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A Myspace Conversation With EA's Top Black Game Developer By Jim Neusom May 31 2006 Los Angeles - Anthony "Otacon" Inman (www.myspace.com/anthony561) is a lead developer for EA Games. Anthony Is a graduate of MIT, he is a child prodigy game designer, currently working for EA Games. Anthony has worked on gamer classics like Halo, Madden, and he just put the finishing touches on what's sure to be everyone's favorite Christmas stocking stuffer...Superman. Believe it or not, I met him casually on Myspace! As many of you know, I've been exploring the world of Myspace lately (see http://www.myspace.com/jimneusom). Trying to decide what's all the commotion about? The following is one of many reports I plan to write on my Myspace experience. ********************************************************************** JIM: Good Morning Anthony, I am so glad to meet you. Bella Donna (www.myspace.com/thedeadlynightshade) has told me all about you. Thank you for this opportunity to interview you. You are the type of Black man, I encourage our youth to follow. Your career has only just begun, and you have achieved so much... I joined Myspace because of all the media publicity (good and bad) it was receiving. What is your impression of Myspace? ANTHONY: Hello Jim, yes I have done a lot in my career, I can't really say my career has just started, because I've been in this for a few years now. I would have to say I've been developing video games for about 5 or 6 years! I started when I was about 17 years old (my 2'nd year at M.I.T.), but I have to say, I have done a lot in this industry, from my graphics work, to my A.I. (artificial intelligence) programming, but I feel as if I'm not really looked at like one of the best developers in the industry today, because of my skin color...but that's another story! I was the lead developer in the Superman Project. That's my role at EA games Lead Developer! Now as far as Myspace goes! Old America don't like what they don't understand! Myspace has gotten so much spot light why? Because it has 74 million users on it? I feel as if corporate/governmental America is mad at the fact they can't get a profit out of it? That's how I feel...I mean Myspace is a very good way to Network... there's a lot of companies on here. The company I work for EA Games, is in the works of putting up a Myspace page, so our fans can have a 1-on-1-type thing with us! I mean, was there ever this much spotlight on Black Plant.com? No Why? Everything in life has its pros and cons but I feel like Myspace is one of the best things that has happened to Technology.... I have found friends that I haven't seen since the 5'TH grade on here. So it's a keeper in my book.... But like I always say; most people don't understand the LOGIC of things... that's why I guess I'm smarter then most people... JIM: I tell people; if you want to reach Black youth, you have to hit them on their hip! They may not all have access to the Net, but they dam sure have portable gaming devices and cell phones. Can you give us a quick overview of the opportunities in developing games for mobile devices? ANTHONY: Multiplayer games are a natural fit with mobile devices, due to their inherent potential for communication, such as buddy lists, messaging, chat etc. Because they bring so many elements together (gaming, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, location based services etc), they are, by definition, more complex than mobile single player games. While single player games have been popular on mobile devices, I believe that the real potential of gaming on mobile devices lies in multiplayer games, simply because a mobile device is all about communication and successful multiplayer games are based on user interaction (hence communication) JIM: As a game developer, how do you define multiplayer vs. single player? ANTHONY: Obviously, from the name itself the game must be mobile and more than one player can play it. But, that definition hides many more aspects, for example; is a game, which spans the Internet, and mobile, a mobile multiplayer game, or an Internet based game with a mobile component? Mobile multiplayer games also have some unique issues such as latency, the involvement of community, the impact of IP changes, and so on. Gaming, in general, originates from the video gaming industry. The video gaming industry is already mature, and rivals the movie and the music industry in terms of revenue. Traditionally, there have been three ways video games have been played Console gaming (PS2, Xbox etc), PC gaming, and handheld games (Nintendo gameboy device). Mobile games were seen as a fourth platform for video games. Most mobile games today are single player games developed using Java or BREW. The game is downloaded on the mobile device as an application, and costs under $5. Many popular games are based on brands, such as Harry Potter/Lord of the ring etc. Popular genres include arcade games, sports games, and fast action games. Similar to gaming on console, and the PC, the players are predominantly male. Many mobile games seen today have been straightforward conversions of more popular games, such as older arcade games. The industry model is also similar to that of console gaming, aiming for a few big hits, but also include a large number of titles selling modestly. JIM: OK, now you're getting into the business of mobile gaming. Can you expound? ANTHONY: Within the mobile applications industry, mobile gaming is a relatively mature segment. There are well-defined channels to market, distribution models and aggregators. As the industry matures, it is undergoing consolidation with a spate of recent takeovers (for example infospace taking over www.iomo.com and Sorrento merging with www.macrospace.com). In contrast, the market for mobile multiplayer games are still nascent, even in mature markets like Japan and Korea. In comparison to single player games, multiplayer games also require a much higher rate of initial investment. In spite of these two factors I believe that mobile multiplayer games offer potential for new entrants because of the following reasons:
