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Negotiating Tips for Mobile-Game Developmental Deals

By Steven Masur
April 27, 2007

Part One discussed mobile-game players, the industry playing field, content ownership issues and developer credits.

Licensing Celebrities and Brands

Just like its more traditional console and PC counterparts, the mobile-game industry has its fair share of celebrity and brand-name licenses. The correct celebrity association can make or break a game, and even a boring game might gain some level of success just because of its association with a particularly famous person or brand. In 2006, Hands-On Mobile announced a partnership with rock star Tommy Lee to develop entertainment content for cell phones that aimed to capture the former Motley Cre drummer's 'mischief-making' ways in an attempt to excite prospective mobile-game players and entice non-game players to purchase the game when published. Another example of celebrity partnerships: the creative cartoon-music collective Gorillaz teamed up its music brand with RealNetworks to develop a series of mobile-based games. However, playing with the fickle public perception of celebrity popularity is a sword that can cut both ways. The release of a Bode Miller game, widely publicized and perfectly timed to coincide with the conclusion of the 2006 Olympic Games, garnered disappointing results because of Bode's poor performance during the Olympics and the public backlash created by the media hype surrounding his 'bad attitude,' even though he went on to win numerous World Cup races after the Olympics.

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