Future Shock: Too much change in too short a period of time; Toffler's best selling book written 37 years ago, has aptly foretold what the mobile gaming world has become. The past few years have been a wild ride. Mobile gaming change has been revolutionary while console gaming has progressed in a "business as usual" evolutionary path.

Think about this . . . every week multiple mobile handsets are launched, form multiple vendors on multiple networks, while the console hardware vendors lumber along giving birth to platforms in five-year cycles. Beyond handset proliferation/differentiation/non-standardization are network complexities, and digital distribution value chain complexities. Many of the readers of this column are familiar with the console gaming market – the commerce drivers, the risk factors, the tactics employed to mitigate risk, the challenge of physical distribution and channel management; but how many of you have a fundamental understanding of the complexity of the mobile games market? From production, to distribution, to the platform, this is a different beast. The process of moving a game through the various stages of production through the various channels into the hands of the consumer is complex and confusing enough to drive many a seasoned producer to consider therapy.

Consider these facts: 1) The average console gamer upgrades their platform every five years, while his mobile counterpart does so every 15 months. 2) 79.9% of the U.S. population owns a mobile phone; think about it, today four out of every five Americans owns a mobile phone.

By now you're thinking . . . "wow, what an opportunity!" Think again, what a headache! While video game console publishers might think life is tough with ports to five consoles, consider the plight of the mobile publisher who routinely completes 200 ports for each title, while publishing 12 to 36 titles per year. That's 7,200 ports per year and just if the distribution is limited to the United States! This is the one overarching difference between the worlds of console and mobile – successful porting is a key success driver, as important, and some publishers may argue, more important than content. It's not enough to produce a great title; each user needs to have the same experience whether they own a vintage handset or a tricked out Smart Phone.

So . . . what about the content? What are these mobile gamers buying? Brand, classic and casual, that's it. Month after month, the best seller list is populated by recognizable, simple to play brands. A mobile gamer is looking for a "snack gaming experience" in these brands and that's exactly what they deliver. With little time to "browse the aisles," they purchase the first recognizable title. A console gaming experience can be likened to a "meal," with plenty of time to peruse a menu and enjoy the ambience, while mobile gaming is more in the vein of a "snack," a short stop at Starbucks, with little concern for niceties, but with the understanding there will be a quality experience – albeit quick. Mobile gamers don't want a snack based on leftovers from their meal the night before – rather, they want a familiar, quality snack. Contra 4, recently released by Konami, has been ported to both the mobile platform and the Nintendo DS. This branded content offers the optimal meal on the platform and a quality snack on mobile. A mobile gamer needs an intuitive, single thumb, "pick up & play" game design. By optimizing the handset's hardware and software interactions, publishers can creatively offer up a unique quality snack.

With 243 million mobile subscribers the universe of potential mobile gamers dwarfs that of the traditional console denizens. Frankly, the console publishers have ignored the broader market by unnecessarily focusing on the niche demographic of the twenty something males. The console universe is dwarfed by the mobile possibilities. Granted there are challenges – merchandising comes to mind. You can pick up a console box at the point of sale and get a general feel for the game. In the mobile world, your view of the merchandise is limited to the title. For this reason, branded classic franchises are of great value in the mobile world. Managing to take that franchise and seamlessly place it on a new platform with an understanding of its limitations, benefits, and possibilities can unearth new and exciting possibilities.

So there you have it – tremendous market size differences, combined with merchandising challenges, simplified game input mechanics, porting complexity and rapid transport technology evolution render mobile as a breed apart. Although a different beast, don't let the unfamiliarity dissuade you. There is opportunity here – but only to be achieved by those with an understanding of the mechanics of the market and ecosystem. Without a key understanding of the fundamentals, the mobile gaming possibilities will never be realized. Too much change, too fast . . . no, opportunity for those who grasp the emerging trends and have a vice-like grip on their vision.

[Note: Over the next couple weeks, Part 2 and Part 3 will dive into distribution and value chain issues, respectively.]

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About Joe Morris

As Vice President and General Manager of Konami Mobile, Joe Morris is responsible for driving the long-term strategy, vision and development of wireless products and platforms, including mobile gaming, mobile storefronts and premium content download. Additionally, he is responsible for developing business strategy, managing acquisitions and forging relationships with carriers. He joined Konami Mobile in 2005 with an immediate task -- to design an executable and profitable business plan for distribution of Konami's intellectual properties into all top tier wireless carriers in the Americas. Two years later, profits have increased fourfold, and the company has moved from obscurity into the top ten domestic mobile game developers.

Prior to joining Konami, Morris worked at Verizon Wireless as the Associate Director of Marketing and Sales Operations for the western region. In that role, Morris was responsible for the development and execution of product marketing strategies and initiatives across all distribution channels.