How Microsoft, Nintendo, And Sony Will Bring Portable Gaming to Mobile Computing Market

Some quick thoughts about mobile gaming in the age of app stores, casual gaming, and diminished support for portable gaming consoles, is it time to give thought to how Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will go on. I see a merger of platforms, birth of new ones, and a salad of old tech mixed with the new.

Which is better?

After iPad, Who's Next?

This iPad week whether mobile warriors from other camps like it or not. But it'll be over eventually and another platform will get the attention. So who might that be?

Amazon with Kindle? Sony with a slew of Viao tablets powered by PSP 2? Nintendo surprising us with DS tablet or Microsoft mashing Zune, Xbox , and WM7 into a revolutionary alternative to mobile computing?

How about HTC, Dell and HP? Well, I don't have much hope for these three based on what I see near-term but I like to be surprised.

More at Onxo Mobile Devices for analysis on who has the best chance of offering a complete mobile computing experience.

Mobile Summary - What's Been Happening In the Mobile Market

Things are moving very fast in the mobile world right now.  So, here is a brief summary of things that I've kept up with.

Android

• Android seems to be making a huge run for a chunck of the mobile users.  I haven't seen this kind of excitement in a platform with the number of different gears out there since the early days of Windows CE.  Even Dell, a traditional Redmond ally, is entering the mobile market with Android.  
• Droid is kicking up a lot of dust.  At who, well, that's hard to say now.  Though I don't like the keyboard or the boxy design, I like everything else about it.  Bigger screen than the iPhone with a whole lot more resolution.  And it's thinness is something worth noting.  All that without sacrificing battery life. Also, it runs Android 2.0.
• I recently rooted my G1 for tethering and installing Google Navigation.  I think this is why Android has such a large following.  Smart smart folks involved and it is more open than the iPhone will ever be.  Of course, that's both good and bad.

Windows Mobile

• I'll be honest here and say I don't know what's going on.  I know the HTC's HD2 is out.  But no WM 7 or Zune integration.  On the other hand, Zune gaming is looking good this week with additional 3D games.  As an Apple fan, I am contemplating getting a Zune HD just to see what the big deal is.  Yeah, I'm a gear lover.  I'll still be getting iPhones, Macbooks, etc. 

Palm Pre

• After the iPhone, I'd get the Pre.  Right now, the Android devices are underpowered and new gears won't be out until 2010 with better insides.  Today, Palm's stock price jumped on rumors that Nokia is looking to take it off the market.  I don't know if Nokia wants WebOS but with a bunch of former Apple guys with access to NOkia's deep pocket and treasure, wow, this would be better than if Dell picked up Palm.

iPhone Platform

• Not a good few weeks.  Okay, iPhone demand continues to be strong.  Shortages and stuff like that.  Except in China where today, it has sold 30K in about two weeks.  Orange managed that in one day.  But then, I wouldn't get a crippled iPhone either (no Wi-Fi in China).  
• Oh, and even as it provides a tool for developers to see how their app is doing through the approval process, Apple is facing a new revolt of sort
• There are now 100,000 apps with over two billion downloads.  
• Still waiting on the iTablet. Lots of blog chatters about Apple trying to save the print realm.  

ATT Versus Verizon

• This is interesting.  You know those 3G commercials?  Verizon is doing the same thing that Apple has being doing to Microsoft with the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" campaign.  Alright, maybe VW took some liberty at how it wants to influence potential customers or VW customers looking to jump ship to join ATT.  ATT has decided it would have none of it no more and has sued VW to make them take off the commercials and for damanges.  ATT has a lot to lose as it is rumored that they will lose their iPhone exclusivity in 2010.
• ATT issued a memo disputing VW's claims.  More at electronista.
• Again, the commercial is pretty good for its entertainment value.

Nintendo

• It's never enough.  Nintendo is a cash machine but apparently, it's never enough in a capitalist society.  So, what happened?  Well, I'm thinking the economy has more to do with it but news and blogs are saying it has more to do with the iPhone.  Okay, maybe some but not all of it.  Still, it's been a while since I've bought a Nintedo handheld and I won't be getting it until it's like the DS 2 or something.  The next version of DSi will have bigger screens.  Let's hope that Nintendo decides to bring more than just that.  The iPod Touch is not completing with the DSi or PSP directly because it can do so much more.  But because it can do so much more and by the sheer installed base, it is getting a lot of attention from traditional gaming outfits.  It'll be interesting to see how Nintendo responds.  We already Know Zune is going into Windows Mobile and Xbox mobile gaming is likely just around the corner.  Maybe Nintendo should buy out Palm and add DS gaming to it?  What do you think?
• Crunchgear doesn't think Nintendo needs to worry about Apple right now.  Not yet.  I agree, for now.  Nintendo, with the recent price cut to the Wii is going into the important Holiday Season with more sales than Xbox, PSP, or PS 3.  

