Mobile Games

Posted by Fox on March 1, 2008 at 4:19 PM

Bejeweled, the incredibly addictive puzzle game, has been made available for the iPhone. This is great example of what to expect from iPhone gaming when a professional games developer turns its attention to the device.

Bejeweled has you swapping adjacent gems to match three or more jewels in a row. Make matches to score points.

This is really great casual game and a really addictive time killer. It's colourful game play is beautifully executed.

Play Bejeweled free on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Visit myijump.com/bj/ using your Safari Browser.

Bejeweled is also available for 5th generation Video iPod. You can get it via iTunes.

Source : Best Casual Game for iPhone and iPod Touch

Posted by Fox on September 14, 2007 at 4:34 PM

This offer is for UK and USA mobile phone users. Very cool! Register with m:metrics and download their free mobile app to your cell phone. They'll pay your £15 JUST for joining and £5 EVERY month that you continue to have the software on your mobile.

What does the free mobile download do?

The software records usage of various mobile phone features - email, web browsing, games, etc. - and securely returns the data to M:Metrics without interfering with the normal use of your phone.

Your personal data/information is never sold or disclosed to marketers.

Why?

M:Metrics provides high quality consumer research to mobile industry leaders. Mobile service providers, phone manufacturers, and games and content publishers use their research reports to determine what new features and services to develop.

How to Join?

1. Go to their site here.

2. Choose your mobile handset and fill in and submit an online membership form.

3. Receive a text message on your phone.

4. Click the "Install link" in the text message and follow the simply instructions to download the software.

That's it! You get £15 for joining and £5 a month if you continue to have the software running on your mobile. No brainer!

Posted by Fox on August 6, 2007 at 12:28 PM

This is how mobile games should be! This mobile game ties in with The Bourne Ultimatum movie, the third in the Bourne series starring Matt Damon.

The graphics are smooth and the gameplay exciting. It's got hand to hand combat, gun play and motorcycles. what more can you ask for from a mobile game?

The Bourne Ultimatum Mobile Game Screenshots

   

You can check out a demo of the mobile game online here, see a cool video promo of the Bourne Ultimatum mobile game here (yes, a promo of the mobile game) or just get over to the really, really cool 'The Bourne Ultimatum mobile game official home page'.

Posted by Fox on July 24, 2007 at 6:29 AM

At last, a decent Harry Potter mobile game... Based on the 5th Harry Potter movie 'Harry Potter and The Order of The Pheonix'... Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts is shaping up to be his most dangerous yet. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about the return of Voldemort in order to undermine his power, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the students.

But Professor Dolores Umbridge's ministry-approved course leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared, so Hermione, Ron and Harry form "Dumbledore's Army" with the goal of preparing themselves and other courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that looms against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Harry Potter Mobile Game Screenshots

     

Mobile game features usually vary by handset.

• Immerse Yourself in Magic - Interact with magical objects and portraits in Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic.
• Perfect Your Wand Work - Cast spells to unleash powerful fifth-year magic.
• Lead Dumbledore's Army - Meet with fellow students and teach them Defense Against the Dark Arts.
• Relive the Magic of the Movie - From the start of the term at Hogwarts to the epic battles at the Ministry of Magic.
• Meet Your Favorite Wizards - Play as Harry and Ron and interact with Hermione, Cho, Ginny, Umbridge, Dumbledore, Snape and many more characters.

Get The Game

See also:
Free Harry Potter Mobile Theme
Harry Potter Puppet Show on your Mobile

Posted by Fox on July 24, 2007 at 6:07 AM

Here's a good looking Simpson's mobile game from EA Mobile. It's called The Simpson's - Minutes To Meltdown.

Here's the company spin... Visit Springfield for an amazing adventure with the Simpsons. Guide Homer in a race against time as he tries to prevent a meltdown at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Along the way, interact with Bart, Mr. Burns, Apu and more of your favorite Springfieldians. Avoid hazards like burning tires and giant sinkholes while you navigate Homer through his fast-paced, perilous mission. Watch out for Krusty the Clown, Officer Lou and others who try to stop Homer from saving the day.

Features usually vary by handset.

• Play as Homer Simpson. Race against time to save Springfield from impending doom.
• Meet your favorite Springfieldians. Cross paths with some of Springfield's favorite residents, including Marge, Lisa, Bart, Maggie, Mr. Burns, Barney, Moe, Apu, Krusty the Clown and many more.
• Fun mission-based gameplay. Explore the Simpsons' home as you search for Homer's car keys. Rush through Downtown Springfield as you avoid attacks from townspeople and potential disasters. Race against the clock in order to get to the Springfield Power Plant in time to stop a meltdown.
• Vibrant graphics, dynamic animations and amusing sound effects. Experience and enjoy the ingenious world of "The Simpsons" on your mobile phone.

