"If we sell it under our brandname over multiple networks, we then have to bear the marketing, advertising and promotion costs ourselves. Very few game and content developers and aggregators have the deep pockets mobile telcos have.

"On the other hand, if we sell the game or content to a mobile telco, they can promote it easily but they would also own and control it," he says.

"Aggregators" buy others' games and host them on their platform and offer them for sale. They're the mobile equivalent of Internet portals, claims Tan.

Another problem facing developers and aggregators is the availability of mobile handsets and their unique characteristics and control codes.
"So, developers like us may have to prioritise our applications and content development for the most popular makes and models of phones or devices," says Tan.

"Different networks often employ different standards and protocols, thus posing problems for developers too since they have to tailor their application to cater to all these differences," he adds.

For instance, UnrealMind Interactive has developed pure-text SMS (short message service) games for all SMS-enabled phones; while its EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service) games are available on suitably-enabled Motorola, Siemens and Ericsson phones, as well as on Nokia phones that use Nokia Smart Messaging technology.

The last uses different standards for graphics.

The company is also in the process of developing games for the currently limited number of Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) phones.

"We can also offer chat, flirting, quizzes, voting applications, as well as downloadable ringtones, operator logos and picture messaging, and also have games for WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) phones. Our games for J2ME (Java to Mobile Edition) phones are on the way," claims Tan.

Low barriers, language issues
The low barriers to entry are also a problem since competition is fierce, with many developers offering the same thing to the telcos.

"Thus it's important that mobile game and content developers develop a working prototype or demonstration application which they can show their customers, and not just go in with a concept since there will be plenty others with 'just a concept' too," says Tan.

While the success of mobile games and content in South Korea have been held up as indicators of possible success in Malaysia, Tan argues that the language issue makes a big difference.

"Most Japanese only know Japanese while most Koreans only know Korean, so the mobile telcos there effectively have a closed market to sell their games and content to," says Tan.

"However, I'm afraid that as mobile phone standards are harmonised globally, with our knowledge and usage of English here, we'll find most locally available games and content coming from the English-speaking countries like the United States and Britain.

"Undeniably, their content is good, given their experience, availability of funds and creative culture, while local developers will have difficulty getting Malaysian games and content accepted in those countries," he adds.

Fighting chance

However, Tan remains optimistic and is confident that local developers can survive if they remain focused and innovative in the face of competition, whether it's foreign or local.

"At the end of the day, it's not about the technology but the content that counts – including its creative, cultural, communicative, game interface and packaging aspects, and the whole user experience the game provides," says Tan.

A chemical engineering and commerce graduate, Tan left a software company and founded UnrealMind Interactive one year ago.

"UnrealMind Interactive survives mainly on sales and typically charges customers a fixed up-front fee, plus revenue-sharing from each SMS message sent," says Tan.

For instance it developed the Chabomzie (Tech.Plus, Oct 10) role playing SMS game, where players help "Chabomzie" – UnrealMind's mouse-like detective – solve mysteries for a chance to win some prizes.

In its latest Chabomzie II game, currently available to Maxis Mobile and Hotlink subscribers, players must help Chabomzie solve the mystery of who stole the Kahinoor (sic) diamond.

Subscribers can still play Chabomzie II by sending an SMS to 28100 with the letters "cz" in its message body to get instructions on how to play.

The company also supplied Chabomzie to Orange Gum, a games developer in Singapore and also UnrealMind Interactive's business partner there, and is currently negotiating a deal to supply Chabomzie to an unidentified mobile telco in Europe.

Tan's optimistic that the formerly much-hyped and now-much maligned Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) still has a future, but is still ahead of its time.

"The first SMS was sent in 1991 but SMS became a hit only in 1998. Likewise WAP will take time to get accepted," said Tan. "Just consider that a modern-day MMS message goes through a WAP gateway and that's already a step forward for WAP."

UnreadMind has a website at www.UnrealMind.com and can be reached by phone at (03) 2161-3730 .