Google

• See the above Android section.
• Google just bought Gizmo5.  VOIP with Google Voice.  Match made in mobile heaven.  This is interesting because there were talks that Skype was interested in Gizmo5 until eBay, Skype, and the former owners of Skype settled their disagreement.  Imagine how this works out.  Android devices requiring only data access and calls via VOIP.  
• More on the Gizmo5 buyout:  Daily Wireless, CNet
• With the purchase of Gizmo5, look out for blogs and news reports about exploding VOIP markets.  Folks will be jumping on the bandwagon about it.  Take it easy.  Skype isn't going to sit this out.  But love to see Google Voice go at it with Skype.  An Edison-Tesla type of brawl in our time.
• Chrome OS is coming a lot nicely.  We should see it in the next few weeks.  
• While we're on Google, CNet has an interview with Google's CEO and made a claim that Docs will be just as good as Office.  About the Docs statement, I don't use OpenOffice for the same reason I don't use Docs as much.  You want to rival Office?  Check out Numbers from Apple.  Go ahead and copy it, Google.  Microsoft said it copied OS X.  So that's okay.

RIM/Symbian/Others

• This week, it was reported that phone sale growth resumed in the third quarter of 2009.
• 45 Million smartphones shipped worldwide,  representing a 5% growth. More if you're willing to pay $7000 for the rest of the report at Strategy Analytics.  Yeah, this is all I need to know.
• Here is a table lifted from IntoMobile.  Nokia is number one, followed by RIM and Apple.  Apple with just two models (and two various of the 3GS) may put a hurt on others next year.  Nokia is in the pole position with 39.3%.  RIM has 20.8% (great growth) with Apple trailing at 17.1%.  No one has has double digit marketshare or growth except folks in the "others" category.  
• Nokia, mentioned above, in looking to snatch Palm off the market, according to Barron's.  

Here's my thought in all of this.  The ideal situation is each of the mobile giants have an equal share of the market.  That way, it keeps them all honest and their innovation engines running high.

So, this has been what's going on the last couple of weeks in mobility.

Microsoft Needs To Say "Enough!"

Microsoft Needs To Say "Enough!"  No more screwing around.

It's time for Redmond to start changing rules and find another way to become relevant in the mobile sphere.  If you spend any amount of time on the Internet going through tech and gadget blogs, virtually everything you've read about is Android, Apple, Google, more Android, and iPhone.

I've read a few Windows Mobile mentions but mostly about how irrelevant WM has become in light of the surge of iPhone and the Android platform.

That's not to say that RIM should be fine with it.  Two main topics regarding the No. 1 smartphone maker in North America did not put the Canadian company in a positive light.   One was about how Storm 2 has failed even before it is out as Verizon Wireless concentrated on the Droid launch with Motorola.  And what's the other one?  Oh, it's just that the Apple is within striking distance of overtaking RIM as the number one device maker in the US.  Both negative and competing platforms still manage to get attention in the posts.

But back to Microsoft.  What's Redmond to do?  I don't have a solution but I do know that this cannot continue or else, desktop or office suite dominance, it will not matter in a few years as more folks rely on their mobile devices to conduct their personal and business affairs and continue the march away from desktops, laptops, and even netbooks.  (Chrome OS will likely gain a lot of attention in the netback segment even as Microsoft is trying to get folks to upgrade to Windows 7).

One example to look at is what Palm has done with Pre. While Palm came out with a good competitor to just about anything that was on the market.  But it lacked many things that others on the market had like its own music and app store.  At least at the time when it debuted in June, the app store was virtually nonexistent.

For Microsoft, Zune HD was a move in the right direction but it was mere a piece of a complicated puzzle.  With Danger, Zune, and the forthcoming WM 7 in the right mix, it can be a force to be reckon with in the mobile landscape.

However, Microsoft cannot afford to simply copy of what Apple has done with the iPhone ecosystem.  The fact that Apple can create a walled garden is uniquely an Apple experience.  Microsoft will likely be looking to partners to help flesh out the hardware as it offers the software (including games) portion.

I think this debate has not be settled and continues at Microsoft.  Can they continue to rely on partners or go at it alone, at least, in the initial part of their roadmap to reclaim relevancy in the mobile market?  It has demonstrated that it can make a first rate mobile device with Zune HD.  So don't be surprise when Zune HD continue to evolve with more functions and software.

And don't be surprised if Zune component of the mobile strategy gains a more robust gaming ability.  With the Tegra chip power the ZHD, it is a powerful system that so far is largely under utilized.

At the end of the day, Microsoft needs to provide an unique experience only Microsoft can provide.  It has an arsenal of impressive technologies and a very deep pocket.  But the window of opportunity is closing and it better hit it out of the park with when Windows Mobile 7  is launched.

WM 7 has been delayed more than a year.  I am hoping it was a year well spent.  I simply sensed that the old thinking about mobility at Microsoft has to be thrown out and something new be reborn.  Maybe Microsoft needs to let something go or break any mold they've been using so that something new can be reborn.  

