There are times when a multi-touch, mini QWERTY, or a keypad is just not the right “fit for purpose” for what you want to do on your phone. So what do you do? Well there are quite a few options that one can choose from in order to get a better experience out of a 320×240 small screen. One company that is almost ready for primetime is Zeemote.
With a bluetooth enabled mobile phone, this controller comfortably fits in the palm of your hand and can sit for hours and play your favorite mobile game until the battery wears out. In speaking with Jim Adams, Vice President of Business Development at Zeemote, at GDC2008, he told me that two Zeemotes can be connected to one device and support games like 2 person fighting or racing games. It easily fits in your pocket and the first product that comes out is not the smallest form factor it can get. He said it typically takes game developers anywhere from a few days to about a week to add in the Zeemote SDK and recompile for an existing title. Any game developer can sign up for an SDK and get a few Zeemote to try out and recompile their game and re-release it, being Zeemote compatible. At this time, the following configuration needs to be supported for the Zeemote: Devices need to be MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 and JSR 82 Bluetooth Protocols. Right now, since Java is the dominant platform for games, the total number of devices is just over 50 (at time of publishing) and support tends to mostly be Nokia, Motorola and SonyEricsson of the GSM flavor, but two devices on Sprint, the LG Fusic and Muziq are also supported. The device currently runs on AAA batteries, but I’m sure a rechargeable model will be out soon.
While you can make gaming more exciting, how about other types of controllers to enhance your mobile phone?
I met with Doug Naimo from Triggerfinger Software a few weeks after GDC2008 and was asked with him about what his company was doing in this area. While he was not wedded to a particular form factor he was focused on providing software that can be put into various controllers. He showed me everything from a game console controller for the Wii and Playstation, to a military spec heads up display where a soldier can use a few buttons and a joystick to send and receive orders and communicate with their central command or other units. The user has the ability to type letters, numbers and special characters as well. While some might argue that the interface is slow and cumbersome, for confined spaces, maximum portability, or helping the handicap, this does provide a good alternative. Ideally, Doug would like to work with several hardware OEMs and embed his software. He currently is working with both the US Military and Education to explore ideas on how this can be used in the broadest sense.
Logitech and Kensington have had much success building accessories to the main device, why not the mobile phone? Even though there are billions of subscribers, it might have to do with the fact that a really small percentage of them are games. Even still, the phone does not have quite a universal interface nor standard game play like a console game or a desktop PC. One might argue that this presents a significant opportunity for a Logitech to leverage its economies of scale and practice of working on standards for interfaces and connectivity. No doubt both the handset and game publishers as well as Logitech and its competitors will be watching Zeemote and other upstarts, ready to pounce.
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