Sony sets sights on mobile games
Sony has made a major move in the mobile games space. The acclaimed Japanese company has been struggling to promote its Playstation Vita, which was launched last year and has since underperformed in the global market. The Vita was billed as a new generation for mobile gaming, but failed to attract any significant attention from consumers. Sony believes it may have found the solution to this problem and has begun tapping into the mobile games space.
Vita may find some traction in mobile gaming
Mobile games have been a resounding success among consumers. Millions of people around the world have mobile devices and most of these people play mobile games at some time during their day. The popularity of mobile games could be a saving grace for the Vita, but encouraging mobile developers to make games for the handheld console has been somewhat tricky in the past.
Sony waives licensing fee for indie developers
Sony has announced that it will be waiving the $99 licensing fee for the Vita for mobile developers. This will allow developers to make games for the Vita without having to invest any money into the console or its software development kit. Sony believes that this will open up the Vita to a wide range of independent developers, many of whom often receive strong support from consumers. These developers, who often work with limited budgets, may be able to find the success they seek by creating ambitious games for the Vita platform.
Mobile games may not secure success for Vita
Though mobile games are popular, there is no way to guarantee that these games will bring success to the Vita. The handheld console has, thus far, failed to compete against Nintendo’s mobile consoles. While the Vita does offering some attractive hardware, its limited number of games and relatively high price tag have not been well received by gamers.
Mobile payments coming to fast-food sector
Fast-food chain Wendy’s has announced the launch of a pilot project that introduces a mobile payments option into its mobile application. This project is designed for a limited market and will be used to gauge the interest that consumers have in mobile commerce. Those with the mobile application associated with the pilot project will be able to participate in mobile commerce in three markets: Texas, New Mexico, and Oregon. Wendy’s future in the mobile commerce sector may be determined by the performance of this pilot project.
Mobile commerce finds most traction in retail
Mobile commerce has been gaining a great deal of momentum in various industries. Thus far, the largest industry to support mobile commerce in a significant way has been the retail industry. The restaurant business has also shown strong interest in mobile commerce, but its efforts to embrace mobile consumers have often been met with modest success. Wendy’s believes that mobile payments can be popular among its customers, as long as they can be made available in an efficient and enjoyable manner.
Application acts as a mobile wallet
Those using Wendy’s mobile application for this pilot project can create a profile through the application and associate this profile with their financial information. This information is then used to load money on to the profile. Essentially, the application acts as a form of mobile wallet. The funds pumped into the app can be used to purchase products from Wendy’s for the duration of the pilot project. When a purchase is being made, the application generates a unique code that must be read to the Wendy’s employee responsible for the transaction. This is for authenticating mobile payments.
Whether consumers will embrace mobile payments is unknown
Exactly how well this mobile payments initiative will be received has yet to be seen. Wendy’s has high hopes for mobile commerce, but consumers have yet to show strong enthusiasm for mobile payments in regards to fast-food. Thus far, mobile payments have only managed to thrive in the retail sector, where mobile consumers have been able to take advantage of the convenience offered by their mobile devices.