Note:  Something new at Microsoft.  Hmm...here's my honest opinion about Steve Balmer.  Get rid of him.  He's no good for Microsoft and as a shareholder, I cringed every time he speak and then proven wrong weeks or months later about competitors or prospectives of Microsoft's own product.  Dude has got to go.  He's still living in the Windows 95 era.  

MIcrosoft Next Step After Nokia Deal

I was quite disappointed that the mobile Office deal between Microsoft and Nokia did not involve Bing. That would have been a great coup for Redmond. And these days, Microsoft can use all the good news and victory in the mobile market.

So, what ought to be Microsoft's next move? It has neither momentum (Android and Blackberry) in the market or it is perceived as an innovator and has something the market wants (iPhone).

Here are a few things I like to see:

• Buyouts - a delicious target is Palm. Don't be surprise if this sneaks up on you. While Apple fans like to call the current crop of former Apple execs and engineers as castaways, they were there when the iMac, iPod, and OS X were built. At worst, some of that Apple energy should have rubbed off. At best, you're talking about a team that has the potential of building the next greatest thing.
• More synergy between Zune, Xbox, and Windows.
• Zune HD with wireless (zune phone for some). It's coming. You know it. I know it. But it might not be many think it is. It certainly won't be called a Zune Phone. I think of the Zune HD with 3G or LTE. MS can reach deals with wireless carriers for this purpose. VOIP will be allowed. Apple is said to be working on a similar deal with Verizon Wireless.

More on Zune phone. It will have to be a Microsoft designed device. At least with the first device, it will need tight control over quality and design. I've got the G1 and while it's mildly success for a generation one phone, it should have been better. Android devices won't really show the potential of Google's OS until next year when it can support better and faster chips.

Microsoft is racing against the clock and it doesn't have the luxury of two to three years to get it right.

As for the buyout. It might not seem make sense on the surface. It's not really about WebOS either though Microsoft should take a look at it and incorporate key features into Zune and Windows Mobile. It is about the energy and culture that Palm brings. It has a lot of fans who still remember it's glory days.

Palm brings a lot of talents and technology. It also give Microsoft the excuse to reinvent itself. And it'll give me hope that the wireless market won't be a iPhone-versus-Google-versus-RIM world.

What's Going To Happen This Week? Some Random Thoughts

The last week, we were possessed by the Apple debacle with its app store.  I wonder what's up for the coming week.

I would have though by now, we would be hearing a lot of more about the Blackberry Storm 2 and what Microsoft may be coming up for its Windows Phone platform.  I think the sleeper here will be Microsoft.

If you recall last week (though Onxo didn't talk about it), Microsoft was attempting to recruit iPhone developers and showing them how to port their apps over to its new app store.  It'll be truly interesting to see how this all translates.  However, we are a 4 to 6 weeks from Microsoft unveiling its Zune HD.  Though I wouldn't have though it a year ago, but Microsoft better have some huge developer supporting it from the beginning or else, Zune isn't going to any further.  Right now, Zune sales and support has been a huge drain on Redmond's resources.  But I still believe...

At the same time, be prepared for more Apple tablet rumors.  Man, it's just not going to go away until the device is unveiled by Apple.  There are two schools of thoughts on this.  Some believe it will be coming, only the when is in dispute.  I'm in that camp.  Less probably are those who also believe these tablet rumors are mere Apple's insidious rumor-mill going into high gear to get competitors to waste millions on deverloping their own tablets that Apple already know will have no takers.  We'll see who's right in 2010 (that's when I believe it'll come out - though I'll gladly be wrong should it ship this fall instead).

The long-term view is, I believe, going to be on Android.  I think the second half will make or break Android as a viable mobile platform.  Though I'm not sure the iPhone has anything to worry about from Android, others will.  The iPhone's worst enemy will be Apple itself and it'll always have a core of supporters around the world.  However, Symbian, Blackberry, and Windows Phone will need to make great charges to stay viable.

Can There Be One Dominant Player In The Smartphone Market?

When people think about the OS market, it's Microsoft.  When people think about MP3 players, it's iPod.  There's no question about that.

When people think smartphone, you probably get quite a different picture.  And it matters who you  talk to.  Blackberry.  Windows Mobile.  Symbian.  Am I leaving anyone out?  Hmmm....probably.

Palm's newly minted CEO, Jon Rubinstein, believes there can be multiple winners in the smartphone and mobile device market.  It's an assessment that many folks including myself also believe in.

There was a time when Palm had the whole PDA market to itself after Apple withdrew with the Newton all the while people begged Jobs to buy Palm.  Of course that didn't happen.  Today, Palm is struggling to be relevant in the mobile market.

