Some notes from DigiFrance event

I am going to attend CultureTechnology symposium in Seoul at the end of June. I will talk about content crossing mobile and online as well as virtual and real from the European (game industry/culture) perspective. While looking for the latest facts and figures of the industry I noticed DigiFrance event organized by French cultural center. I though of checking it out whether it would offer some extra ingredients to my talk.

Mark Ollila talked about Nokia N-Gage which has transformed from an ugly handset into a pretty interesting software platform. Nokia is transferring social media trends (from PC Internet) into the mobile, like possibilities to Browse and Try or Modify and Review (~UGC) the content. There are at least two challenges: the limitations of the user interface and the lack of functional distribution channels. At the moment it is a bit hard to find interesting mobile content (though it exists!) and the mini joystick or keypad is not always the easiest mode of interaction.

Jani Kajala from Rovio was sure that mobile platform differences will vanish by the development of technology. He also believes that the future wireless device is mobile (cellular) phone (or multimedia computer as Nokia calls it). At the moment I find it hard to imagine a situation when I would pass on from cool and easy to use NDS with Stylus to a bulky Nokia N95 with relatively small keyboard. But time will tell... Mobile game developers certainly have a lot to do before they reach the sales of NDS.

What else? Online gamers can be divided into four groups (killers, achievers, socializers and explorers) said Stéphane Natkin. And according to Apaja online game portal's CEO Inka Mero, Apaja has invented a novel kind of online gaming which involved casual gaming, social aspects and avatars ;) What a novelty! What ever the case they seem to be doing pretty well with their portal (games like TicTacToe, card games, worm)! Their average player is pretty much the same as other free casual game portals have: F50/M50 and 30% are over 30 years olds.