Rants And Ramblings About Mobile Technology
Anders Borg writing about the fun and crazy world of mobile and Internet service technologies.
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Tuesday, August 22, 2006
How to reach a broader audience for mobile games
Karl Woods at Kiloo believes that "offering free demos, sample levels or even ad-funded free games would entice consumers into at least trying mobile gaming"."Think of it like the crack cocaine model. You offer the customer a free rock, and they get hooked."
I wouldn't say gaming is addictive in the same way as the chemically induced addiction caused by drugs. Yet some games, like Sims and World of Warcraft, are clearly addictive for many players.
The most effective way I've seen to catch mobile gamers without advertizing is high scores, and that works also for very simple games (the high score is the driver, not the game itself).
But the industry needs to understand that advertizing is needed to reach a broader audience (the same way any other unknown consumer product is advertized).
Also the selection of games could affect sales. I think the following can appeal to more people:
* simple yet very addictive games like Tetris, Pac-Man, Solitaire etc
* easy-to-learn multiplayer games (where actually Sims- and WoW-like games might fly), especially if they include chat rooms, bulletin boards and high scores
The rest probably just don't want to play games on their phones.
The mobile industry must change its retail model - Kiloo - News /// MobileIndustry.biz