As for Apple, it'll be years before we know if the iPhone has enough attraction and Apple has the ability continue to innovate ahead of its competitors.  We know Apple has planned years ahead.  Nevertheless, iPhone exclusivity deals will keep Apple from an encore performance with the iPhone as it did with the iPod.  It's likely that if Apple will dominate a market outside of MP3 players, it'll have to be a market of mobile devices it creates all to itself.  For now, Apple will have its followers.  A good number to be sure but nothing like the iPod market.  But Apple products tend to generate a loyal following.

RIM likely has the best chance to be a dominant player in the market along with Nokia.  The problem is both of these companies lack the passion it once had.  Nokia with the cell phone market and RIM with the smartphones.  Without reasons for mobile users to stay loyal to these two brands, they will continue to find users looking else where for their mobile needs.  However, if either of these two companies do find that spark of passion to truly innovate, watch out, folks.  Nokia has the best name recognition but RIM is looking to make a big move in China.

That leaves Android and Windows Mobile.  It's hard to say at this point for these two wild cards.  Wild cards?  Because we know so little about how Windows Mobile 7.  We don't know if Zune will be included in the mix or not with Windows Mobile.  Has Microsoft found a cohesive mobile strategy?  We know Android is cheaper in terms of licensing but it seems to lack focus.  Google and its superfriends have had only one Android device, the G1, on the market.  There is also talk about Android in netbooks.  As far as I'm concerned, Android needs more work and until Android 2.0, anything else is beta.

So perhaps, Palm's CEO has is correct.  There will be many winners in the mobile market and there's will be not one super dominant player in the market.  Still, the potential is there for one or two companies to make a move to put a hurt on its competitors.

Zune HD A Taste of What's To Come For Windows Mobile

Over at On Apple, we posted a "don't worry" opinion on what Zune HD means for iPod Touch developments and Apple fans.

However, it's not like we're saying Zune HD isn't a great hardware.  We just don't think it's the right comparison with the iPod Touch given Microsoft's own admission that Zune HD doesn't have a full-blown mobile OS and we've yet to see what else it's capable of doing, storage capacity (thought we think it'll be between 16-32GB), and how long the battery life will carry an user through the day.

We firmly believe that Zune HD, though a potentially formidable video player to be sure, is merely a taste for mobile warriors of what's to come from Redmond.  If you visit Gizmodo's first impression with the pictures and video, you'll see that Microsoft's risky decision to integrate Zune with Windows Mobile or even Microsoft's zPhone (Zune phone) later on may work out better than anyone believe (let's not kid ourselves.  A Zune phone is forthcoming).  In the past, Onxo wasn't sure that it was that integrating Zune and Windows Mobile was a move Microsoft need to make nor one that was likely to work out well.

Whatever Microsoft's answer to the current mobile offerings in the market (Android, Blackberries, iPhone, and Pre which has yet to be released), it's obvious that a lot of work was put into this.  There's no doubt that Zune HD has elevated mobile video entertainment to another level with the OLED screen.

What remains to be seen is what Windows Mobile 7 can hold up its end of the bargain in this two-prong OS.

What I'm curious about is the roadmap that Microsoft has laid out for mobile computing, mobile entertainment, and, lastly, Windows or the Xbox.

First the mobile realm.  The iPhone has garnered  a lot of attention with the surprising move into casual gaming, I'm still a year or two away from really believing that Apple's mobile platform has the staying power in gaming against entrenched veterans.  So the iPhone gaming may not be Microsoft's concern.  Rather, its foes Microsoft is more familiar with:  Nintendo and Sony.  It's a good bet that mobile gaming devices from Nintendo and Sony will make leaps with their next upgrades.  We've not heard anything yet regarding Zune HD's gaming capability and we might not until Windows Mobile 7 is out.

It's safe to assume that all three video gaming giants will have gaming stores for wireless downloads like Apple's iTunes app store.  Microsoft will have an advantage in that its OS is a mobile platform whereas Nintendo and Sony's platforms are largely gaming in nature.  We'll have to see if Microsoft does go with a dedicated gaming device at the end of the day, like the DS or PSP, or modeled Zune/WM's gaming potential after Apple's strategy.

If Microsoft does decide to stress Windows Mobile's mobile computing capabilities and relegate the integrated Zune capability into the role of a sidekick, then it's natural who it's competitors will be.  In this case, we won't know until Microsoft has phones and mobile devices with WM 7 installed in the market.  WM 7 maybe going up against Android 2, iPhone 3.0, WebOS 1.0, fall 2009 Blackberries if it comes out early 2010.  Closer to the middle of 2010, the comparisons will be totally different at that time.  At that time, Zune's media capabilities will be at a disadvantage.  Also, keep in mind that Apple is pretty good at upgrading the iPhone OS every two or three months with new features.

I've also wondered if Microsoft will aligned a Zune gaming device (likely powered by Windows Mobile) closer with Windows or the Xbox.  Or neither.  Microsoft can make Zune Marketplace open to all of its proprietary platforms and provide users the choice of deciding if they want to play their music over the PC or Xbox.

