Capcom Continues Its Dramatic Rise

According to mobile industry research group, M:Metrics, Capcom Interactive is now one of the top five publishers of mobile games in North America.

Capcom's success is attributed to the mobile launches of their hit console titles, Mega Man II and Street Fighter II, as well as their licensed titles, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire and Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?.

"A year ago I went on record stating that within the year you'd see Capcom Interactive breaking into the top five," said Midori Yuasa, president, Capcom Interactive. "Today that prediction became a reality thanks to the dedication of the people in our organization, and the incredible support of our partners. With our amazing stable of original intellectual property and licensed casual entertainment brands, Capcom Interactive is poised for even greater success in '08."

"Capcom Interactive's impressive rise in the gaming charts is further evidence that we are entering a new more dynamic phase in mobile gaming in the U.S.," said Seamus McAteer, Chief Product Architect and Senior Analyst, M:Metrics. "By delivering a compelling casual gaming experience based on strongly branded content Capcom demonstrates that it is possible to grab a strong share in a market that had been dominated by a handful of incumbent titles."

The Mobile Phone Blog first posted on Capcom's explosive growth last March when it had rocketed from #62 in early 2006, to #9 last year.

A Hint of the Future in the US: Completely Open Carrier

In a move that we could only hope for in the US, European based wireless carrier KPN Mobile announced that it will become a completely open platform, opening access to its network to developers to deliver wireless services to KPNs 27 million subscribers, who will be able to choose any applications and services they wish to use on any phone. Wow, sounds too good to be true. Our jobs at Movaya would become drastically easier (and our bank accounts fatter) if any of the 4-5 major US based carriers took this attitude.

From a press release:
KPN will deploy Artilium’s ARTA Connected Mobile Services platform that will allow developers to build and design applications that take advantage of its convergence capabilities to tie into any network’s operations support and billing systems and wireless ecosystem. Importantly, developers can build on the Artilium platform’s new presence capabilities to create and deliver new context-aware services that unite mobile commerce, mobile advertising and social networking, among other possibilities.

The Artilium platform is built entirely on Microsoft’s .NET framework and uses Microsoft Visual Studio, something developers know well, which will allow developers applications to work on any wireless carriers’ networks who deploy Artilium’s platform in the future.

Full article here

Stuck in Traffic? Check Out TrafficGauge Mobile

Seattle based TrafficGauge offers a service for commuters that don't want to purchase their dedicated traffic device for $180, but do have a cellphone.

TrafficGauge for Mobile Web allows you to view real-time traffic on your cell phone using the web browser. This is a FREE service that gives you access to the detailed traffic conditions that you need for your commute.

To try it out, enter your cell phone number on this page and they will send you a text message containing a link to TrafficGauge. Follow the link to view the traffic map. Alternatively, you can access the service by typing the following URL into your phones browser: http://www.trafficgauge.com/cell.html

You can select from 18 cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle.

The map shows areas of HEAVY, MEDIUM, and LIGHT congestion. Areas without available traffic information are shown in GRAY.

If you have an iPhone, try TrafficGauge for iPhone.

This is a pretty useful site and as the phone browsers advance, the quality of service will improve significantly. City Guides / Maps are currently the 5th most popular category of use on the Mobile Web in the US behind Email, Weather, Search and Sports info.

Mpowerplayer Users Reach 12 Million Mobile Games Played

Mpowerplayer, the leading provider of online mobile game trial and merchandising for the wireless industry, announced that it has surpassed a milestone of 12 million mobile game demos played by over one million consumers. This rapidly expanding audience of worldwide mobile gamers has emphatically embraced Mpowerplayer’s PC-based try and buy storefront solution.

“We’ve brought the iTunes approach to mobile gaming,” said CEO Michael Powers. “Now everyone can easily find and try mobile games right from the comfort of their PC.”

Most mobile consumers’ exposure to mobile games is limited by short text descriptions, occasional screen shots, and slow browsing on their cell phones. Analysts agree that poor discovery and hassle-prone consumer experiences continue to hamper industry growth.

With Mpowerplayer, consumers browse and play mobile games on their PC prior to purchase. Users can share their favorite content with friends via email and the web.

“With unsurpassed ease of discovery and hands-on consumer interactivity, we remove the biggest obstacle to growing the industry,” Powers said. “We unleash the market for mobile games.”

Are you a Mobile Wannabe?

According to new research from InsightExpress, a leading provider of digital marketing research, mobile consumers can be segmented into three new and distinct behavioral profiles: Mobile Pioneers, Mobile Wannabes and Mobile Traditionalists.

The Mobile Pioneer (15% of the market) is ahead of his peers in terms of mobile behavior, and uses advanced features weekly such as Internet, unique applications, and/or video. The majority of Mobile Pioneers are under 35 years old, one third of them have a smartphone, and they skew male, single and minority.

The Mobile Wannabe (25% of the market) has tried some advanced features and would like to use them more. Less than half are under 35, and only 5% own a smartphone.

The Mobile Traditionalists (60% of the market) are content to use their mobiles for phone calls and texting, and two thirds of them are over 35 years old.


