Until today, most games available for purchase on cellphones all release at fairly close to the same price. While the price level differs depending on the country and carrier, carriers generally set the price for games and attempt to offer games at an initial price of around $5 per download or $3.50 for a monthly subscription. Prices for a given title will sometimes be lowered over time, but prices have appeared to care more about the brand of the game than the fun of the game.

Industry analysts, including The Technology Suits, have long predicted that the mobile gaming market will begin to segment titles based value, complexity and features, as in the fixed game and mobile console (GBA, DS, PSP) parts of the industry. Casual games and puzzle games are fun, but most of these games are relatively easy to create, and there is significant competition for this space. For example, every carrier is constantly approached with new versions of Texas Hold’em and Tetris style games.

The mobile game titles that have done a better job of maintaining higher prices are the more advanced casual games, such as Jamdat Bowling, and known branded games often tied to fixed game titles or movie releases. As phones and networks have advanced, consumers have begun to see more advanced mobile games such as Quake Mobile (by Pulse Interactive) and the location based multiplayer game Undercover 2 (by Ydreams).

The fixed game industry has long maintained pricing segmentation between new release AAA games, older AAA game, value games and casual games, with continued healthy grown in all segments. The mobile game market will move towards its own segmentation in the future, but many companies have been unwilling to make the first move until today.

Werd Interactive, based in Huntsville, Alabama, has begun offering a new Neo Retro brand specifically to target the low cost casual game market. All Neo Retro titles will be initially prices at $1.99 USD and are available directly from Werd Interactive’s website. Initial game releases are available for Nokia, Motorola, SonyEricsson, LG, Samsung and Sanyo handsets and include:

• Flipper Flip - A simple and engaging puzzle game. Flip the colored tiles. Match 3 colours in a row to make the tiles disappear.
• Meteor Storm – A classic arcade shoot ‘em up. Dodge left and right to avoid the meteors and shot as many as you can.
• Neo Blackjack – A simple, fun and easy-to-play Blackjack game.
• Neo Poker – The world’s most popular card game is back.

The industry continues to talk about pulling in the mass market, but few companies have been willing to breakaway from standard practices to lower the entry point for new mobile gaming customers. Werd has taking an innovative approach the business model that still protects its premium brands. The company may not be known by all, but they have been around since 2000 and have taken a step that the market has yet to see from the “big guys”. Congrats to them for trying something different. Sometimes it that one spark starts a fire.