Mobile 3D gaming: the next big thing?

Last year, it was the camera phone. But this year, industry insiders say the newest trend for mobile phones will be three-dimensional video games, attracting a new generation of users and driving sales throughout the mobile market.

The newest cell phones with 3-D scene rendering are already popular in Asia and are expected to make a splash soon here in the U.S. and across Europe. That's because the games have improved along with the phones - offering high resolution, large color screens, surround sound and easy-to-use joysticks. And with the advancement in phones, mobile users won't need to sacrifice traditional options like business applications for 3D versions of their favorite games. A few months ago ATI announced the Imageon 2300 for mobile phones, including 2D and 3D graphics, MPEG decoder and video capture ports.

Analyst group IDC estimates more than 24 million Americans will download at least one wireless game this year and predicts the industry will generate $1 billion in U.S. revenue by 2006. If wireless gaming can become as big as the once doubted downloadable ringtone industry then soon, most people will be playing games with their phones.

Siemens has supplied a video (download link below) on this topic.