Analyst makes big claims for mobile games in 2008
Android to be mobile gaming darling and World of Warcraft mobile incoming (apparently)
As is typical this time of year, people are going prediction crazy and none more so than those ever forward-thinking industry analysts.
Usually mobile games don't get much of a look-in on this territory but venture capitalist Baris Karadogan from ComVentures has been talking up the future.
First off is the no-brainer that the Google Android operating system has the potential to relieve mobile developers of the headaches typically associated with mobile development.
"Getting apps and phones certified is a big daunting, time-consuming and frustrating task. Palm will attest to that, having lost 25% of its market cap because it missed certification. Android sets these developers free," Karadogan ventures.
It's a good point and we are certainly excited to see what open standard platforms like the new N-Gage, Android and the iPhone will mean for mobile games in 2008.
Perhaps less likely is Karadogan's prediction that 2008 will see World of Warcraft arrive on mobiles - something we covered on the Pocket Gamer blog almost a year ago.
"You will be able to play a small version of World of Warcraft on your cell to win a small number of experience points," he claims. "The game will be different but it will be the extension of the overall experience. So when you have three hours free, you'll play the real thing, when you have 30 minutes free you'll play a small casual game on your PC that counts towards your experience in the big game and when you have 5 minutes free you'll play the mobile handset version.
It's all great in theory, but will Blizzard make that step when they have remained so reluctant to launch a console version? Such features seem better suited to a new MMOG, rather than being retrofitted to an existing one, in our opinion.