1	The Network is the Game Social Trends in Mobile Entertainment Amy Jo ‘AJ’ Kim Principal, SocialDesigner.Net ajkim@socialdesigner.net
2	"My background & POV" My background & POV Online community design & development clients include EA, Origin, Maxis, There.Com, Mplayer, eBay, NetFlix specialize in community infrastructure & social systems design Goals for this talk: 1) Give game developers insight into the ‘mobile mindset’ 2) Give mobile developers insight into the power of community features
3	Connected Communities are changing
4	Connected Communities are changing
5	What is the ‘Mobile Lifestyle?’ Four distinct stages of mobile adoption: Stage 1: Wireless Why? (low think, low do) Stage 2: The Gadgeteers (high think, low do) Stage 3: The Almost There’s (high think, high do) Stage 4: The Mobiles (low think, high do) Some people get ‘stuck’ at a certain stage; others move through the stages and adopt a Mobile Lifestyle
6	Social Habits of Mobile Consumers
7	"Social Trends in Mobile Communications" Social Trends in Mobile Communications Mobiles stay connected to their social network via cellphone Mobiles self-organize into fluid, loose-knit groups Mobiles seek out quick, casual entertainment experiences Mobiles love to share & discuss photos with their friends Location is an integral part of mobile identity
8	1. Mobiles stay connected to their social network via cellphone Ambient Co-Presence (Ito & Okabe, 2002) Cellphone conversations are lightweight, casual, interrupt-driven People chat while waiting or traveling, to pass time & feel connected Messages content often centered around exchanging presence info (e.g. mood, location, activity) Enables physical meetups where the time, place and group size are approximate (e.g. bar-hopping, flash mobs)
9	1. Mobiles stay connected to their social network via cellphone Example: ImaHima (Are you free now?) Location-enabled buddy list service 500,000 Imahima users in Japan Users can share their current personal status (mood, location, activity) with their buddies – as well as sending send pictures & IMs Service will send an alert when buddy is nearby or feeling sad
10	"Social Trends in Mobile Communications" Social Trends in Mobile Communications Mobiles stay connected to their social network via cellphone Mobiles self-organize into fluid, loose-knit groups Mobiles seek out quick, casual entertainment experiences Mobiles love to share & discuss photos with their friends Location is an integral part of mobile identity
11	2. Mobiles self-organize into fluid, loose-knit groups Ethnographic research shows that mobile users (age 15-30) participate in dynamic overlapping social groups (e.g. family, friends, colleagues) that they maintain via cellphone Contrast this with MMP players (e.g. SWG, Everquest, Lineage) who belong to a single clan and pursue activities within that group From a business perspective, groups provide an entry point for new players + a retention driver for existing players Groups tend to move en-mass from game to game (or venue to venue)
12	2. Mobiles self-organize into fluid, loose-knit groups SMS.AC: community portal + people-finder Members can create activity-specific profiles for flirting or finding school friends
13	"Social Trends in Mobile Communications" Social Trends in Mobile Communications Mobiles stay connected to their social network via cellphone Mobiles self-organize into fluid, loose-knit groups Mobiles seek out quick, casual entertainment experiences Mobiles love to share & discuss photos with their friends Location is an integral part of mobile identity
14	3. Mobiles seek out quick, casual entertainment experiences
15	3. Mobiles seek out quick, casual, entertainment experiences EXAMPLE: EZnego games (Korea) Familiar gameplay – easy to learn & understand Instant Matchmaking allows multiplayer gaming with low overhead Can also create a private room & invite friends to play
16	"Social Trends in Mobile Communications" Social Trends in Mobile Communications Mobiles stay connected to their social network via cellphone Mobiles self-organize into fluid, loose-knit groups Mobiles seek out quick, casual entertainment experiences Mobiles love to share & discuss photos with their friends Location is an integral part of mobile identity
17	4. Mobiles love to share and discuss photos with their friends
18	4. Mobiles love to share and discuss photos with their friends
19	"Social Trends in Mobile Communication" Social Trends in Mobile Communication Mobiles stay connected to their social network via cellphone Mobiles self-organize into fluid, loose-knit groups Mobiles seek out quick, casual entertainment experiences Mobiles love to share & discuss photos with their friends Location is an integral part of mobile identity
20	5. Location is an integral part of mobile identity
21	5. Location is an integral part of mobile identity
22	5. Location is an integral part of mobile identity
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28	For young people living a mobile lifestyle: Cellphones aren’t itty-bitty GBAs; they’re enhanced communication devices that are part of their identity They maintain and initiate relationships through their cellphones, and want services that amplify that ability They’re willing to pay for communication services (e.g. messaging, moblogging) that serve as lightweight entertainment & self-expression
29	"The Mobiles" The Mobiles: Social Evolution in a Wireless Society http://www.contextresearch.com/context/study.cfm Mimi Ito’s Research on Japanese Cellphone Use http://www.itofisher.com/mito Risto Sarvas’s Research on Cameraphone Behavior http://www.hiit.fi/risto.sarvas Mobile Community Portals http://www.upoc.com/ http://www.sms.ac/ Location-based Chatting & Flirting http://www.imahima.com http://www.saw-you.com Multiplayer games for the Mobile Lifestyle http://www.mogimogi.com http://www.enorbus.com http://eznego.com