Mobile Technology

Mobile Devices As Game Consoles
More evidence smart phones are really game consoles. I agree with Gamasutra's central idea - creating games should be serious fun. As we create mobile games we should embrace the OTHER side of the phone such as:

* GPS.

* Always ON.

* Always NEAR.

* Almost always logged in. 

These conditions are UNIQUE to phones and mobile devices. An XBox has an "Event Horizon" where everything STOPS for game play to start or resume. The phone's "Event Horizon" is almost infinite since phones are left ON and we stay logged in. 

These unique to mobile devices conditions CAN BE incorporated into game play. Like long distance chess our phones are capable of remembering our and our opponents last moves AND locating us in space and time. 

What if I walk into a Starbucks and the Starbucks Game is in progress? I can join in, watch or learn from the game. If all brands are publishers now I would argue all brands are game creators too, even more specifically the coolest brands will become mobile game developers and use our phones and mobile devices as the game consoles they are becoming.