Blog 2: Once Wimpy, Cellphones Got Game

The article, “Once Wimpy, Cellphones Got Game,” from the Wall St. Journal discusses how technological “soothsayers” predicted that the market for video games on cellphones would greatly expand. Writer Chris Lawton goes on to explain how initial efforts by companies like Nokia to develop this software resulted in the first line of “primitive” cellphone games. Then Lawton moves on to explain how companies are now using IT to improve the quality of games that can be played on cellular phones. Lawton explains that the cellphone industry’s use of new technologies such as GPS, touch-screens, and faster processors in their products has encouraged the mobile-gaming industry to develop new compatible software. This new gaming-software technology will supposedly allow users to play longer and more detailed games that have better graphics. So now, smaller gaming software developers like the company Polarbit are being sought after with large corporations, such as Sony and Nintendo, to develop more sophisticated technologies for use in cellphones.

In this was, Lawton shows that communications giants like Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung are using the advanced software in the games played on their phones to tap into this $500 million dollar mobile-gaming industry. The article moves on to discuss how specific companies like Electronic Arts and Gameloft are providing full length and graphically accurate cellular-games to cell phone providers. The importance of this new more capable software is also evident in the way cell phone manufacturers are catering to the gaming-software needs, such as widening LCD screens, and adding sufficient memory.

I first found that the features and complexity of these new game-software programs seemed to be very innovative. They allow users to download more applications, play games without pressing a single key, and even participate in games with friends via e-mail or text. I’m sure that the entertainment these features could provide would attract a wide variety of consumers.

I can see how implementing this new software technology in cellphones could be entertaining to consumers; however, I don’t see a lot of reason as to how they could be beneficial. Having played the old “primitive” Nokia games such as Snake, I think it is very interesting that companies would bother spending so much money in researching how to improve these games. The original games did there job of keeping users occupied and providing a simple challenge for the time being even with its dull graphics and straightforward game-play. I don’t think that games need to be much more sophisticated on cell-phones because consumers can easily play on a gaming console such as Xbox or Playstation instead of settling for a game on their phone. In this sense, if even the earliest games were effective, then why should companies spend excess money on developing new games?

I personally think that this increasing interest in the computer games for cellphones will only make companies raise the cost of the phone itself to supplement for the increase in cost for IT research. For example, SonyEricsson, whose products are usually retailed at around $100, is coming out with a $350 phone. This price increase reflects the fact that the new phone is meant to be compatible with newer gaming-software. Furthermore, I think that in charging customers around $10 to install each game on their phone, companies are only trying to find another way to get money from customers in the same manner as purchasing ring-tones. Since the ring-tone market has clearly slowed, I feel like adding improved games is only a way to entice customers to download further applications and features for their phone that may not be necessary. So although the concept may seem entertaining, the addition of this new IT may not actually be completely valuable for consumers.