Where is the mobile software industry?

[Guest dolphinsmile]

Where is the portable software explosion we where promised a few years ago? It was going to be a multi billion pound industry with EA and Microsoft leading the way.

“Yea man mobile gaming is going to be massive in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Is My Little Tank and Anthelion 2 it?

I would like to see video editing on the M5000 possible as well.

I know nothing about code other than ZX80 and BBC basic.

:)

[Guest Disco Stu]

Well clearly it's lazy people like you who are holding the whole "explosion" at bay :evil:

Don't you think it's time you learnt something about developing in the 20th century, never mind the present day ? :)

Actually, my 'programming' experience began and ended in the punched card era when Computing was a module on my degree course. And I copied the cards from this Iranian guy I used to play pool with... :oops:

[Guest dolphinsmile]

I forgot about Mid Town Madness and Flux Challenge.

They are examples of what I expected to be flooding the market.

"Well clearly it's lazy people like you who are holding the whole "explosion" at bay"

Cant see how I'm holding things back.

I'v money to spend on good software.

I'm not lazy just to long in the tooth to learn and too buzy working.

[Guest afhstingray]

well with HTC leading the way making smartphones so popular i think we probably will see an explosion in a few years, i think microsoft is making it easier to develop for all the windows and xbox platform right?

well if it dosent take too much effort to port something over i guess we'll be seeing it pretty soon,

they probably think the limited demand isnt worth the effort

[Guest Dade]

I forgot about Mid Town Madness and Flux Challenge.

They are examples of what I expected to be flooding the market.

"Well clearly it's lazy people like you who are holding the whole "explosion" at bay"

Cant see how I'm holding things back.

I'v money to spend on good software.

I'm not lazy just to long in the tooth to learn and too buzy working.

A large part of the problem, from a developers point of view, is that the device specification changes with each new device release.

Whether its changing the joystick function, as with the SPV classic, E100 and E200 etc. or changing the form factor, OS, screen res etc.

Sometimes the spec change is minor requiring only a minor code change but other times the spec change is more significant, changes in screen resolution normally require a re-write and hardware control changes can scupper a game totally.

If there was a base specification laid down for all these mobile devices life would be a lot simpler. Sure you are going to have different device specs but the devices should have the ability to run the older code. Normally they do not, MS tends to remove things from the OS with each new release that renders old software totally unusable, GAPI is just one example.

So as a developer you are forced to write software thats specifically for one device, the device may only be on the market for 6 months, then you have to go ahead and rewrite your code for another device. Writing the code can take months so you have a tiny window of oportunity to sell the product anyway. This also puts the price up and as we have seen, people will only spend up to about £10 for a game for a mobile device, no matter how 'big' or good it is.

Writing software for mobile devices isnt an industry I'd want to get involved in and I know that a lot of developers feel the same way.