Speaking in Berlin
I am 10,000 metres above Denmark, but I feel bowed under the weights heaped in disarray across my mind. It doesn't help that this lousy De Havilland DHC-8 400 Series commuter flight from Berlin to Stockholm isn't properly sound insulated and the crushing thrum of its engines is pulverizing the boulder of my consciousness into thousands of stony pebbles. It also doesn't help that George Winston’s melancholic December was whispering through my headphones earlier (while I could still hear it). And I suppose the facts I'm tired and feeling sort of ill also don't help. But I will survive... because I'm a fighter.I spent today at The World Telemedia Conference in Berlin, Germany. I was invited to speak on a mobile gambling panel with a few noted luminaries in the industry. We have a very compelling story as we STILL have the world’s only real-money mobile multiplayer poker game on the market 14 months after we've launched it (though we do also have several offline and play-money only "trainer" versions, too). I know there are at least a dozen play money games out there today, and some comparisons have shown how exceptional our games really are. But we certainly aren't sitting complacent, and I spoke about what we've been working on recently. It's kind of fun to have some strong cards already up our sleeves and ready to play before we have real competition in this area.
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what Party's game is like when and if it is finally released. Also, rumour has is that UB will likely be releasing something sometime. And I’ve heard some other companies are also working on mobile multiplayer poker...
The panel itself was good, but I think it's still going to be some time until the masses take their gaming mobile. I think 2008 will be the year, and it's now all about positioning and converting the early adopters. But I won't write much about strategy here.
During a break in the day, I went for a short walk to see some element of Berlin. Travelling around Europe to only see airports, hotels, meeting rooms and restaurants is comfortable, but not something that will make for good storytelling in my old age. Although, like my Dad, I could always say: "oh, it was nothing special." :)
I spent some time breathing in a park, and took a walk by a river. I wanted to visit Checkpoint Charlie, The Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and the new Holocaust Memorial, but frustratingly didn’t have the time for it. The last time I was in Berlin – in '97 with Shawn – we also only had a few hours of spare time and spent them at The Wall.
This is a picture I took from a bridge near my hotel:
It was a gorgeous day.
Next time I'm in Berlin, I'll be sure to see more of it.
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