We sit down with Scott Rubin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Namco Networks, to talk about gaming on wireless handsets.

Game Over Online: With Namco Networks’ rich content depth, what are the biggest challenges of bringing over existing Namco franchises to the mobile space?

Scott: Namco has an impressive catalog of arcade and console hits from the ‘80s, ‘90s and today. We are fortunate to be able to look at this catalog and decide which titles translate to fun mobile games. The biggest challenge we face is ensuring that well-known classics like PAC-MAN play exactly as expected on the mobile phone, customizing each port so that it maintains its perfect arcade quality no matter what a particular handset’s performance is like. Ensuring that PAC-MAN plays the same on the mobile phone today as it did 26 years ago in the arcade is extremely important to providing consumers the same fun, entertaining experience they had in the arcade.

Game Over Online: We know Namco can pull that off Scott but is there any chance Namco Networks may grow its own content?

Scott: While our classics, such as PAC-MAN, Galaga and Dig Dug, are consistently ranked as top downloaded mobile games, we have also been successful in developing original content, such as Pool Pro Online which has been played online more than 4.3 million times. We have also extended the PAC-MAN brand to PAC-MAN originals such as, PAC-MAN Puzzle and PAC-MAN Casino Slots, which are exclusive to mobile.

Game Over Online: We’ve always read and heard that other regions like Europe and Asia are far ahead of North Americans in wireless gaming. Does this hold true and if so, what are some of the barriers that prevent mobile gamers here from enjoying the same kind of entertainment as people do overseas?

Scott: Because Japanese mobile content companies have created a ‘mobile culture,’ they are ahead of us in terms of consumer awareness. However, we believe that the gap is shrinking.

One of the major differences between the North American market and Europe and Asia is the carrier/publisher relationship. For example, in Japan, for a small monthly fee, consumers can access a catalog or channel that contains about 20 games, which typically rotates on a monthly basis. In America, games are typically sold a la carte.

According to reports I’ve seen, the most popular mobile games internationally and domestically continue to be casual games, like PAC-MAN or Dig Dug, that are easy to pick-up and play, providing a few minutes of entertainment while on the go.

Game Over Online: Let's talk about the phones themselves. Console makers tout the five year hardware refresh cycle whereas cellular phone makers are usually doing one every six months. Does it make it harder to develop and publish wireless titles for so many pieces of hardware?

Scott: With the hundreds of handsets on the market, porting games to the largest number of handsets possible is definitely a great challenge, especially since we ensure that every game ported maintains the quality Namco is recognized for. We treat every game on every handset as a new product, reviewing its quality and playability closely and ensuring it meets not only our standards, but also the high-standards of consumers.

Game Over Online: Recently, folks have put out Pac-Man for iPod. Does Namco Networks see a future for gaming on things beyond cellular phones and PDAs?

Scott: Much like the cell phone, the iPod is a mass-market consumer device, and it doesn’t get more mass market than PAC-MAN—people of all ages enjoy playing the game. Similar to PAC-MAN on the cell phone or for PALM and Windows Mobile devices, we spent a lot of time making sure PAC-MAN on the iPod was a perfect port of the original arcade version. We are dedicated to creating entertainment for wireless devices and are always exploring devices that make sense for mobile entertainment.

Game Over Online: With mobile games becoming more mainstream, is there any value to piggy backing mobile game releases with their console/PC counterparts?

Scott: There are more than 200 million people in the US who have a cell phone. With such a mass market audience, our focus remains on providing these consumers with fun, quality mobile games. Regarding the marketing of mobile games, we are always exploring new ways to market mobile games and increase consumer awareness.

Game Over Online: Some of the hottest topics in gaming these days involve multiplayer and online games. Where mobile games have lagged in graphics and sound, all cellular phones come with wireless capabilities and the ability to communicate online. Are mobile games in a unique position to capitalize on this?

Scott: Mobile games look and sound great on mobile phones today. For example, we recently launched Time Crisis mobile and Ridge Racer, which are 3D games. Not only do they look great on phones, but they also feature MP3 sound, further adding to the consumers’ experience.

What makes the mobile platform unique is its 24/7 connectivity and the fact that you can utilize network features anywhere at anytime. We have seen improvements in network performance and have taken full advantage of the networked nature of mobile phones. Today, Namco Networks is a leader in using cutting edge networked technology, such as the head-to-head multiplayer gaming used in Pool Pro Online. As network performance becomes more stable, connection speeds increase and latency improves, we could offer more head-to-head games, including ones that require continuous player interactions, such as in fighting and racing games. As a developer, we are using this connectivity as a way to bring fun, quality mobile games to consumers in new ways.

Game Over Online: Do you feel mobile games are having a significant impact on making gamers out of people who otherwise would not consider themselves a gamer? Do mobile games attract more female gamers?

Scott: One of Namco’s strengths is that we make games that everyone plays. Regardless of the platform, everyone has played PAC-MAN. We believe that the ever-increasing selection of fun, quality mobile games that appeal to the mass-market consumers coupled with our focus on consumer education have contributed to the rise in mobile gaming.

Many top downloaded games are casual games including Namco’s arcade classics such as Ms. PAC-MAN, Pole Position II and Galaga . If casual games are done right, they have a zero learning curve, allowing consumers to learn the game within the first few minutes. These attributes make them attractive to the mass market including people who traditionally would not consider themselves a ‘gamer.’

Game Over Online: Unlike buying games off the retail shelf or even downloading them online, mobile games are distributed via wireless carriers. There has been a lot of talk about the relationships between content developers and carriers at the recent CTIA Wireless show in Los Angeles. Have carriers been helpful to game publishers like yourself?

Scott: We have strong relationships with all of the major carriers and recognize their role in delivering quality games that consumers enjoy.

Right now, the industry’s biggest challenge is to raise consumer awareness. We believe that it is not just the carriers’ job to educate consumers about mobile games -- it is also up to us, the publishers, to help educate consumers. Namco has been working closely with the carriers to increase consumer awareness through things like co-promotions, sweepstakes and tournaments.

Game Over Online: Tell us what you think mobile games need more of. Is it graphics? Is it sound? Or is it something else?

Scott: We are looking forward to the increased use of networked components and features in mobile games. Namco is innovative in its utilization of networked features such as head-to-head networked-play in Pool Pro Online and use of community functions like Sprint’s Game Lobby. In addition, we are rolling out the ability for games to download continuously updating content through the network. For example, in the mobile version of Scene It?, which is coming soon, players can download new packs of trivia questions. We believe that by fully utilizing the network capabilities of the mobile platform, we can extend the playability of our already fun, mass market games.

Game Over Online: And finally, Scott, what’s your favorite game on your phone right now?

Scott: I love all of our games, but recently I’ve been playing a lot of Super PAC-MAN. It’s a sequel to PAC-MAN, but now access through the maze is locked and you have to eat keys to open doors and gobble up a variety of foods to clear the maze. You still have the Power Pellets that turn the ghosts blue, but you also have the Super Pellet that you eat to become a super-sized, super-fast, invulnerable Super PAC-MAN! Because the mazes unlock, I can beat level 27 while I wait for a meeting to start and then play level 28 later. It is definitely one of my favorites.