5, Insightful)
Even if you COULD see little pixel figures of people, the games would ultimately fail because the community would be nil - and this is what matters in the online gaming world. As people what they play MMORPGs for, most people say Friends or Other Players.
It's harsh to admit, but really, there isn't much chance in anyone playing a game where a) the graphics are terrible, b) the connection is slow, and c) the community doesn't exist, simply because you can't talk/type fast enough on those things, and you can't see the words/phrases/playernames anyway.
Re:No... Community (Score:2)
Re:No... Community (Score:1)
Re:No... Community (Score:2)
People say they play MMORPGs for friends or other players, because so far they haven't been much fun in and of themselves for more than a short while. But a lot of people think chess is fun, and much more fun against a person than a computer.
In other words, small games for small devices!
Pirates! (Score:2, Interesting)
I remember playing "community" strategy games on BBSs about 15 years ago (remember Trade Wars?), where a) the graphics were terrible (ascii), b) connection was slow (1200 bps modem), c) there wasn't much in terms of messaging or community either (although you could send messages). Lot's of fun.
Why? Because the concept was different, new and exiting, that's why. You'd play against other humans, not a dumb computer opponent.
So while I agree that the community part is important, there are definitely interesting ways to achieve that (e.g. Pirates). Technically you'd just use Bluetooth, GPS, or telco triangulation techniques for it.
So if at least some of these people are innovative we should see some pretty neat apps. And I mean neat apps, I couldn't care less if downloadable primitive shoot-em-ups fail to be successful on mobiles.
Where? (Score:1)
Re:Where? (Score:2, Insightful)
Now that I've returned back into the fold of Americanism and the NOW NOW NOW mentality, flying down the freeway, I don't get to use my cell phone or PDA as much... but I can still imagine where this would be quite useful.
Not there yet for phones (Score:2)
J2ME, which is likely the best hope, is not robust enough to handle gameboy-style games. It lacks necessary API's such image bliting, transparency (although SOME providers include it), and ABYSMAL sound support (4 sounds with blocking while the sound plays).
Things will get better with the next version I hope, but for now multi-media is not do-able.
-ShieldWolf
This will be a while before it becomes mainstream (Score:1)
I'm not saying that this isn't a bad idea. I feel that when the time comes, this will be big. I may just invest the extra cash in learning the protocols used in wireless networking from a developer's standpoint and begin writing some simple games that can be ported over to wireless devices.
On my honeymoon... (Score:2, Informative)
--Chag
Re:On my honeymoon... (Score:1)
to get over is that every culture doesn't play
the same way ours does.
Every so often something new comes out of
japan, tamagotchi, pokemon etc that simply
blasts onto our gaming scene seemingly out
of nowhere and leaves our heads spinning.
We can't adapt our current headspace easily into
the phone game headspace. I am sure though that
Japan can and wil in time once more startle us.
Good starting point (Score:1)
How's the delivery work? (Score:2)
In this market, though, I wouldn't be willing to get out of bed and take a step towards my dev machine without some serious answers about how this stuff gets distributed. Can you download it directly from a WAP site into the phone? Am I going to have to write a website and fifty different installation apps to go with the myriad ways a phone might hook up to a PC? Can I get the phone manufacturer to bundle my game with the phone?
These are the questions I'd be rushing to answer if I was someone putting out phones or development tools for them. They're going to make a huge impact in whether developers give the hardware manufacturers the support they need
game developer magazine (Score:3, Informative)
Re:game developer magazine (Score:2)
Re:game developer magazine (Score:1)
reach back to the early eighties (Score:1)
Just got the 2-D game for my PDA so I think there is a lot of room for improvement and a good path to follow. Infrared would need to be replaced, but off to a good start.
Re:reach back to the early eighties (Score:2, Informative)
By PDA I hope you're talking about a Palm unit, 'cause I must have a link to that right now.
