TimeLapse
targets cellular games.
Startup founded by LucasArts
design partner and PC gaming vet
North Bay
$1.25/Since 1987
February 7/ 2005 / Vol. 18 No. 43
| BY |
LORALEE STEVENS |
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STAFF REPORTER |
NOVATO - TimeLapse mobile, a startup
founded by a PC gaming veteran and a LucasArts design
partner, may signal a new industry for Marin County's
talented soft-ware and multimedia community: cellular
content. The startup is focusing on the lucrative gaming
segment of cellular entertainment,which includes ringtones,
wallpaper, music,and even adult material.
In 2004, $1 billion was spent globally on Cellular gaming,
about $200 million-$300 million of that in the United States.
In the next few years, the global market is projected to
reach $8 billion, according to figures gathered by SofTech,
a North Bay high-tech trade organization.
"The U.S. market isless advanced than Europe and Asia,
but it's growing quickly," says TimeLapse co-founder
Michael Nelson. "Over the last 18 months, we've seen
more than $400 million in investment funding flowing into
mobile gaming." With a market that large, it's no
wonder that handset makers, wireless carriers/ and PC and
video game makers are moving quickly to establish a foothold
in cellular gaming. But Mr. Nelson and his partner Lawrence
Holland believe the market is new enough and volatile enough
to offer opportunities to small/ innovative developers.
"The established players tend to look down on what
they consider the bottom end of the gaming market/" says
Mr. Holland. "But the past year has been a wakeup
call as far as cellular content is concerned.
"The cellular phone is now the most ubiquitous computing
device in the world. There are one billion handsets in
use today. And unlike the relatively slow spread of computer
technology/ cell phone life spans are short/ and new technologies
and services can be adapted at lightning speeds."
The company expects cellular games to follow the trajectory
of PC and video games "but much faster," says
Mr. Nelson. "Right now, we think innovators are favored
over large, established gaming companies because the medium
doesn't lend itself to the memory-rich, graphics-driven,immersing
qualities of video games.
"Video games are designed to be played for hours.
Cellular games should engage users for five minutes or
less/ while they're standing in line or riding the subway."
Staying on top of pop
Mr. Nelson, as president of Hasbro/Microprose during its
major growth phase, was responsible for building the Tetris
brand line and launched the popular Falcon 3.0 flight simulation
program. Mr. Holland has designed and developed computer
and video games for more than 20 years, creating some of
LucasArts' most successful titles.
The partners are targeting the 15- to 25- year-old demographic
with their initial game/ focused on pop culture and designed
to appeal to both sexes.
"We started with three focus groups at San Rafael
High School, and clearly what they enjoyed most was answering
questions that pertained to their own culture and building
on their success," says Mr.Nelson.
He and Mr. Holland agree that staying on top of pop culture
could be difficult for developers a generation removed
from their targets, but they believe that the users themselves
will show the way.
"We'll rely mostly on a field team of young people.
But in this age of cell phones and the Internet pop culture
flows rapidly and is very accessible/" says Mr. Holland.
"Once we attain a critical mass of users, their feedback
will tell us what direction the culture is taking."
Interest is key, TimeLapse will market its games initially
to the wireless carriers using a publisher/distributor
model.
"Eventually/ cellular gaming will transcend the carriers
and be marketed directly to users through Web portals or
publishers" predicts Mr. Holland. "The current
carrier purchasing model is flawed because it's very difficult
to select and buy a game by reading a six-line description
on a phone screen/ unless the title/ like Tetris is familiar."
According to Michelle Bushneff vice president of production
for the mobile phone applications developer Digital Chocolate
small companies like TimeLapse will find it difficult to
catch the eye of the Verizons and Cingulars.
"The time is past when the carriers would consider
dealing with more than a handful of developers unless they
have a recognizable title. Small developers will
be better off selling to agencies and aggregators that
supply the carriers or [to} companies like Digital Chocolate
which will distribute work by innovators" she says.
"But innovators are a long way from being squeezed
out by established players. It doesn't matter how much
money you have if you can't interest the carriers in a
cellular game."
However, TimeLapse has already sparked some interest from
major carriers, according to Mr. Nelson. By March, the
partners hope to show their game at the CTIA (wireless)
show in New Orleans.
"Our goal is to have a finished product by September,
at which point we'll seek venture funding," he says.
"Another goal is to demonstrate that small companies
with strong ideas still have a shot at big markets. And
if there's one cluster of designers that can do it, it's
here is Marin County."
For more information call 415-455 8062 or visit www.timelapsemobile.com.
# # #
Public Relations Contact:
Shital Mehta
Shanth Interactive
415.623.2036
E-mail: smehta@shanthinteractive.com
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