Theglobe.com‘s gaming site, Happy Puppy, has signed a partnership with 2Roam, a wireless software and application service provider (ASP).
Through the partnership 2Roam will deliver Happy Puppy’s games content to anyone with an Internet-enabled wireless device, such as WAP-based phones, PDAs and two-pagers.
Charles Gray, executive producer of theglobe.com’s games group, agreed that theglobe.com is testing the waters with regard to wireless, and said the 2Roam deal is a promotional venture to increase awareness of his company’s offerings in the space.
“It’s a non-cash promotional deal, which allows us to promote our stuff under our brand name,” he said.
However, if U.S. interest in wireless grows the company will expand its offerings, which include on-demand truncated game reviews for PDA’s.
“We’ve got to see how people are going to respond. The wireless market is still young,” he added.
While European wireless plays are well established, there aren’t as many potential users across the pond to glean revenue from as there are in the U.S., for example.
With that in mind Gray admits the company is testing the U.S. markets viability. One issue of particular concern is how advertising revenue would be used to support wireless content plays in the states and lead to profitability.
“The advertising infrastructure is not fully developed yet in the U.S. and is more developed in the U.K,” he said.
To that end, the company has entered wireless revenue sharing talks with a major but unnamed U.K. telephone service.
Like Unplugged Games, which provides interactive gaming to multiple players in real time, HappyPuppy.com is entering unchartered space.
“Unplugged is doing wireless content, which is unproven, but games content played a big hand in getting the Internet popular. The idea is that interactive content will grow the new medium to popular acceptance,” said Gray, who admitted theglobe is a “little fuzzy” on how to make content available on devices.
However, as wireless takes off in the next two years, he is confident theglobe will be able to make money through game demos and other offerings.
Happy Puppy’s online offerings include game reviews, game downloads, hints and cheats, a member newsletter, and contests.
Games.theglobe.com is comprised of Happy Puppy, Kids Domain, Computer Games Online, Computer Games Magazine, Chips & Bits, and UK-based Games Domain and Console Domain.
