M-Biz Global extends demo platform to smartphones

M-Biz Global has announced that its TryNBuy mobile game demos platform now works with Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android smartphone games, as well as Java.

The system involves preloading full games onto so-called 'vanilla' handsets - those sold outside operator channels - but only allowing users to play time-limited or level-limited demos before unlocking the rest through a premium SMS charge.

TryNBuy has been used on Samsung handsets, and M-Biz Global claimed that 40 per cent of those handset owners were going on to buy games, compared to 15 per cent of regular mobile users. The company also says sales of games through its service rose 62 per cent in 2009.

"By further extending platform compatibility for our TNB Mobile solution we are moving forward with our vision of providing real, honest and tangible added-value for the key constituents of the mobile content value chain," says M-Biz Global CEO Hyongsuk Kim (pictured).

"We hope that our impressive results on the Java platform can now be replicated across these three additional channels."

However, the challenge M-Biz Global may face in trying to extend into smartphones is that, increasingly, they'll have their own application stores preloaded - for example, Android Market on Android handsets.