Mobile Pioneers were most likely to have walked into something or someone while using their device, and most likely to have thrown their mobile phone at someone or something.

InsightExpress fielded an online survey to 1,516 mobile device owners age 18+ in January 2008. The survey data has a margin of error of between 3-6%, assuming a 95% confidence interval.

LimeLife Releases Law & Order: Celebrity Betrayal

LimeLife, Inc. and NBC Universal today announced the launch of “Law & Order: Celebrity Betrayal,” the mobile game extension for NBC’s long-running crime drama, Law & Order, now in its 18th season. Executive Producer Dick Wolf and his team were instrumental in developing the game with LimeLife to reflect the signature storytelling and energy of Law & Order.

“One of the contributors to the shows longevity has been its commitment to evolve with the times and stay fresh which includes allowing our audience to experience ‘Law & Order’ in different ways and on different screens,” said Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of “Law & Order.” “‘Law & Order: Celebrity Betrayal’ is the closest fans of the show can come to experiencing a day in the life of their favorite ‘Law & Order’ characters.”

Players work to solve New York City’s latest celebrity crime by investigating the crime scene, interrogating witnesses and bringing their key suspect to trial. The object of the game is to build as strong a case as possible and win a conviction with contextual advice and feedback from popular Law & Order cast members like Sam Waterston and Alana De La Garza. Players exhibit the evidence they have collected throughout every stage of the story during the game’s complete trial experience, and try to win a conviction to become the rookie Law & Order star.

Law & Order: Celebrity Betrayal also features four mini-games that directly affect the strength of a player’s case. At the game’s precinct location, players can help process evidence and obtain warrants by playing the Warrant Race game, and search for rumors playing the Coffee Run game. While in court, players can try their luck at Case Overload or Takeout Dash.

Law & Order: Celebrity Betrayal will be available for a one-time download charge of $6.99 or $2.99 monthly subscription fee on most major U.S. carriers.

“NBC excels at creating seamless digital experiences for all of its brands,” said Kristin McDonnell, CEO of LimeLife, Inc. “We are pleased to support NBC’s cross-media integration strategy, delivering the ‘Law & Order’ brand experience to show fans and crime buffs alike on their mobile phones.”

AccuWeather.com Mobile Web Site Shatters Records in February

Here's more data to support the growth in mobile web usage:

February was a record-breaking month for the AccuWeather.com mobile web site. The site chalked up a new monthly record with 32,760,743 page impressions in February, beating the previous record of 31,643,961 set in January 2008. The mobile site also set a new record for daily impressions with 1,792,492 on February 12th, beating the previous record of 1,527,102 set in the same month on February 5th.

Already rated among the top ten mobile brands, AccuWeather.com delivers the most accurate and up-to-date weather on the mobile web. AccuWeather.com recently released a new version of the mobile web site, enhanced with severe weather warnings, AccuWeather 15-Day and Hour-by-Hour local forecasts, weather news and blogs.

“AccuWeather.com appreciates the loyalty of our mobile users in achieving this milestone,” said Jim Candor, AccuWeather.com’s Senior Vice President of New Media. “We look forward to continuing to deliver valuable weather information to break these new records in the coming months.”

To check out the site, simply type accuweather.com into your mobile browser.

Handango Releases Smartphone Content Trends for 2007

Handango, a leading retailer of smartphone content, last week released the 2007 Year-end Handango Yardstick, a global trend report about the smartphone content industry.

For the first time in Yardstick history, Entertainment content was the leading sales category, moving from third place in 2006, signaling a consumer shift in using smartphones not just for business and productivity-related activities.

Other tidbits from the report:

- Entertainment content was the top-selling category with 17% of total sales. Business & Professional content dropped from first place at 18% in 2006, to second place at 16% of total sales in 2007. Other leading categories in 2007 were Productivity applications, such as address book and calendar, and Games, at third and fourth place, respectively.

- More than 11,000 new mobile applications for the BlackBerry were added to the Handango network. In fact, the BlackBerry collection of applications grew at the largest rate, with 135% more applications added in 2007 than in 2006.


- The Blackberry Pearl and Motorola Q, smartphones targeted to consumers for both work and play, were among the top devices for content downloads in 2007, both by revenue and number of units sold.

If you'd like to check out the full report, click here.

Samsung, Adidas team on fitness phone

Samsung has teamed up with Adidas to launch a fitness phone, the SGH-F110, called miCoach. The handset features a heartbeat monitor, step counter, built-in MP3 player/FM tuner, 2 inch LCD screen and a 2MP camera. The phone will even alert you when you aren't running hard enough. It's like having a mini coach in your pocket. Check out the video on their website and you'll see why the hard-core running set might be intrigued by this device.

The handset is scheduled to launch
in the U.K. next month but no price points have been released yet.

No Surprise - Cell Phone Most Vital Device

According to a new study released by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Americans are now more reliant on their mobile phones than their landline phones. When the research firm mounted a similar study two years earlier, respondents still cited landline phones as the more essential technology.

