Publishing isn’t a Technology Business

Another indicator of the shape of JAMDAT’s business also follows in rapid succession:

We have created proprietary technologies that enhance our publishing business and enable us to develop and deploy innovative applications to more than 200 mobile phone models.

The remarkable thing here is how unremarkable this statement is. No mention of patents (JAMDAT has filed two). No mention of special sauce of any kind. No mention of anything JAMDAT can do that other companies cannot. So, JAMDAT thinks portability is important. Make a note of that!
JAMDAT is not a technology company. JAMDAT is a game publisher. JAMDAT is a very successful mobile game publisher. But JAMDAT isn’t relying on a technology to prevent competitors from going head to head with them. JAMDAT isn’t playing defense: JAMDAT’s demonstrated ability to execute is why JAMDAT is JAMDAT and other companies aren’t.

This implies many things about JAMDAT’s future, and the future of anyone else in the mobile game publishing business. When mobile game people read this, they should understand they are in the game industry, as is JAMDAT. This isn’t a protected reservation, or it won’t be for long. JAMDAT’s approach is to go straight at the rest of the game industry with an overall strategy that is only slightly adapted to being in the mobile game business.

Not everyone will be able to execute that same approach. How you answer this challenge will be key to your success as a mobile game publisher.