A bit confused?  Yeah, me too.  Most folks have left the Zune for dead but months later, Microsoft surprises us with the Zune HD (did I mentioned that in the case of Zune HD, the "HD" is for the HD radio and has nothing to do with video?).  It is proof that Microsoft has finally decided on a strategy for its mobile platforms.  For Zune and WM fans, and mobile users in general, the mobile computing, and maybe gaming market is going to get really exciting in 2010.

Note:  In Microsoft's press release, there were a lot of missing details.  Maybe I'm an optimist but I hope Microsoft purposely left out information for competitive reasons and it is saving it all for a final announcement a la a special Zune event in the fall.  Love to hear more about its current functions (unannounced ones, I hope), storage, battery life, and pricing.

Source:  On Apple

PSP 2 - Standalone Gaming Device or PSPhone?

Now that Microsoft has indicated Zune will find its way into Windows Mobile devices, will Sony do something similar with PSP? To jump start their status in the smartphone and gaming market? Two birds with one stone?

Alright, PSP is not the same as Zune. PSP is doing well. Zune is, well...Zuned. Microsoft really has nothing to lose but much to gain if Windows Mobile 7 gains wide adoption and allows Microsoft to regain a position it once held at as the top smartphone platform. And Zune maybe just what Redmond hope will do that. Tie together are Xbox, Zune, and Windows Mobile.

For Sony, they are looking at this differently. PSP is a relatively successful gaming platform. Thus, the risks are greater. If Zune doesn't work out in WM 7, Microsoft takes it out. It's already tarnished as a media device. No big deal.

However, do it wrong, PSP get Zuned and Sony gains nothing in the smartphone market.

So, what to except from PSP 2? I've read and heard a lot of rumors but nothing is concrete. Sony is most definitely working on the PSP successor. They started on it even before PSP was finished. You know that. I know that. It's the nature of business. However, one might wonder if the gaming success (real or not is up for debate) of Apple's mobile platform changed things in Japan a bit.

Perhaps before the iPhone came out, PSP 2 was suppose to be another standalone gaming device. HD screen. More powerful graphics. New designs. It was like the same thing for WM7, just another incremental upgrade and anything touching involves a stylus. But that all changed in the couple of years.

The battlefield was clear and defined and all the players knew each other well before Apple joined the game. Sony and Nintendo locked in a chess match in the portable gaming market while WM, Blackberry, Symbian, and Palm fought it out in the smartphone market. Apple sort of pulled the two markets together and changed the rules with a true mobile computing platform.

I'm gonna go out on a limp and say that Sony will leave things as it is. PSP 2 will be a standalone device with an app store of its own while gain some mobile computing functions. The question is why will we see it?

What do you think?

Zune - Where To?

Microsoft is looking forward to Zune hardware updates for 2009.  Didn't exactly say when in 2009 but we have their word on that.  Of course, this is today and we've got eleven more months in 2009 left and a lot can change.  After all, back in December, we had all assumed Zune was going to take a chunk of Apple's iPod marketshare.

Where to now for Zune?  $100 Million less than Redmond was expecting.  No major hardware update last year.  Could Microsoft be thinking to fold despite public statements to the contrary?

There is a lot of different directions Microsoft can take this that any speculation from wild rumors on blogs to Wall Street analysts is just as valid.  In fact, I'm likely to believe blogs than Wall Street dumb-dumbs these days. Regardless, I hope Zune doesn't go away.

I was reading a Zune-centric blog and I misread the title.  I had taken Windows 7 for Windows Mobile 7.  Guess where I like to see Zune features show up?

Presidential Mobile Warrior

We already know President-Elect Barack Obama is just as tech savy as the average mobile user. He's got a Macbook and an iPod. Sorry, not a Zune. He had a Blackberry but the Secret Service likely made him give it up. Yes, Apple fans. Even if he used an iPhone, he still would have to give it up in the name of national security.

What makes Obama a different mobile warrior than the rest of us are his rides. Air Force One. Okay, maybe a couple of you readers out there might own a jet or two. But nothing like the AF One.

Now his limo. On the day he takes office, Jan 20th, he will be riding in a brand new limo the Secret Service had it custom made by GM for the forty-fourth President of the United States.

I first saw it last night on CNN but now ABC News is also having a go at the new armored Presidential ride.

• At least 5 inches of plating
• Run-flat tires
• Seals to prevent against chemical or biological attacks
• CD player - this is the only piece of technology we know the limo has for sure.
• Not in the ABC report but what I saw on CNN was that it has these locks and bolts that seals the President in the car to prevent someone on the outside from ripping the door off.
• According to the news on TV, the President will be completely sealed from the outside. No outside noise whatsoever.

I'm sure it'll have some sort tech we might be familiar with. Of course, I'm just speculating but giving how this President likes technology and how much his Presidential campaign and transition period relied on the Internet, there are likely a couple of gadgets in there we can expect to see. Well, it's what I like to have in the limo if I was the President of the United States.