It sounds perfect for viruses! (Score:2, Interesting)
If you have an API for controling more of the phone's features, you can bet that viruses will pop up. And it is much more dificult to reformat a phone than a PC's hard drive
Wireless multiplay to open new doors (Score:4, Interesting)
Now imagine a world where we have these handhelds that could allow us to play mutliplayer games. And I don't mean games like Quake, I mean games more along the line of Majestic. But think of a great spy game that you could be playing with millions around the world, over a Palm Pilot or something. The person standing next to you on the bus could be playing too, and even could be the one working against you. If nothing else, it'd create an excuse of all the paranoid people out there to really be paranoid. Now if you could get games like that over wireless PDA's, you'd see them take off quickly.
Okay, so who's gonna build that awesome wireless PDA and Phone spygame for me?
Re:Wireless multiplay to open new doors (Score:2)
Oh, you mean that game that NOBODY played [cnn.com]?
I don't think there is a market for a 24hour total intrusion style game, people are busy enough already. Besides, I can see all kinds of people taking something like this way too seriously.
Not right now (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't see much of a market for these kind of applications right now and I'm pretty content only playing games on my PC, but I suppose once the technology gets better I might give it a try. Having said that I had a flatmate who would spend hours sitting in a corner playing "snake" with his phone (yes haha very original, now get your mind out of the gutter) so perhaps theres more of a market than I think. The closest I came to playing wireless games would have to be wap elite [phink.net] which is a wap version of the classic game Elite. Oh and if you don't know Elite you are not a true nerd
SMS Sdk & Linux (Score:3, Informative)
Damn cool, but generally getting it running is a pain (although the site does not state any dependencies, there are a few).
In fact, me and my friends were trying to get SMS working so that a centralised Linux box could be used to play simple games. This way, we got about 5 people on SMS at the same time
Although we did not go any further, it was fun doing it. If someone is interested, I'd be happy to help them start some SMS based centralised gaming (yes, OSS). Nothing great, but even simple ones could be great fun!
PDA Games (Score:1)
One Word (Score:4, Insightful)
There are (reportedly) over 20 million of these devices in Japan alone. The handheld/cellphone/PDA game market will be great for small and independent developers, and the economics are favorable as well (market size vs. cost of entry).
Now, what kinds of games to play on small devices is the next question...
Re:One Word (Score:1)
It'll be great when the providers here in the US get around to upgrading their service.. In Japan, they already have relatively cheap cell phones with nice, big hi-res color LCD displays and Internet access. I have a tiny and grainy black and white LCD display on my phone that barely does e-mail (and the UI sucks, at that). Cell phone games will be huge in the US in maybe 5 years or so. They won't take off until hi-res color becomes the standard for the cheap commodity free-but-sign-your-soul-over-to-Verizon promotional giveaway phones..
Quacker on the subway (Score:1)
I'd rather it be not only games (Score:4, Interesting)
Instead of logging into a terminal somewhere, you can just update your status via cell phones through the system.. I ended up writing something similar that operated via email, but you basically were stuck with whatever email client the phone had and had to deal with that.
Certainly! (Score:2)
I think they will.. but I think that because I'm wireless app developer myself.
One of the most intreguing things about games on WML is that it forces creativity over flashyness, in the same vein that Zork relied on content rather then FMV. It's a chance to really use skill that isn't used much in todays world of huge pipes and fast CPUs.
Most people think the issue here is screen size, but I disagree -- I still think the primary issuse is speed and overhead. Zork would be playable on a handset if it didn't take 30 seconds to move from place to place as it does on some Mobile providers networks (Qwest being the worst offender here).
Wireless everywhere (Score:1)
Re:Wireless everywhere (Score:2)
Ummm... if you're in cell tower range, you're already in internet range. It's not fast (yet), and it's not fun (yet), and WAP definitely won't be the final word. But that's what we said about the HTML desktop web experience six or seven years ago. Start surfing now so you'll have wireless retro-grouch stories to tell your kids!
Hardware is more than powerfull enough. (Score:2, Insightful)
I have seen gameboy emulators, full speed Apple II emulators and Commodor 64 emulators.. right there you have tons of playable games.
