Chapter 2.6: Wireless Business Models

Overview

Johanna Wilson

<[e-mail]>

The wireless gaming market is an industry that is rapidly changing. This change is due in part to the rapidly changing wireless technologies as well as the adaptation of wireless technologies and how services built on these technologies can be billed. These factors influence the business model for wireless games. Therefore, an overview of the most common wireless technologies is necessary to understand wireless business models. Equally important is the sales model associated with these various technologies, as it impacts how you can derive revenue.

Current wireless gaming technologies include Short Message Service (SMS), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), J2ME as well as others such as the Palm PQA and BREW. Each technology has its strengths and has various amounts of usage associated with it. This article concentrates on the first three of the technologies mentioned as they are commonly available and well suited to wireless gaming. An overview is provided for each technology, followed by technical and revenue considerations for each.