Is 2007 going to be the year of mobile gaming? It is certainly a big year for us at Nokia. In mid this year we launch our next generation mobile gaming experience and we're excited about its potential impact on the industry.
The mobile gaming market has grown massively since we launched the N-Gage back in 2003 and the huge installed base of over 2.5 billion mobile devices, means a market potentially several times larger than that of the console market. So whether we are in the year of mobile gaming or not it's one of the most exciting eras that mobile gaming has ever seen, one which takes it beyond traditional boundaries.
Mobile gaming is undoubtedly gaining popularity but innovation will be what encourages casual and hardcore gamers alike to accept the mobile phone as a gaming device, the discovery of new ways for players to engage and interact with games and their environment. The mobile is an amazing entertainment device and we are now starting to push the boundaries of its gaming capabilities.
Today a mobile device can contain a multitude of radios: GSM, 3G, HSPDA, Bluetooth, FM receivers and even GPS. This new super-connectivity has not just affected our lifestyles; it can also give us many of the enablers to get the most out of gameplay. The mobile gaming experience is all about choice. It's about playing your way, on your own or with friends around the world or even next door. It's about a quick five minute snack or entering a compelling virtual world and playing for longer periods.
This is something that no other medium can offer. While console games may offer rich content, they still require us to make an appointment: we must be at a certain location, at a certain time, to play a certain person or group. With mobile gaming we enter a whole new world of gaming with fewer barriers.
From Asia to Europe the mobile industry has become synonymous with innovation, and those involved in the mobile gaming industry must take this innovation and apply it to the gaming world.
For mobile gaming to maintain its momentum and attract new players we need to be innovative across the industry. This applies from distribution through to the games we are playing. If content is king then distribution is King Kong. There is no sense in creating innovative, rich and rewarding games if players cannot discover and experience them in an engaging and convenient way.