• Mobile communication center - I'm not taking about just cell phones. The Presidential Limo will have a hub for Internet access.
• Television - like LCD monitor for video conferencing.
• Forget the CD player, dude. Just need a jack for the iPod.
• Oxygen supply. I'm guess this is in there because if the limo is sealed from outside, it'll need air somehow.
• Like where the President will be sitting is going to be a remote or arm rest where he can control his onboard tech. Not different from what Kirk or Picard has in their command chair.

Source: ABC NEWS

If you were President, how would you like to outfit your limo?

Encroaching on Nintendo's Turf

Can Nintendo afford to upgrade every so often while mobile devices like smartphones have a shorter upgrade cycle?  The reason I posed this question is because a lot of smartphones and mobile devices are now making gaming one of its main features or soon will be.

Granted that Nintendo has sold millions and made gazillions from its handheld devices dating back to the original Game Boy, I wonder if Nintendo needs to upgrade their devices on at least an annual basis or even shorter cycle given the encroachment of mobile devices like the iPhone and iPod Touch.

More and more, it looks like Apple is serious about making more out of gaming than anything originally though.  I don't see folks getting torn up between Nintendo's DS offerings and iPod Touches when they consider a mobile gaming device yet.  Not for a while.

Nintendo will do just fine if they want to make a device that is gaming first and other functions are secondary.  Nintendo fanboys are just as loyal and likely have a larger following.  If the legendary gaming giant continues to innovate and not take them for granted, they'll follow where Nintendo leads.

And Apple is not the only people Nintendo has to worry about.   While I can't say I have any clue where Apple plans on taking the iPod Touch (I've got a few theories), others like Sony and Microsoft with Apple on the consumer mobile phone front and that means they'll have to offer compelling gaming as well.

Nintendo's problem with Sony is that Sony has a legacy and it is well known world-wide for its phones and Vaio laptops.  Sony can leverage its mobile gaming offerings in ways Nintendo can't.  PSP2 is a bit far off still (according to Yahoo).  But can we expect an iPod Touch-like device from Sony that merges PSP or even creating a "Vaio Touch" with PSP gaming?  Wouldn't you love seeing one of those?

Microsoft could be closer to releasing something to compete with the iPod Touch and iPhone than Sony.  Nintendo doesn't have to worry about Microsoft moving into mobile gaming the way it has to worry about Sony.  For the most part, I'm not sure Redmond knows what it really wants to do.  Zune phone is a given.  Zune gaming is likely but it has to decide if it'll be Zune gaming or Xbox mobile gaming.  Do it wrong and it'll confuse the heck of consumers.

Bottomline for Nintendo is if it can afford for the coming mobile gaming war to come to it or strike out at it's competitors now before it becomes an issue.

Source:  Yahoo News

Note:  I've largely excluded RIM, HP, Dell, and Nokia in all this.  It'll be interesting to see how they can fit into the mobile communication and gaming platform debate.

Quick Thought On Mobile Gaming - Those clouds over the horizon may mean war

Over at On Apple, we find out that Konami is about to back up Apple's assertion that the iPlatform (iPhone, iPod Touch) is a serious gaming platform with 4 new games.  All legacy titles. 

Now, I don't know if Nintendo or Sony is quaking in their boots (I don't think they wear boots though) about Apple.  I doubt it.  Not yet anyway.

However, there have been rumors about PSP2.  Engadget just sort of poured some cold water on that talk.  Still, we know it's gotta be coming.  We just don't know if it'll be PSP2 or PSPhone, or both.  Okay we do.  But I have to wonder just how cool it'll be if it is the PSPhone instead of just PSP2. 

And how about Nintendo?  With DSi, Nintendo added features to the system beyond just gaming.  It sure took its time doing it but I'm sure more non-gaming features are due out.  And we also have to wonder if Nintendo will becoming out with a DSphone or it's happy with DSw (widescreen - I made it up just now).

Who else is left?  Redmond.  Zunephone is coming.  It's a matter of time.  And you're saying it's gotta have gaming too.  We agree.  Microsoft will be a bit more interesting.  It's got Zune, Xbox, and Windows Mobile.  It'll have to figure out how to balance between competing with Apple on the entertainment as well as the enterprise front. 

I'll get into the dynamics of a gaming war between these four later but one thing is for sure, the entrenched players, Nintendo and Sony, have a lot going for them but Apple and, possibly, Microsoft aren't folks you just brush aside.

Source:  Engadget

MacCandidate Will Also Be iPresident

World leaders who are democratically elected, be warned.  What laptop you use or what MP3 Pplayer you take to the gym may make or break your ascendency  to the presidency or whatever highest office that is in your land.

In the midst of a global recession, terror threats, and any number of dozens of political, economic, and environmental issues that President-elect Barack Obama and his transition team has to grab by the horns and hit the ground running on January 20th, apparently, just as important is assuring the American public and the international community that he was a Macbook candidate and will be an iPod President is just as important an issue.