JIM: Is the mobile multiplayer game a separate category or is it an addendum to the existing gaming platforms on the web? ANTHONY: Certainly, many mobile multiplayer games also have a web component. Adding a strong web component, enables the game to be far more interesting, and potentially targets a larger user base. In addition, the combination of mobility, location based services, multiplayer games and social networking, has the capacity to produce a new type of game which utilizes a virtual environment mapped to a physical environment (often a city). Typically, the virtual environment comprises players using a combination of a mobile device, and the web. One of the best known examples is the Magi game (Japan) www.mogimogi.com. The basic idea is simple - It's a game 'on the move'. You pick up 'virtual' items. You trade them with other players. It also uses a combination of the web and mobile experience. The web is used for functions such as chatting. Mogi is also unique in the use of the web to differentiate between casual gamers, and hardcore gamers. Essentially, the casual player is the one on the move, while the hardcore player is the one who directs the casual players from the web console. Effectively, this brings a greater number of players into the game. I believe that the mobile multiplayer game is not a distinct category. It will be an offshoot of gaming on the web. This categorization is important, because it determines the channels to market, and also the relative importance of the mobile operators in the equation. The combination of the web, and mobility will be beneficial to all players in the industry. JIM: I have written extensively on portable gaming devices (see http://www.citylightssoftware.com/reporterindex.html) and agree with you completely. ANTHONY: Ok, I'm sorry I have more to say about next generation portable gaming devices. While we have discussed mobile multiplayer games as an evolution of existing mobile single player games, a whole new class of games are entering the market. These originate from the console industry, and include portable gaming devices like the Sony PSP, and the Nintendo Gameboy DS (we will call them portable gaming devices to distinguish from mobile phones used to play games). Benefiting from the experience of the console gaming industry, portable gaming devices already have a rich interface and a catalogue of games that they can draw on. Crucially, they use WiFi for the multi-user communication (as opposed to the telecoms network). This allows them to bypass the vagaries of the telecoms network, but at the same time they are hampered by the limitations of Wi-Fi, because they can only operate within short distances of the WiFi access point. It's difficult to say how the market will evolve. My view is these two classes of games (i.e. mobile multiplayer games, and portable gaming devices) will end up serving different classes of customers. Mobile multiplayer games will lean towards casual gamer, whereas the portable gaming devices will attract the more hardcore, immersive gamer. JIM: As you are aware, applications such as gaming, drive hardware advances. But in the mobile industry, Cellular and Internet Service Providers (CSP/ISP) are trying to create walled gardens, exclusive to their service. What impact do you see technology having on this paradigm? ANTHONY: Operators have a love / apathy relationship with mobile multiplayer games applications. On one hand, mobile multiplayer games could generate a lot of traffic. But the operators want to keep all the traffic charges. But developers would like to share a portion of that traffic revenue. Currently, since developers do not get a share of any IP traffic, they try to get an upfront fee from the customer. As a result, the uptake is lower. Secondly, the increased use of the web means that the role of the mobile operator is reduced when it comes to the multiplayer game. Bluetooth gaming also has the same impact on the mobile operators. Hence, overall, you don't see many in the mobile operator community, too enthusiastic about mobile multiplayer gaming. As far as the impact of technology goes, the mobile multiplayer games industry, is impacted in three ways: Critical mass: Single player mobile games differ from multiplayer mobile games in their emphasis on technology. For single player games, the rich user experience is important. For multiplayer games, the community/interaction is important. Thus, the winner of the game in multiplayer mobile applications - is the one who achieves critical mass. In general, simpler technologies lend themselves more to a critical mass application. In Europe and USA, at the moment, that is SMS/WAP. Latency: Latency is the time difference between the time a machine makes a request to the time it receives a response. Latency is critical in fast action games. Many successful PC and console games are fast action games. When the request/response occurs over the air network, latency is high i.e. the amount of time is longer. This means, fast action games are not suitable for mobile multiplayer gaming with the exception of Bluetooth based games. In case of Bluetooth games, latency is acceptable enough for mobile multiplayer games. Other genres are not affected by latency such as turn-based games. Devices: Briefly, the key issue is will players buy gaming only devices? A gaming only device (which may or may not function as a phone) would appeal to the hardcore gamers. Hardcore gamers have traditionally driven the console gaming industry, setting off a virtuous cycle of richer features and more expensive hardware. It's too early to say if this would play out on mobile devices Hardcore gamers have always driven the uptake of console gaming. Cinematic, immersive, richer games have led to better hardware. However, the mobile device does not lend itself well to immersive, extended game play. In the section on the impact of brands, we also pointed out that casual gamers are becoming more important and popular. The casual games model is much more suited to mobile gaming, due to its simpler learning curve, familiar concepts etc. By extension, we believe that casual gaming will also be popular with multiplayer games. Multiplayer versions of casual games are already popular on the web and can be easily extended to the mobile device. JIM: What about specialized mobile gaming devices? ANTHONY: The console gaming industry is driven by the hardcore gamers, who are increasingly more demanding in their desire for richer, more impressive games. This sets off a virtuous cycle with more powerful hardware, richer graphics etc. Most handsets are not mobile gaming devices i.e. they are not built ground up for the