Blister Entertainment have launched North America’s first GPS-based cell phone game – Swordfish.
Players use satellite technology (GPS) to scan for and find virtual schools of swordfish. Once they’ve found a school of fish, they have to go to its physical location and then use their mobile phone like a fishing rod to try to hook and land the big one. They compete with other players to make the national high score leader board.
It’s currently only available on Bell Mobility’s network across Canada.
Location based gaming is still in its infancy, but I predict that it’s going to be big and may well drive the initial take up of LBS. If operators can see real revenues, they may well change a little of their focus and start to make this thing happen.
If that scenario does pan out, we’ll see developers take the market more seriously and drive some real innovation into the sector. Currently, the development community is being hindered rather than helped in their efforts to innovate in LBS.
It is always a source of awe and wonder to me that the operators make life so difficult for the drivers of innovation in the value chain. You’d have thought they’d be falling over themselves to give them practical and financial assistance.
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