Sim City 2000 is a best seller on the Pocket PC. My company is porting one of our best sellers to it as well. Not as powerfull as a desktop by far.. but better than the computer on your desk 5 years ago!
The problem with wireless games that makes them suck is content. It's HARD to come up with a game that people want to play while at the corner store buying a newspaper. Regardless of how good handhelds get, the public just doesn't *see* handhelds as the next gaming platform.
Wait for some bright person to write "The Killer Wireless Game" and in a month the market will explode.
Cart befor the horse... (Score:2, Insightful)
Anyone who has ever attempted to engage in an interactive game via their GSM-enabled cell phone, for example, can attest to the many deficiencies beyond simply a lack of game titles. Poor ergonomics, slow response/performance, and intolerable graphics are but a few of the physical/hardware issues that will require much further attention prior to us concerning ourselves with the lack of a Quake port!!!
Even in the burgeoning marketplace of the slightly larger integrated devices that marry gadgets such as PDA's, cell phones, and GPS's into single units, these same issues remain valid. You can only do so much with so little before the device's size becomes to large and cumbersome for it to be practical to carry around on your belt!!!
IMHO, this may be a hot topic in a couple of years, but for the time being is before its time and will fail as a result!!!
Write Text Games! (Score:2, Funny)
An lvsh swrd f grt ntqty s hr.
> g swrd
It glws bl!
>
Re:Write Text Games! (Score:1)
Come check out http://stormbringer.sysconn.com/magi/ [sysconn.com] for details.
Who ever know that the most popular Dragonlance novels could come to life! (Yea, I know its an AD... flame all you want, but still come and visit us). Beta opening scheduled for Summer 2002!
Re:Write Text Games! (Score:2, Interesting)
Some one showed me this [thcnet.net] the other day - it's Zork implemented as a '404 not found' page!! :oD
Just had to share it..
I think we need to escape the lcd first. (Score:2, Insightful)
The idea of wireless games for the PDA seems interesting, but you could already do that. MUD's are still out there, and playable by text interface (of course), but quite frankly, they don't catch my attention any more (no offense intended to loyal devotees).
Also, in most of the situations where a PDA is carried, gaming is not really the focus. In any case, the PDA doesn't allow for an immersive enough expierince for my gaming desires. I suppose online chess or something would be cool, but I want to be able to KILL
so I guess I'll wait untill a (relatively)cheap wearable comes out for truly portable connected gaming.
Re:I think we need to escape the lcd first. (Score:1)
Not the a large, bulky one, but embeded in glasses or 'implanted'
Re:I think we need to escape the lcd first. (Score:1)
Except for what is needed is a price break as these things already exist, and are pretty capable.. for example :
http://www.tekgear.ca/displays/nightvision/spec
svga input, plus full 3rd gen low light/infrared capabilites (heheh... 'damn it it.. don't beam me that crap with your palm! That light is blinding me!')..
Only problem is that it's 2500$. Which is not that bad considering that either of the products it replaces could easily be first on my wish list.
Unfortunately, it is available only to the military. There are several other products that function as a HMD, but I still haven't seen a small one with a good price.
The expected wireless game progression (Score:1)
- rock/paper/scissors
- hangman
- board games
- card games
Second stage games (low data requirement, twitch games)- streetfighter-style
Third stage games (high data requirement, twitch games)- first person shooters
- vehicle simulations
Fourth stage games (what PCs can barely do now)The first stage might happen within the wireless hardware companies. Next stages will probably be developed externally, but paid for by the hardware company. Later stages will spawn from independents, but only after hardware becomes prevalent and powerful.
Boing ball anyone? (Score:2, Informative)
Last I checked, Amiga [amiga.com] was working on a multimedia API for small devices, with a focus on games. The Amiga environment is present on the new Sharp Zaurus [sharpusa.com]. The SDK [amiga.com] looks interesting, in spite of it being java-based. :)
Ahead of their time (Score:3, Insightful)
Entertainment techies should reconsider their model of wireless gaming. Perhaps a cell phone should be a phone, not a Nintendo Gameboy. Make games that use the phone just as it is, a phone. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
I know a Finnish company [locusportal.com] that develops a geographical GSM phone location service by triangulating the phones in networks. Using this kind of technology it could be possible to switch the game from the phone's screen into a real life experience, placing the player physically in the game, where his movements could be tracked on a predefined "game area". I'm sure countless of gaming applications are inbound after this technology spreads around..