"The preferences have flipped," said Pew Research associate director John Horrigan. "During that timeframe, people have gotten new devices that have more capabilities. People have more experience using cell phones for text messaging and other information tools. That has helped pushed cell phones as 'go to' devices."

Mobile handsets are now the technological tool Americans would be most reluctant to give up, surpassing the Internet and television; two years ago, landlines topped the Pew Research list, with television in second place and cell phones in third.

According to Pew Research, 58% of mobile users have now sent or received text messages, a 41% increase over April 2006 totals; on an average day, 31% of mobile subscribers employ text services and 15% turn to camera features, with about 8% playing mobile games. Another 8% rely on their phones for email.

New Capcom Games - Download Now!

Capcom Mobile has recently released two new games for the mobile market - Resident Evil: Genesis and Dead Rising.

Based on the game that defined the survival horror genre, Resident Evil is an all-new zombie-hunting adventure that returns the player to the frightening events that introduced the world to the Umbrella Corporation. As one of the last remaining survivors of the elite S.T.A.R.S. police unit, the player must negotiate a crumbling mansion overrun with zombies and horrific preternatural mutations. Enemy encounters are unexpected and ammunition is limited, so the tension is high and every shot counts.


IGN gave it a solid 7.8 (out of 10) review and you can download a free trial of the game from BustedThumbs by clicking here.

Dead Rising is based on the hit Xbox 360 game. Become Frank West, a freelance photojournalist on the hunt for the scoop of a lifetime. When things go horribly wrong, Frank must fight his way out of a suburban shopping mall overrun by zombies, utilizing anything the he can find to fight off the flesh-hungry mob.

IGN didn't love the game when they reviewed it back in January, but I've played it, and it's a good time. You can download a free trial of Dead Rising from BustedThumbs by clicking here.

Product Review: Review2Buy Partners With Wine Review

We got a news tidbit today from a PR firm about a new mobile service for wine lovers. I happen to really like wine, and although I have significantly reduced my monthly spending on the stuff, I thought I'd pass this service along.

Through a partnership between a new technology startup, Review2Buy and Wine Review Online, you can now become a more knowledgeable wine consumer at the point of purchase.

Here's how it works:

Imagine you are at your local grocery store or wine shop and you are thinking about buying a nice Shiraz to pair up with a flank steak. You see lots of choices in front of you but outside of price and maybe a rating, there is not much to go on.

So, you whip out your cell phone and text the product name and vintage to 738439. Almost immediately, you will receive multiple text messages in return that provide you with Wine Review's rating, price and review. You can see a demo of the service in action HERE.

I gave it a shot by sending "Penfolds shiraz 2006" to the shortcode. I got an immediate response that told me everything I needed to know. The only problem was that the wine they returned was a 2001 Penfolds Shiraz which of course was not the one I was looking for. The product is in beta and having my own technology start-up, I'm not going to be too critical - obviously there are some bugs to work out. Nevertheless, this is a very cool service and could come in very handy.

My only real advice to these guys would be to buck up the $1,000 a month for a vanity shortcode like "wine" or "winedeals". I will never remember the 738439 shortcode.

I hadn't heard of Review2Buy before today but I guess they presented at DEMO 08 in January so they're getting the word out.

Wine isn't their only category - Review2Buy also offers product information on consumer electronics, books, CDs and DVDs.

Motricity News: Lay Offs, Moving to WA, Renewed Focus

Motricity, a heavily funded mobile content infrastructure company announced today that they are restructuring its business, laying off 250 people and moving its headquarters from Durham, N.C. to Seattle.

There have been lots of rumors about this news and the company made it official today.

The elimination of nearly half of its workforce will occur over the next nine months, with all affected workers getting an unspecified severance.

For those of you not familiar with Motricity, they provide the core technology platform that enables wireless carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile) to sell and distribute content from the device. If you've ever downloaded a ringtone or game from your phones store, it's likely that Motricity (or one of their few competitors) powered some or all of that transaction.

The Movaya team pays close attention to what Motricity does because we provide a similar set of technology to our customers who want to sell and distribute digital content for mobile devices. The difference is that Motricity's customers are wireless carriers and Movaya's customers are anyone with a website.

One of the announcements in the release that caught our eye, was that Motricity plans to retract from their non-carrier (or direct-to-consumer) business to focus on their carrier customers.

Now, one might hear that news and assume that if Motricity is getting out of the direct-to-consumer business that it must be a bad business to be in. Certainly the off-deck business is not growing as fast as some in the market had anticipated, but I think the real issue here is that Motricity needs to FOCUS on what they do well and what is paying the bills for them.

Talk to anyone in the mobile content space and you will quickly learn that the Motricity platform is far from perfect and they need to get their current house in order before they can extend their reach to new markets. Just as Movaya has chosen to focus on providing best of breed technology for off-deck mobile content sales, Motricity is best served focusing on their core business, which is providing best of breed services to wireless operators. You simply cannot be all things to all people.

But, if you are a portal or content provider that used to work with Motricity for off-deck purposes, the Movaya team would love to talk to you about how we can help. Give us a call, or drop us a line.