Comics on the mobile is the latest value added service telcos are betting on: Nazara Technologies, a Sequoia Capital funded VAS company has partnered with Turner Group’s Cartoon Network to bring popular cartoons to mobile screens, reported AnimationExpress. It is not confirmed if the comics have been launched as yet. The mobile portal Wap.CartoonNetwork.in was created by another VAS provider Mobile2Win, which merged with Chandigarh-based Altruist Technologies in February this year. The portal currently does not display any comics.
Popular cartoons on the channel such as Ben 10, the Power Puff Girls, Johnny Bravo and Dexter will be available as comics on Idea Cellular, Vodafone Essar, Loop Telecom, Tata DoCoMo, RCOM and Airtel. Nazara and Cartoon Network will also launch a Java-based application next year to download entire comics. The delay might be an indicator that they are still testing the market for attractiveness of m-comics.
Cross Industry Partnerships For Comic VAS So Far:
- Diamond Comics & Rediff
- ROK Comics, Shortformats & Airtel – Raj Comics & ACK Media
- Tata DoCoMo - ACK Media, Liquid Comics and Walt Disney Animation Studios
- ACK Media & Vodafone
Some of them are offering applications that have to be downloaded before viewing the comics whereas others are offering them on WAP portals.
Pricing
Nazara is offering a variety of subscriptions to suit different users — there is an attractive daily pricing of Re.1 per day, or the standard Rs. 10 per week or – a monthly subscription of Rs. 30. The revenue sharing agreements were not disclosed. Besides cartoons, Nazara will also offer videos, wallpaper, animation, themes, logos and e-greetings to mobile users.
Nazara has previously developed games based on Indian mythology, Cricket and Archies Comics among others, though the Archie Zone in their website does not seem to be working.
In October, Nazara had tied up with New York based Cellufun, a mobile social community where people interact, play games and buy virtual merchandise. The company is also in talks with Apple, Airtel and Vodafone for iPhone games based on Ekalavya and The Great Yudhistir. Nazara recorded revenues of Rs. 35 crores in 2008-09, and is targeting Rs. 50 crore for 2009-10.
Related:
–Rediff Launches Diamond Comics For Mobiles
–Nazara Brings Mobile Community Cellufun To India
–iPhone Roundup: BSNL, Nazara, Airtel EMI
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5 Comments until now.
it would be interesting to know what portion of Nazara's Revenues come from regular VAS such as ringtones,wallapapers etc and how much actually come in from gaming.
additionally, i just re-read the article. why would Nazara or anyone have to talk to apple or any other telco to create a game? its open ended, you create a game and take it to them and put it on their system….
talk to them about what?
also, it seems they have been talking for the best part of a year… the report linked in the article mentioning them talking to Apple was from Sep 2008…it takes 2-3 months to put together a game for the iphone depending on complexity…
anyone else got an opinion on this?
most imp thing is to get the promotions done through operators. M2W was owning this content for the last 2 years & they have launched various applications, but revenues…..
i doubt
the truth is, there is little interest for products like this, its too niche and the content is just too skewed towards kids. Even if you pick something as adult oriented as Dilbert, South Park etc, it would do well only in certain metros, simply due to lack of demand.
Maybe, Chacha Chaudhary or Suppandi would do better, but even then, the license owners are way too myopic to test any of this out. Besides, MMS would have been perfect for this but its a dead end tech… so how they intend to deliver this in a push vs pull scheme remains to be seen.
Hi,
Really great.Tata Docomo also has a mobile portal called Comix on-the-go, which provides over 2,000 comic like Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh.Nazara Technologies, expects to ride the wave and is eyeing a revenue of Rs 100 crore within two-years of 3G launch.