purpose of playing mobile games. The first serious attempt to create a mobile device whose goal was primarily to play games (rather than as a phone) was the N-Gage from Nokia. Gizmondo is another such device. Other devices such as Sony PSP and Nintendo GameBoy are handheld gaming devices but provide connectivity through WiFi and not the cellular network. The console gaming industry is well defined and predictable with hardware upgrades every four years and well-defined channels to market (mainly retail). With richer interfaces and powerful hardware, the play times for console games are increasing. They are also becoming more immersive and cinematic. In contrast, the mobile multiplayer games are more suited towards the casual gamers. Currently, the companies displaying an interest in mobile multiplayer games have their roots in PC, or console gaming. The initial single player user base for mobile games is also familiar with PC/console gaming. The N-gage from Nokia, was the first attempt to create a gaming only device. N-gage received a lot of negative press at its launch mainly due to its awkward taco like shape and its requirement to change game cards. However, the N-gage was an experiment at many levels and a worthy one! The N-gage introduced many features for the first time Bluetooth gaming, multiplayer gaming, a different channel to market (retail), richer device capabilities needed for a good gaming experience etc. I believe that there are two separate market segments here; the hardcore gamer who could be attracted to the specialized devices, and the casual gamer who will use their phone to play simpler games. The lack of unlimited use pricing is hindering many applications, especially mobile multiplayer games. Indeed in many markets, we do have unlimited use pricing today, but the price point (monthly fee) is very high for general consumer adoption. Operators are playing a delicate balancing game here. Clearly as 3G become more prevalent, the available bandwidth exists. But, allowing people to use all the bandwidth they want at a cheap rate, may lead to totally disruptive applications, such as mobile VOIP, which can cannibalize existing revenue. Thus, unlimited use data pricing is a critical issue and should be watched carefully. The market, in which we see unlimited data use at low cost, is going to see a hockey stick effect in mobile data usage, and applications such as mobile multiplayer gaming. JIM: Thank you Anthony, I'm sure my readers appreciate this short course on Mobile Gaming 101. ANTHONY: We have covered many aspects of mobile multiplayer games. Mobile technology is an ever-growing market and the applications are getting bigger! Mobile technology will always be around. I prefer a mobile game, then a platforms game. I mean, look at the prices for an Xbox 360. Its price around $450-500, and the P3, is around 650. So now you understand the need, and demand to make mobile technology better, and applications designed to fit the needs, and the standers of the users... As an application, I find it very interesting, especially because mobile multiplayer games can span both the web, and mobile. They also offer a larger scope for new entrants. Any company who can get mobile multiplayer game rights, stands to make a lot of money, especially if they can create a successful community (which offers a strong barrier to entry). JIM: Lastly, is there anything else, you would like to say to my readers? ANTHONY: Most youth do not really understand the logic of technology, and the big role that technology plays in our world to day! When I have the time, I try to teach kids all about technology, and the logic of technology! Even though I'm only 22 years old! I have done a lot in this industry... But what I'm really trying to say is, young kids in today's time like what they see on TV... Most kids don't know what technology is? They want to be rappers, athletes or something. I think we all have to take responsibility and actively try to mentor and interact with our youth. I really look up to a person who mentored me, and taught me everything I know to date about gaming (and making a good game)...Hideo Kojima. You might know him as the founder of Metal Gear. I had the honor to work with him on one of his Metal Gear games (Metal Gear 3) So I have to say he took me under his wing...this is what I want to do for others. All companies should promote Technology a lot more... Especially to our youth! --------------------------------------
About The Author: His stated corporate goal is to assist African Americans and people of color in the achievement of social and economic equality on the Net. He is a credentialed freelance writer and his opinions and insights can be found on websites, community publications and many international publications. He is a national speaker, and donates his time to teach and encourage small, minority and women owned business to get involved in Internet technology. Regular Freelance Contributor to;
The Black Web Portal Manhunt.com http://www.manhunt.com BlackPress.org http://www.blackpress.org Black Tech Magazine http://www.blacktechmagazine.com/index.shtml Afromerica.com http://www.afromerica.com/columns/neusom/ Black Filmmaker Magazine http://www.bfmmedia.com/ You can find more detailed information on his website http://www.citylightssoftware.com or read his daily posts at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_City_Lights_Reporter/ ****************************************************** This article submission was brought to you by InterServe Networks. Feel Free To Forward To the appropriate Editor and/or Feature Writer. We Practice Responsible E-Commerce Marketing and Privacy Policies. We do not indulge in or encourage Spamming. We never send unsolicited emails. You are receiving this message as part of our opt-in subscriber mailing list or you are a member of an affiliated newsgroup. For comments or suggestions please contact us at the following;
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Brother Jim Neusom will be keeping the Black community updated on the most current social and technology news. Visit regularly for new information that could help you overcome and make the best of your everyday experiences. To subscribe to Neusom's column join the Afromerica email list to receive new information as it is updated. Or E-mail Neusom at: jneusom@yahoo.com
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