A mobile game is a video game played on a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA or handheld computer. This does not include games played on handheld video game systems such as PlayStation Portable or Nintendo DS.
The first game that was pre-installed onto a mobile phone was Snake on selected Nokia models in 1998.[citation needed] Snake and its variants have since become the most-played videogame on the planet, with over a billion people having played the game.[citation needed]
Mobile games are played using the technologies present on the device itself. For networked games, there are various technologies in common use. Examples include text message (SMS), multimedia message (MMS) or GPRS location identification.
However, there are non networked applications, that simply use the device platform to run the game software. The games may be installed over the air, they may be side loaded onto the handset with a cable, or they may be embedded on the handheld devices by the OEM or by the mobile operator.
Mobile games are usually downloaded via the mobile operator’s radio network, but in some cases are also loaded into the mobile handsets when purchased, or via infrared connection, Bluetooth or memory card.
Distribution
Mobile games can be distributed in one of four ways:
* Over the Air (OTA) - a game binary file (typically BREW or JAVA) is delivered to the mobile device via wireless carrier networks.
* Sideloaded - a game binary file is loaded onto the phone while connected to a PC, either via USB cable or Bluetooth.
* Pre-installed - a game binary file is preloaded onto the device by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
* Mobile browser download - a game file (typically Adobe Flash Lite) is downloaded directly from a mobile website.
In the US, the majority of mobile games are sold by the US wireless carriers, such as ATT, Verizon, Altel, Sprint and T-Mobile. In Europe, games are distributed equally between carriers, such as Orange and Vodaphone, and off-deck, third party stores such as Jamba, Jamster, Kalador and Gameloft. Third party, off-deck game stores have not yet taken off (as of 2007) in the US, as the US based carriers use a ‘walled garden’ approach to their business models.
The popularity of mobile games has increased in the 2000s, as over $3 billion USD worth of games were sold in 2007 internationally, and projected annual growth of over 40%.