Shocker: That Internet Thing? It's Kinda Fun >>
<< Rambus Sends Its Patent Lawyers After The...
 tdicon 
MVNOs And Social Networks... Perfect Together... >>
<< Rambus Sends Its Patent Lawyers After The...
 | 

Wireless

by Mike Masnick

Wed, Feb 15th 2006 7:31pm





It Takes An Amateur To Create A Mobile Game That Uses The Network

from the about-time dept

For quite some time, I've been saying that the real breakthrough in mobile gaming isn't in just taking traditional games and making them mobile, but in offering something different that couldn't be done without the mobile phone. That is, something that takes advantage of the users being mobile and connected. Others are certainly saying the same thing, though there still haven't been too many successful examples. A few developers are trying, but over at 3GSM, it looks like one of the most creative gaming ideas that does embrace what's different about the mobile phone comes from an amateur, rather than professional developer. The game, which won two prizes to beat out the pros, involves using two camera phones to act as virtual tennis rackets, batting a virtual tennis ball across a court. It looks fairly simple -- but creative in a way that could definitely be compelling.

12 Comments | Leave a Comment

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments (rss)

(Flattened / Threaded)

  1.  
    identicon
    Nick, Feb 15th, 2006 @ 8:42pm

    ummm...

    How do I know if I hit the ball when my screen is attached to the phone I'm swinging around?!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Prometheus, Feb 15th, 2006 @ 8:56pm

    Re: ummm...

    makes a noise? vibrates? flashes a light?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Feb 15th, 2006 @ 8:57pm

    Re: ummm...

    who cares, it's a goddamn phone, it's for talking on...

    are people so afraid to be alone with their own thoughts that they have to be distracted every second of every day?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Feb 15th, 2006 @ 9:16pm

    Just hope people playing it dont...

    have butterfingers and loose grip of an expensive camera phone, tossing it into who knows what (walls, trash cans, the vicious fat lady's ass who will then smack you with her 10 lb hand).

    All kinds of lawsuits and refund excuses would come up then. "Ya, I was playing a game of tennis and threw my phone at a wall, so the guy that wrote the game has to buy me a new phone."

    OR in the case of threwing it at a fat lady's ass "I threw my phone at her ass, she thought I was pinching it, and now I want the guy that wrote the game to pay my ICU bills."

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Nick, Feb 15th, 2006 @ 9:17pm

    why?

    Who actually plays the games on their phones, anyway? It's not only because they suck, when people have their cell phone they're out with friends or going out to do something, not sit around and look at a 1.5" screen all day.(Albeit my cell phone DOES have some pretty cool text RPG's :-D)

    I just don't think there is gonna be some mad obsession with playing games on cell phones anytime too soon.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Feb 15th, 2006 @ 9:38pm

    Re: Just hope people playing it dont...

    loOse grip?

    loose: v; to release or unleash.

    Well, if I had one of those obscenely expensive camera shoe-phones, I don't think I'd be loOsing my grip anytime soon. They'll get my expensive pointless phone when they pry it out of my cold, dead hands. Or in a year when it's obsolete.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Nick, Feb 15th, 2006 @ 10:03pm

    Re: Just hope people playing it dont...

    As long as by year you mean it's already outdated...

    :-P

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    Mike, Feb 15th, 2006 @ 11:34pm

    Re: why?

    ahhhh Nick my friend... by your comment, i understand that you have passed the age of "doing-more-than-talking-on-the-cellphone".
    never mind, there are some cool bridge players in all the nursing home's... :-)

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    moop, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 3:35am

    what if....

    I want one that has star trek phazer capabilities...or one that can make me a pizza that would be cool......

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  
    identicon
    Nick, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 6:07am

    Re: why?

    Actually, I still have my old Nokia from 1999. I love the battery life but it's gigantic.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  
    identicon
    Joey, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 7:31am

    ispott might be onto something too

    here's another example of a unique mobile game. it's a lot of fun, too. http://www.ispott.com

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  12.  
    identicon
    SUPER NINTENDO NERD, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 11:47am

    Just get a Rev.

    If I want to play games such as that or better, I will wait for the Nintendo Revolution to enjoy with my kids, is seems it will have a more phisical play then other consoles..

    anyway, why would anyone play stupid games on a phone...

    If its good then ill try it .. heh

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


Add Your Comment

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? Register here
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Save me a cookie
  • Note: A CRLF will be replaced by a break tag (<br>), all other allowable HTML will remain intact
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>
Shocker: That Internet Thing? It's Kinda Fun >>
<< Rambus Sends Its Patent Lawyers After The...
 tdicon 
MVNOs And Social Networks... Perfect Together... >>
<< Rambus Sends Its Patent Lawyers After The...
 | 
Follow Techdirt
Flattr rss rss
A word from our Sponsors...
Sponsored Resource
Essential Reading
Techdirt Reading List
Techdirt Insider Chat

A word from our Sponsors...
Recent Stories

Thursday

11:05am: Prenda Lawyer Says Georgia Court Should Ignore Judge Wright's Order Because... Look! Hackers! (6)
10:01am: Chicago School System On FOIA Requests: Stonewalling, Obfuscation, & Paper-Shredding (12)
8:57am: VOD Service Acetrax Shutting Down, Forcing Customers Through DRM Hoops To Retain Their Purchased Movies (29)
7:58am: Man Butt Dials 911 While Discussing Murder Plot (15)
5:51am: Kim Dotcom Threatens To Sue Google, Facebook And Twitter Over 2-Factor Authentication Patent If They Don't Help Him (129)
3:44am: Amazon Wants To Sell Fan Fiction With It, Originator And FanFic Author All Sharing Profits (45)

Wednesday

11:54pm: Cool New Platform For Supporting Artists: Patreon, From Jack Conte (19)
7:53pm: Modest Proposal: Going Piracy Neutral (34)
5:00pm: DailyDirt: Graduation Advice To Remember (3)
4:32pm: New Bill Would Stop Patent Trolls From Hiding Behind Shell Companies (25)
More arrow
A word from our Sponsors...

Close

Email This