90% of Mobile Games Purchased from Carriers

M:Metrics has found that 90% of people who buy mobile games hear about them from their carriers… From this they infer that companies keen to set up independant portals are going to face an uphill battle. This is probably true, but the reason most people hear about mobile content from their carrier is that the carriers spend a lot more effort and money promoting the content — admitedly, it’s easier when you own the deck.The first few off-deck portals are going to have to find a way to let people know they exist, and more — teach people how to access the portal via a carrier menu that may not make it obvious or easy. Nevertheless, once the process is started and people become familiar with getting content from third parties the rate should increase.Unsurprising, Jamdat had the most number of appearances on the deck, with 14.4% of premium placements. This was followed by Mforma at 10.8% and THQ, I-play and Gameloft at 9%.

TV Gameshows moving to Mobile

Popular TV gameshows including The Price Is Right, Family Feud, Blockbusters, Sale Of The Century and Strike It Lucky are being ported to mobile phones. IP-owner FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide licensed Player X to develope and distribute the games world-wide along with real tones, wallpapers and active screensavers, with everything expected to be launched by mid-2006.

Telcogames buys Magic Productions

London-based mobile gaming company Telcogames has bought out French game developer and publisher Magic Productions, creators of games for Symbian & Microsoft Windows powered mobile Smartphones.Founded in January 2003 with Headquarters in Paris, Magic Productions develops high end, console-like games for the Symbian and Windows mobile phones. Telcogames will continue to build the Magic Productions brand and Nicolas Hamel will become Head of Development for Telcogames. The integration of the companies and hence completion of the agreement will occur in early 2006.

Telefonica Signs with THQ Wireless and I-Play

Telefonica — the Spanish company in the process of buying UK operator O2 — has signed a deal with THQ Wireless and I-play to sell their mobile games throughout Latin America (well, 13 LatAm countries and Spain). In the press release there’s a lot of focus on the sports games produced by the two companies…“The position of Telefonica as the second biggest multinational mobile company in the world and our model of global management allows us to have a position of privilege for our operators to offer the best deal to their mobile users in their respective markets,” said Antonio Viana-Baptista, Presidente Ejecutivo de Telefonica Moviles.

Control Freaks Lauches Gaming Content

Control Freaks — an Australian computer and video games TV show — has launched an i-mode subscription service that features text-based content and full motion video.“Control Freaks is a magazine style program which entertains and informs gamers with News, Reviews, Previews and Features - all about the video games industry. An Australian Games Chart link, with weekly updated Charts, and a newly implemented cheats guide, bundled with the ability to watch what you want, when you want, makes Control Freaks the premier mobile ‘gamers resource’ in the country,” declares Brett Howe, Creative Director of Brave Vision.

Nokia holding off on producing n-Gage Phones

Nokia is holding off on mobile gaming for a few years and will not be building new versions of the N-Gage gaming phone. It is concentrating on mobile music for the rest of this year, and next year’s main push will be on driving mobile TV, the company says.The company intends to continue producing N-Gage devices primarily for the Chinese and Indian markets.