We’re constantly anticipating ways consumers engage in mobile usage. One area I’m intrigued with is mobile gaming — why and when people play them. With a few exceptions, mobile gaming is limited to single player puzzle games and stripped-down versions of best selling PC/console games. So, if you’re a hardcore gamer (as opposed to a casual one) you’re likely not that enthralled by Bejeweled, Sudoku or Tower Bloxx. My brother, a long time World of Warcraft (WoW) addict, actually laughed at me when I showed him Civilization III for mobile (which I thought was a pretty cool port of the desktop version).

Hardcore gamers are left in the cold by the limited (they’d say lame) nature of mobile games for phones (I’m not talking about dedicated gaming devices like PSP here). Consider how a game like WoW, with it’s rich virtual economy, would benefit from a connected, mobile component. Aside from hacking their way through the horde, a mobile connection to the game could enable crafting objects and gear, mai