CTIA: Games

Mobile gaming is riding high on the momentum created at the Game Developers Conference that was held early this month in San Jose, CA. No doubt, this segment of the mobile entertainment industry has suffered from some lingering issues such as the inability for consumers to trial a game before they buy it, the clunky user interfaces that often require 15 to 20 clicks before a purchase is complete, and the relatively high price of a game download (somewhere between $5 and $7 per game). Nevertheless, many mobile game executives say that the gaming experience on the mobile phone is improving and they are expecting to usher in a new era of mobile gaming in the coming months. Look for ad-supported gaming to generate some buzz at CTIA. Operators, advertisers and ad agencies are enamored with the prospect of ad-supported games as a way to reach the elusive younger consumer. Interestingly, this is the first time in recent memory that there isn't a single mobile gaming panel at CTIA or Billboard's Mobile Entertainment Live! event.  Perhaps that fact alone says enough about the current state of mobile gaming. -Sue