Re:Ahead of their time (Score:1)
Re:Ahead of their time (Score:1)
games at 10 cents per SMS message? (Score:2)
video games everywhere (Score:1)
I'm 21 so I've seen the portable/wirelss/cellphone game industry in action more or less from the beginning. I have to say, I'm not very impressed and never have been. Maybe I just never saw it before but the portable game industry seems to be in the market of creating gadgets to pass the time instead of creating real games.
Since when is playing "Snake" on your Nokia actually fun? Would reading not be both more productive and entertaining? Do you know anyone who would sit at a desk in their home and play a game on a cell phone?
Don't get me wrong. I love games. I think the problem is more that people feel they need to "get connected" and play them "anytime, anywhere" etc...
Changes are needed (Score:1)
That's my two cents..
Re:Changes are needed (Score:2, Insightful)
The problem before the masses adopt such a gaming system, as I see it, will stay as long as the architectures and protocols used remain proprietary.
On top of that the (gaming) network should be open between all providers. Imagine if you couldn't play a multiplayer game with your friend because you have a Verizon DSL and he has Cox cable.
X-Forge (Score:2, Insightful)
I heard, that when Fathammer's boys went over to Intel and demonstrated what their engine can do with a "simple" 206 MHz processor, the Intel guys' jaws dropped on the table! They just couldn't believe that this was possible! After the initial shock, I believe dollar signs were seen rolling by these guys' eyes..
Always told you, ex-democoders are good when it comes to optimizing and cheating in graphical routines..
Re:X-Forge (Score:1)
WML games SDK (Score:1)
WAP v2? (Score:1)
More opportunities to drive people crazy (Score:1)
Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless and GPRS (Score:1)
You will be able to download games and other apps on any JAVA or BREW enabled phone. Check out http://www.qualcomm.com/brew/ for more info on BREW. I think everyone here knows what JAVA is.
when you're Big in Japan... (Score:1)
But there's also the consideration that the cell phones over there are smaller, lighter, have considerably longer battery life, and are in the hands of most everyone...multiple phones in one family are the norm, and almost every high school student has one.
I wonder if gaming on cell phones is something that's popular only after having a critical mass of users and satisfying some constraints (size, mass, battery life, etc), or if the capability for games would draw anyone into the market...I'd bank on the former, though...
Re:when you're Big in Japan... (Score:1)
http://www.docomo-tohoku.co.jp/docomo_main.html
This one, for example:
http://www.docomo-tohoku.co.jp/product/phs/syop
93mm×49mm×26mm, 99g, 2.5 - 7.5 hrs battery life, and 65k color
Nokia Gaming! (Score:2)
Think Different (Score:3, Insightful)
Remember the old BBS games? I am sure many people here were addicted to games like L.O.R.D. in the old BBS days. Remember MUDS? That is the niche I see these games flurishing in. People have said there is no community. No community? You just have to think differently about what a community is.
Remember the old card board and plastic pieces type games? Chess, Risk, etc. Someone could play 5 chess games on an ongoing bases with people they know in REAL LIFE! Now that's community! Make your moves back and forth every now and then during the day. People probably won't be playing non-stop for 3 hours, but 5 minutes here, two minutes there. Just have to consider games which work in such a time schedule.
Multi-player games worked well in the BBS days, and in many ways, today's cellphones has better display ability than 80x24 ANSI.
-Pete
Re:Think Different (Score:2)
It's got strategy, it's text bases, web based, there's alot of in your head number crunching, the community's a decent size, and the team I play with on the team server are all r/l friends. Try it =)
Hm, that's got me thinking... Web based games should publish their interfaces as xml files, that would make special handheld wireless clients really easy to use...
