Even Nintendo announced last fall that it was forming a new company with the popular game developer Konami to develop software that will let Game Boys use cell phones to download games from the Web. Nintendo plans to release the software first in Japan. People now want simpler games. Makers of advanced video-game software might take issue with that statement. But simpler games do have advantages in the world of handheld gadgets.
Screens are small and battery power is at a premium.
Besides, people using cell phones are usually going somewhere. They don't have time to get deeply involved in a virtual swashbuckling adventure. Something the equivalent of crossword puzzles for the solo traveler will do just fine. So far, the other phones that offer games are made by companies in Europe and are not yet available in the United States. One is Benefon, a Finnish company that has put Tetris on its phones in an attempt to attract fans of the game.