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Common Sense on cell phone MMOs

Samuel Axon — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST

The Common Sense Gamer published a reality checking rant on the coming wave of mobile MMOs. The author of the editorial pointed out that limitations in the technology and a lack of platform standards in the industry will only lead to mediocre if projects. He also suggested that users who aren't near wi-fi hotspots won't be able to get much done.

He probably hasn't used a 3G phone yet; 3G networks are plenty fast. But for the most part, the rant was insightful -- especially on the issue of standards. All these cell phones use totally different platforms for running games, and they vary widely in performance and power. Is it feasible to develop for a dozen different platforms at once? Most game developers have enough trouble as it is with three!

So maybe the best we can hope for is a Snake MMO. Actually, that could be kind of cool.

Common Sense on cell phone MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analyst: More MMOs on cell phones in 2008

Mike Schramm — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, Leveling, Opinion, Mobile, Casual

If there's one trend so far in 2008, it's mobile MMOs. Last year, we heard about both a Japanese game and a mobile platform, and already this year, John Carmack has says he wants to do an MMO on-the-go. And now, analyst and VC Baris Karadogan says MMObile games are only going to get bigger.

And not just in terms of games you play on the phone. He does say that casual phone games will become more social, but he also says that huge MMOs like World of Warcraft will attempt to develop casual, mobile versions that can be "played" from a phone, and have an effect in the game itself. As in, you'll play a quick casual game on your phone, and how you do on that game will give you XP or skill points or even some extra cash in the online game.

I doubt Blizzard will be the first to jump on such a bandwagon-- their history is releasing polished games on established platforms, not breaking new ground. But it's easy to see how a smaller, up-and-coming, very API friendly game might try to duck into the mobile software space, and put together a model for how MMObile or MMO-to-go games might work.

Analyst: More MMOs on cell phones in 2008 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New product will let you MMO on the go

Samuel Axon — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:46:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, Mobile

Multiplayer online virtual worlds consume a lot of your time. It's important to put them down now and then and get out of the house to live a real life, but that's about to get more difficult; we can expect massively multiplayer online worlds to become available on our cell phones any day now. There have been a couple small scale examples already, but a company called GEMINI Mobile Technologies thinks it's produced a breakthrough product.

The product is called "the eXplo platform." It's a framework for 3D online environments running on mobile phones. Its features include customizable personal spaces (essentially player housing), messaging, photo sharing, shopping, and games. A few days ago the CNET News Blog took a look at S! Town, a product based on the platform. Initially released in Japan, it's headed to North America and Europe and will feature Facebook and YouTube integration for American consumers.

Look for S! Town in North America and Europe in 2008.

New product will let you MMO on the go originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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