So important is this issue that an Obama spokesperson has to come out and dispel a story that Obama jams with a Zune at a local gym in Chicago.

But if you think about it, Obama had openly talked about his family's Macbook during the campaign.  There's no reason why he would go out and get a Zune after that.

It's just amazing the kind of impact of a product that has sold 150 million units can have on Presidential politics.  History might be a bit different had Obama talked about using a Presario or Inspiron and Senator McCain's advisors had made him look more tech savy with pictures or video footages of the Senator with an iPhone and a Macbook Air.  Karl Rove uses an iPhone.  They could have used the Architect.

Note to future Presidential candidates:  just as you'll likely make the ethanol pledge when you're in Iowa and the rest of the Midwest, make sure you make the iPod pledge as well.

Source:  PC World

First, We Find Out Obama Uses A Blackberry And Now...

The last couple of weeks in mobility was dedicated somewhat to the subject of President-elect Barack Obama having to give up his Blackberry due to security reasons.  Makes sense.

While the Jobsian cult was not to happy to learn that the next President of the United States uses a Blackberry but at least they can take comfort in the fact that once he enters the White House on January 20th, 2009, he'll have to give it up.  No iPhone but no Blackberry either.

But now this.  Apparently, someone saw him at a Chicago gym.  Cool, right?  We all know he works out.  We also know he likes music.  Who doesn't? so he must have a MP3 player, right?  President Bush has an iPod.

Well...Apple fans, read no further if you don't want your heart broken by the man you elected to be the next leader of the free world.  You will not like what he uses as his MP3 player.  Macenstein has the details.

Note:  Well, at least we know Obama uses a Macbook or Macbook Pro.

Microsoft To Compete With iPhone

You're saying it already does with Windows Mobile.  I agree.  Windows Mobile is a very big platform.  Successful?  Well, that's up for debate.  The mobile landscape is always evolving and Microsoft i probably feeling a lot of heat from increased competition (but who isn't).   And we've been predicting that such a situation was likely including Microsoft developing its own mobile device.

Given the changes in the last year (iPhone, more folks developing smartphones for consumers), no longer is Windows Mobile good enough to satisify both the business world and consumers are the same time.

A while back, we said Microsoft warranted watching because everyone was very focused on RIM, Nokia and Apple.  We also said we should watch what Microsoft would be doing for this Holiday Season but our silliness got the better of us.  So, 2009 is definitely a year to watch.

Here's the thing.  MIcrosoft has to make their mobile plstform fun.  I'm not talking about having games and eye-candy customizations.  I'm talking about getting mobile warriors to want to carry it around and use it and make it a part of their daily lives.  Blackberries has the e-mails and messaging, while the iPhone has web-browsing, iPod-features, and generallly friendly UI.

Microsoft has tons of experience with UI and it also has experience with consumer electronics like Xbox and Zune.  Onxo definitely see Microsoft developing a mobile platform that can combine the best of the Blackberries and the iPhone.

So, folks, we are only confirming old news.  Just like the digital music realm, Microsoft has figured out that it can't simply develop a platform and let others do as they please with it.  Like the Zune, Redmond is getting their hands dirty once again to against smaller but more nimble foes.  If you want something done right, you'll just have to do it yourself.

My bet is we'll see something spectacular, provided this new Microsoft mobile device is not handicapped by wireless providers.

Source:  The Inquirer (Must Read)

Mobile Gaming: Nintendo May Not Be Worried About Industry Challenges

Everyone will saying gaming is about quality and not about quantity.  Well, some quantity too.  But this is something Nintendo knows and this is why Wii has done so well.  Make a quality game system and people will follow.  It's the same for the DS and back to the original NES.

Then Sony came along and tried to get into the mobile gaming secgment with the PSP and I think it has done well with a more powerful gaming  experience in terms of graphics and expandability.

Recently, a newer version of Nintendo's handheld, DSi, available initially only in Japan is an answer to lower ales and quite possibility to differentiate itself from PSP.

Onxo being a place for mobile rants and an American-centric focus can't help but bring in a little about the iPhone or the iPod Touch.  I'm sure eventually, RIM and Microsoft will be getting into the  mobile gaming arena.  Still, I don't think Nintendo is really too concerned about these new upstarts.

Nintendo has always been an innovator.  Dual screens.  Wii's controllers.  And they stick to their guns when they have to.  Cartridges.  Leaving out DVD playback function because it would get in the way of Nintendo's game experiences.

With the recent campaign by Apple to push the iPod Touch as a mobile gaming device, you have to wonder, I have, if Nintendo has anything to worry about?  And it is an effort by Apple to move into the hearts and minds of gamers that Apple is serious about games.

Apple does have the app store on its side with a couple thousands of games.  More games than the DS and PSP libraries combined as they like to spin things.  Trust me when I say they are not exaggerating and umber will most certainly grow.  Plus, the iPhone and the iPod Touch features pretty impressive hardware at that.