Get the Game
View Screenshots

Posted by Fox on June 14, 2007 at 8:11 PM

Glu, a prominent mobile game developer has launched a Transformers mobile game, based very loosely I suspect, on the Transformers Movie.

Battle as OPTIMUS PRIME and fight DECEPTICONS across the world. Change from robot to vehicle and use special weapons in combat. Help the AUTOBOTS find the Allspark - the true source of power!

Game Features:

• Play as OPTIMUS PRIME and convert from vehicle to robot with special weapons
• Battle DECEPTICONS across multiple levels as you search for the Allspark
• Locate IRONHIDE ™ and RATCHET ™ to aid OPTIMUS PRIME in the fight
• A unique and robust combat system never seen before on mobile

Check out the mobile game and try the free demo here

Posted by Fox on June 11, 2007 at 2:04 PM

I'm really liking the emerging Free Mobile Games Networks. Up until now, nearly all free mobile games sites have been on a subscription basis, where you sign up to get a free game and then find yourself billed weekly or monthly for access to another "free mobile game". Hmm, not really free is it?

It was a natural progression for some smart arse to get the idea of offering free mobile games to mobile gamers, that contained a small advertisement. You get the mobile game free in return for looking at a advertisement that's built in to the mobile game.

There are 4 parties involved in the arrangement.
1st: The Provider. The web/WAP site from which you download the free mobile games.
2nd: The Mobile Game Developer. The company that created and coded the mobile game.
3rd: The Advertiser. The company that pays to have the ad placed in the game, in the hope of having you buy or use their product or service.
4th: You, the mobile gamer. Arguably the most important of the four.

Normally, whenever you buy a mobile game the provider passes a fee to the mobile game developer. This can be as high as 75% of the purchase price. The provider simply scrapes a small commission for each mobile game sold.

With the Advertising Supported Free Mobile Games, the provider still pays the mobile game developer a fee for each game you download, but instead of YOU paying for it, the provider has sold ad space in the game. The provider uses this money to pay the developer.

So the developer still gets their fee for creating the game, the provider still gets to scrape off a small commission for each free mobile game downloaded, and you get to play the game.

Advertisers Getting a Bum Deal?
Of all those involved I think the advertiser is one that gets the bum deal. The ads in the free mobile games are usually nothing more that an image/splash screen that shows up at the beginning and at the end of the game.

Due to current technical restrictions, these ads offer no engagement to you the mobile gamer. There's no button or link to click if you're interested in what they have to offer. It's just a line of text that says "go to www.blah.com".

Worse still is that there is little feedback for the advertiser. Sure they know how many people downloaded the free mobile game containing their ad, but there's currently no acceptable way for the advertiser to measure the success of the ad.

Understand that the mobile game developer usually has a back catalog of mobile games they have developed and simply hands these over to the provider on a disk. It's the provider that inserts the ad in to the mobile game code, and it's not rocket science to add a splash screen at the beginning and the end of a mobile game.

For this to continue to grow and succeed, the ads need to offer a return on investment to the advertiser. The only way this will be achieved is with more interactivity for the mobile gamer and more measurement for the advertiser.

So, where's it heading?

Well at the very least I think we'll see more ads appearing through out the mobile game, at the end of each level for example. We'll see an option to visit the advertisers WAP site in the game options.

There are plenty of ways in which you the mobile gamer can be engaged. Prizes from the advertiser for top score tournaments. Unlock codes for new levels that you can only get from the advertisers web site. All of these are possible right now, it's just a matter of time.

One thing is for sure, the mobile game developers are going to to start building these features in to their games.

to be continued...

Posted by Fox on June 3, 2007 at 10:23 PM

Mobile games on your cell phone have come a long, long way since Snake on Nokia handsets. If you've yet to download and try a mobile game I highly recommend it.

There are mobile games to suit everyone, from simply card games such as Solitaire to arcade games such as Sonic The Hedgehog, all playable on your cell phone. My personal favourites are the racing games for mobile phones. Very cool!

So, I'll be hunting down the best mobile games and giving you the heads up.

As always, your really welcome to use the 'Comments button/form' to let me know of any mobile games you're currently. I'll make sure it gets featured for other Thumb Lounger readers.