© eWave Interactive

- - Multiplayer Mobile GamesMultiplayer Mobile Games - -Business Models for a new Business Models for a new

Mainstream Market in GamingMainstream Market in Gaming

Hendrik H. Heimer - CEO / Founder -

IDATE Video Game Forum22.11.2005

Montpellier (France)

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© eWave Interactive

About eWave InteractiveAbout eWave Interactive

• eWave is the gaming label of NAVUS GmbH (10 years of excellence in software research for industry, EU and ESA)

• eWave will become an independent business in 2006• Business focus on

Massively multiplayer mobile games Multiplayer platform technology (real-time, mobile payment) Mobile marketing

• 1st prize at the Game Olympics with KILLING FIELDS , the world-wide first multiplayer real-time strategy game for mobile phones

• Football Manager game for the FIFA World Cup in progress; 500.000 players in 8 European countries

• More multiplayer games will be releasead in 2006

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© eWave Interactive

The Future of Gaming is Mobile!The Future of Gaming is Mobile!

"As computer games become increasingly persistent,

there will be an increasing demand to access

the game information at all times."

Guido Henkel (Game Over Magazine, 2004)

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Increasingly persistent worlds...Increasingly persistent worlds...

In 2005, online game revenues will outrun desktop games (million USD).

Total MMOG subscribers (1997-2005)

www.mmogchart.com

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... and increasing mobile access...... and increasing mobile access...

ARC – arcresearch.comSD – screendigest.com

Mobile Gaming Revenue Estimates

1100

8400

1100

4200

0100020003000400050006000700080009000

2003 2008

USD

(M

illion)

ARCSD

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...will result in converging markets...will result in converging markets

Step 1: massively multiplayer mobile games will enter the market

Step 2: cross-platform MMOGs will offer a mobile "window" to the persistent game world

Step 3: Main access to the game will be through mobile devices

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Year 2006 2007 2008 2009

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Mobile Access to persistent Game Mobile Access to persistent Game WorldsWorlds

Online games will offer different device specific

"windows" to the persistent game world.

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Nice theory, but can it happen?Nice theory, but can it happen?

Main constraints still are• Signal latency of data traffic• Jitter (variance of the latency)• Traffic costs (no cheap flat-rates)• Complex configuration of mobile phones for socket connections• Restricted IP access in some carrier networks• Blocked socket connections on some prepaid cards

Result: only 2 constraints have technical reasons, the rest are purely administrative and can be easily resolved.

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© eWave Interactive

Connect/Ping Sockets

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

20:3

320

:5721

:2121

:4522

:0922

:3322

:5723

:2123

:4500

:0900

:3300

:5701

:2101

:4502

:0902

:3302

:5703

:2103

:4504

:0904

:3304

:5705

:2105

:4506

:0906

:3306

:5707

:2107

:4508

:0908

:3308

:5709

:2109

:45

Ping

Connect

Standard socket connection has a very irregular signal latency (Jitter) that makes a predictable game behaviour difficult.

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© eWave Interactive

T-Mobile - 6230 Connect/Ping eWGS21.07.2005

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

20:3

821

:0621

:3422

:0222

:3022

:5823

:2623

:5400

:2200

:5001

:1801

:4602

:1402

:4203

:1003

:3804

:0604

:3405

:0205

:3005

:5806

:2606

:5407

:2207

:5008

:1808

:4609

:1409

:4210

:1010

:3811

:06

Ping

Connect

The eWGS protocol provides a much smoother characteristics of the signal latency and is also much faster than sockets (~ 600 ms).

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© eWave Interactive

Typical MMMG CharacteristicsTypical MMMG Characteristics

• Server based game-engine Allows a much higher complexity of the persistent game-world Content can be changed/added dynamically Device independend – many different mobile devices can

connect Secure – only registered users can connect Scalable – server hardware is cheap; performance increases

with # users

• Real-time protocol, even with GPRS• In-game payment• Secure transactions (Triple DES encoded)• Content, content, content

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© eWave Interactive

Example: KILLING FIELDSExample: KILLING FIELDS

• Multiplayer RTS game for up to 100 players per map• Dynamic, server-based content• In-game payment and bonus system

Interface to CRANDY mobile payment Pay-per-level Bonus payment for completion of levels / highscore

• 1st prize at the Game Olympics 2005

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© eWave Interactive

Example: Football Manager GameExample: Football Manager Game

• Server based game engine• Highly scalable for 500,000+ players• Asynchroneous gameplay• Mobile payment interface to CRANDY

Transfer market for football players Monthly subscriptions Hugh money prizes, in total 100,000€ p.a.

• Launch 01/2006 in 8 European countries, among them France, UK, Germany, Switzerland (depending on availability of CRANDY)

• Game will be available for free

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© eWave Interactive

Football Manager: business potentialFootball Manager: business potentialNumber of Players

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

06/Q

1

06/Q

2

06/Q

3

06/Q

4

07/Q

1

07/Q

2

07/Q

3

07/Q

4

08/Q

1

08/Q

2

08/Q

3

08/Q

4

Revenue Forecast

- €

500.000,00 €

1.000.000,00 €

1.500.000,00 €

2.000.000,00 €

2.500.000,00 €

3.000.000,00 €

06/Q1 06/Q2 06/Q3 06/Q4 07/Q1 07/Q2 07/Q3 07/Q4 08/Q1 08/Q2 08/Q3 08/Q4

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New Business ModelsNew Business Models

• Games provided for free• In-game payment per play, per time, per level,...

Direct billing through mobile payment systems No payment through carrier No payment with PremiumSMS

• Micropayment for game items (magic sword, football player,...)• Bonus system for long-term game attraction• Mobile marketing platform for

product placement (depending on game scenario) in-game advertisement ( " ) sponsoring

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© eWave Interactive

ContactContact

Hendrik Heimer

Mail: hendrik.h@ewave.de

Phone: +49-171-7520246

www.ewave.de