But in the end, I can't say that Nintendo has to worry about anyone else, including Apple for a while.  For gamers, it still comes down to quality.  And Nintendo with its smaller library of games than Apple or other mobile platforms,  including Windows Mobile, has depth and a traditional gaming experience that folks have come to know and expect from the gaming giant.

That's not to say the situation won't change.  Others will get better at producing quality games with depth and Nintendo will need to innovate to differentiate its platform from all the rest.

DSi  is okay but I can't wait for DS 2.  Personally, I'm betting on something really special from our Japanese gaming overlords.  What would you like to see from Nintendo's future handheld system?  Me, I'm looking for more social features like video chats and general mobile computing features like e-mails, texting, and browsing.

Note:  DSi's pricing is a bit disappointing.  But it is Nintendo, so I suppose it should command some premium.

Another note:  I would love to see Apple and Nintendo collaborate on a project.

Mobile Update for October 29, 2008

Today, many G1 owners got a rude awakening when T-Mobile suddenly ended our 3G/EDGE services causing widespread panic.

Apparently, we have been part a week long promotion but I think they call it that but since Google's involved, we were a part of their beta program yet again.  Anyway, this "beta program" ended badly.  Instead of switching everyone over to the data plan we selected when we pre-ordered, it just dropped us without so much as a notice.

Again, to get your service back, you'll need to call T-Mobile.  I just logged into my account and reselected the data plan I want.  Thirty minutes later (though it may take up to 48 hours for some folks), I was back up and running again.

The curious thing was that my Gtalk and Gmail was still working during that time.

Now, the other mobile news we're tracking.  We have been updating you on the white spaces saga.  It continues with new information.  The FCC has decided to go ahead with their plans for a November 4th vote.

Dolly Parton or not, looks like geeks (Gates and Google's Schmidt) won this round at least.

More links and the rest of today's mobile news at our new Mobile Digerati.

Mobile Update for October 27, 2008

Two big wireless news today.  Last week, we saw ATT and Apple rocked with new customer acquisitions and iPhone sales.  This week, Verizon stepped up to the place and knocked on out of the part.  Imagine what would happen now if Apple and Verizon were partners.

I'm doing that just now...anyway, VW saw an increase in data and wireless but monthly rates rose a mere 1%.  Still, all in all, a great quarter for the "can you hear me now" guy and company.

The second news we will start following is Cox's plan to rollout wireless services next year.  Right, the Cable company.  This would open up a new front in the war with the telecoms.  It's actually quite brilliant if it works in bringing a new game into a familiar playground.

So, what will we see?

• Mobile devices to watch TV shows and video from digital recorders.
  
• "Triple play" to be "quadruple play" or something with voice and wireless data.
• Working on 4G.  Mentioned work with Sprint in the past so it might be WiMax.  Because it also owns a chunk of the wireless spectrum, it is free to choose its own platform including LTE.  

For other mobile updates, please go to Onxo Daily.

Mobile Week Review (October 20-24, 2008)

The week was a big weird.  We not no major changes in the wireless landscape but we also had some important insights into things to come.

First, Android.  thousands of T-Mobile users were given their first introduction to the G1.  I received mine on Monday and I have periodically provided my own user update for it.  Over at On Android, I made cursory comparisons to the iPhone but recently, I have been told I should make the comparison more with Windows Mobile.  I might consider doing that but for now, I want to talk about the G1 there.  I've posted pictures as well.

IMPACT:  Unknown at this time,  It's unclear how Android will do beyond T-Mobile and what Google has pressed upon us.  More and more, I think the G1 is a beta.  If you know Google's history with beta products, you know what I'm talking about it.  Unfortunately, for fortunately, Google did not fess up to the G1 being a work-in-progress.

The second big deal of the week is Apple's iPhone numbers.  Nearly seven million?  Is that a lot?  When looking at the subcategory of smartphones which the iPhone is wrongly lumped into, it is a big deal.  It's a bigger deal since the number of mobile providers and handset makers are forced into frantic modes to try release products without the "me, too" feel to it.

The iPhone will do well in its own sphere, an expanding one no less.  However, if we want to see how numbers are going to be like when we compare each devices, we will need more products on the market (Storm has been announced but not released) and see how they do over a few quarters.  I found myself agreeing with Microsoft's Bach on this matter.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, whether it's the Zune phone or Windows Mobile 6 or 7 with Zune functions, their words are empty until they've got something to release.  By 2010, as is rumored when Windows Mobile 7 will be released, the Android should be out of beta, the iPhone could well be on version 3 or 4,  Nokia with a multiple number of N-series touchscreen phones, and there may be many types of Storms on the market.

Lastly, white spaces.  The FCC is due to vote on this but with politics brought in (NYT- MUST READ as it provides a good background on white spaces and who the cast members are and their roles), we may see a delay on this matter.  We'll follow this closely and let you know what is going on once the pressures of an election year is over.

Here is Google's most recent statement on this matter.  Time to choose sides, my fellow mobile warriors.