April 26, 2005
Developer View: I-play

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I-play, developer and publisher of mobile games, answers Sony Ericsson Developer World's questions and share some of their  mobile Java 3D game development experiences.

Company summary
I-play is a mobile games company headquartered in London, UK, with European Regional HQ in Dunfermline, Scotland and North American Regional HQ in San Mateo, California as well as sales offices in Paris, Munich, Madrid, Rome, New York, Fairfax, Sao Paulo and Singapore. I-play brings the best in mobile entertainment to a global audience of half a billion people via mobile operators, retail stores and online portals, including www.iplay.com. As one of the world's longest established and respected creators of mobile games, I-play stands for quality and the best in mobile game development. Working with the best media and entertainment brands, I-play is 100% focused on mobile games, and dedicated to fulfilling the promise of the mobile phone as the first truly mass-market electronic games platform.

Year founded
I-play has been creating mobile games since 1998 and continues to spearhead the creation of games for the next generation.

Number of employees
120

Only publisher of games?
I-play focuses 100% on games.

Are you only publisher of J2ME based applications or do you also work with other platforms?
We also work with BREW, and will work with any future platform reaching a true mass-market audience.

What in your view is the next big thing in mobile applications development?
We think the next big thing isn't technology, it's making the use of mobile entertainment completely intuitive, easy to use and fun. Everyone should be able to enjoy games, video and music on phones, but shouldn't have to know a lot about how phones work to do so.

I-play's experiences of mobile Java 3D development

What 3D games have you launched so far and which mobile Java 3D products are you currently working on?
Our first 3D game is 3D Pool, one of the most realistic 3D pool simulations available for mobile phones. This groundbreaking new mobile game, developed by Distinctive Developments and published by I-play, and its proprietary 3D simulation technology, provides an advanced simulation with 360-degree real-time rotation. For more information on this game, visit the Sony Ericsson Developer World's new Mobile Java 3D Game Gallery>>

2 Fast 2 Furious is a mobile game based on the successful Universal Pictures' street-racing hit, 2 Fast 2 Furious. The game is available on a wide range of Java and BREW-enabled handsets and features simulated 3D functionality, making the game look as close to real 3D as possible on 2D handsets.

I-play will soon be releasing Major Carnage, our first 'true' 3D title, developed using Mascot Capsule v3. Also under development are several other 3D projects, yet to be announced, which are being developed using JSR184.

What game development partners are you working with?
Distinctive Developments, based in Sheffield, UK; Ditto, based in Warrington, UK; Xendex, based in Graz, Austria; Big Blue Bubble, based in Canada; Dhruva Interactive, based in India.

Why has I-play decided to work on mobile Java 3D game titles?
The reason why 3D is more viable for us these days is predominantly because the technology is there and capable of running 3D games. The devices are fast enough and handset development has now reached a stage where it is viable to create 3D games. We envisage seeing more of this when we start seeing 3D hardware in phones. It also makes more sense - this is of course how we see the world. However, we believe that other types of games will continue to be perfectly suitable for simpler, 2D handsets for years to come. 

What are your partners' experiences of mobile Java 3D development so far? 
The best part is that this is the direction that Java game applications are heading and Sony Ericsson is leading the way with its broad mobile Java 3D product portfolio, cutting new ground in the industry's development. We are also experiencing a determined improvement in developer support from handset manufacturers.

The most challenging part is the ever-changing nature of handset specifications and a lack of firm standards in the market.

What sources/resources for their mobile Java 3D development do your partners use and find most valuable?
Largely it's tools that are most useful at this point: 3Ds Max; Microsoft Visual Studio; Poser - a 3D animation tool for the human figure.

How do you gather market feedback and come up with new ideas?
Through forum groups largely; through our design and review process; through soliciting user feedback and through the extensive experience of our design team.

What's your view on the future of mobile Java 3D?
Mobile Java 3D is evolving but is still at a fairly embryonic phase in its development today. Ultimately 3D will be a stepping-stone to a console-like experience on your mobile phone, but as mentioned above not all types of gameplay will require this depth of experience. I-play believes that 2006 will be the year when 3D titles reach a greater maturity and presence in the market but still is in minority alongside mass-market 2D titles.

If you could give one piece of advice to mobile developers, what would that be?
Do not underestimate the huge QA requirement or the number of handsets you will need to support to ensure success.

More information about I-play>>