New start-up company, The Mobile Games Company SA, has signed a deal with connectivity provider Integrat, to provide a premium SMS service for the downloading of Java games to Vodacom subscribers.
Terry Shatenstein, founder of The Mobile Games Company SA, says Vodacom subscribers can already use the service on the Kazaa peer-to-peer network`s media desktop. The service is provided to Kazaa through Australian company AirArena, a company Shatenstein co-founded, which moderates Kazaa`s wireless entertainment channel.
"We launched the service on Kazaa about a week ago and it will be available to all Vodacom subscribers off www.mobilegames.co.za within the week. The games are available to all Vodacom subscribers with either Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens or Sony Ericsson Java-enabled handsets."
Shatenstein says users will have access to over 100 games ranging in price between R25 and R50. These include classic video game titles like Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia and Marcel Desailly pro soccer.
Because of the high cost of connecting to the cellular networks, Shatenstein says a start-up company like The Mobile Games Company SA had to utilise the services of a connectivity provider like Integrat.
"We chose Integrat because they have the most sophisticated reporting system and the best financial model. Basically they have integrated their billing system with our mobile game delivery platform in order to provide games to the consumer," he says.
Integrat MD Norman Parkin says the company`s service is two-fold. "Firstly, we provide connectivity to all three networks and the software needed to transfer the content from the provider through the network to the user`s phone.
"We also facilitate the billing onto users` cellphone accounts, collect the money from the cellular service provider and transfer it to the content provider; in this case, The Mobile Games Company SA," he says.
To purchase one of the games, Parkin says the user must get the game code from the Web site and SMS it to one of the five-digit short codes. A WAP URL is then sent to the user`s phone, allowing them to download the game. The cost of the game is added to their cellphone bill.
Shatenstein says although MTN users cannot access the service yet, a deal is in the pipeline. The Mobile Games Company SA has also licensed games to Exact Mobile to be sold on its Web site.
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