No, it won't be successful (Score:1)
Re:No, it won't be successful (Score:1)
hype (Score:1)
Existing developers, Communities and Hardware (Score:2, Insightful)
My question, does anyone see independent developers emerging for donloadable gaming or will this market be driven by the network operators / handset manufacturers?
My friend's company, :)Smilie [smilie.com], are an already existing independant developer for whom this kind of this is just their cup of tea. They are the kind of people who probably would download such an SDK. Their browser-based games site [smiliegames.com] (warning: this site has Flash on nearly every page, and the games are Java - it's not meant to work in Lynx! ;o) is full of the kind of simple games that people still like playing - and it's games of this kind that can easily be ported to devices with a small keypad and a tiny (monochrome) display.
There are many companies like Smilie, with a track record for games development on a variety of different platforms - wireless gaming is simply another development platform, with a different set of specs.
Gaming isn't about fancy hardware and good graphics (although they can help! ;). Those who say 'people who want games will buy a PocketPC' (or similar) do make a valid point - but on the other hand, who here has played 'Snake' on a Nokia? Who's played Tetris on a Gameboy? -- neither of these games require powerful hardware, and both can be considered fun and (somewhat) addictive.
Regarding communities: A gaming community can still develop without immersive multiplayer games (in the sense of Q3A for example), it'd simply be a community of people who play the same game(s), and 'hang-out' together - whether in virtual space (eg: in a chat-room, via SMS, on mailing-list, in a forum) or in 'meat space'. SmilieGames for example has a large community - and not a first-person-shoot'er in sight!
Multiplayer gaming (of a few kinds) is still possible on low-bandwidth devices - don't think RocketArena Tournament: think Snake Tournament (or Tetris Tournament) - eg: two players are picked off of a queue, they start their game at the same time (synced by the server), and the final scores are then sent back to the server to decide who wins, (and to enter the global highscore table, etc) - I'm sure you get the idea....
All that said, it might not matter how good or bad the product is if it's marketed well, and backed by the right brand name (or a brand's character - such as that Pikachu thing), a lot of people will probably buy it anyway.
All IMHO anyway - I did develop games myself for a good few years.. :o0 (don't anymore though)
Wireless Games (Score:1)
I work on wireless games (I'm managing the games group at a wireless VLSI company [emblazeresearch.com]). We already have a (proof-of-concept) DOOM port on a wireless device. It's already here.
Additionally, in Germany games by In-Fusio [in-fusio.com] are a huge success; In-Fusio even signed a deal [motorola.com] with Motorola to provide a (J2ME-based) game engine on all Motorola devices.
Wireless carriers see games as one of the driving forces for the adoption of next-generation (2.5G and 3G) devices.
So, wireless games (and SDKs) have great momentum. Which ones will succeed -- this is another question; I'd certainly bet on the Java-based ones, and ExEn (In-Fusio's offering) is already succeeding.
Wireless IP? Oh, <i>that</i> IP! (Score:2)
Handset will be demoed at Cannes in February (Score:1)
We already exist (Score:1)
I work for a UK based Independent mobile games developer. We do mobile exclusively, and there must be over 30 games developers in the UK alone doing mobile work. You all know the various technologies available, squeezing playable, fun games into tiny phones takes skill, but is also a lot of fun.
As far as users are concerned, they deal with the operators and the wireless portals like Vizavi. The operators need us to develop the games for them though.
Sure it will succeed (Score:1)
Lots of good points but not true!!!
Remember the Commodore 64 ? I do and I still love it. Todays phones are much faster and have much more RAM than this lovely speed monster and with the color displays (some even pretty large) I know this will be cool.
As TTPCom [ttpcom.com] writes on their site a clone of Super Mario and 1942 have already been developed. Don't tell me you're not thinking about setting up your old dusty C64 and play them right now!!
So basically take the C64 and add networking (I know that some had networking back then). Thats what's just around the corner.
I don't know about you but I cannot wait to play those games.