In the fast-paced mobile marketplace, game developers may sometimes feel like they're playing a game themselves. Like the users they sell to, developers need the reflexes to adapt to suddenly changing situations, the knowledge to use available resources effectively, and the tenacity to finally reach the next level, no matter what challenges get thrown in their way.

So when Vivendi Games Mobile appeared on the scene in 2006, the company's executives knew their work was cut out for them. "The market was extremely well-established," says Chris Yates, Vivendi Games Mobile Senior Director of Sales. "Many of the top game titles and companies had been in the market for several years already. So carriers were sometimes reluctant to add new entrants."

Two years on, Vivendi Games Mobile has carved out a solid niche. Leveraging the power and reach of its parent company, the global entertainment giant Vivendi, Vivendi Games Mobile boasts a diversified portfolio of titles based on original IP, cross-media licenses and classics from Sierra Entertainment. More than 90 carriers in over 60 countries distribute award-winning games such as SWAT Force, and offices from Los Angeles to Romania bolster the company's main headquarters near Paris, France.

Yates notes that getting involved with leading handset manufacturers like Motorola has been key to the company's success. "The nature of mobile gaming is global, and the only way you can really do it is to work closely with carriers and manufacturers around the world," he says. "So Motorola is an important part of our strategy. Motorola has the range of products, the market share and the leadership that we need to be successful. The sheer volume of Motorola handsets in circulation means that when Motorola makes a move, we need to pay attention."

He continues, "There are challenges that every developer faces. The fragmentation of the mobile market is a big one: every new title we release has to support literally hundreds of handsets. It's a challenge to bring products to market globally, keep them timely, and keep costs under control."

To stay on top of evolving hardware, Vivendi Games Mobile relies on the MOTODEV developer program for timely information and resources. Vivian Lee, Vivendi Games Mobile Director of Marketing, explains: "MOTODEV has enabled us to identify new trends in the handset industry and prioritize where we should focus our development efforts. That's mission critical." Yates concurs: "MOTODEV is good because it gives us open lines of communication. It's really important that we have titles ready for Motorola's customers as soon as a new phone hits the market. MOTODEV helps us plan, helps us to think about how we can maximize the phone as a gaming device."

That assistance doesn't end when a new game is released, however. Lee and Yates have found that working with Motorola can open doors in marketing, and even help to extend a game's viability. "We use MOTODEV throughout our product lifecycle," says Lee. "It helps us with development, but a lot of our PR and marketing efforts come after the launch, and our engagement with Motorola helps with that, too. When we can say we're working with Motorola, it gives us more legitimacy. Everyone knows who Motorola is." Yates adds, "And if one of our products is successful, we need to ensure that we can keep supporting it. We need to be ready for new devices as they come to market, so that we can support those devices and keep up with changes in the industry."

Vivendi Games Mobile knows all about staying ahead of the curve. Their popular Surviving High School and Surviving Hollywood games push the content envelope with episodic, downloadable scenarios, which Lee likens to the story arcs of a television series. As Yates puts it, "That allows people to keep playing the same game for an indefinite period without it getting stale. Every month there's a new pack that you can download. It's a continuous experience rather than something you play end to end." That trend towards game continuity is all the more reason to stay on top of the latest devices – the experience shouldn't end just because a user buys a new phone.

Vivendi Games Mobile is currently looking forward to several entertainment tie-ins in 2008, leading off with a game based on the children's movie and book series The Spiderwick Chronicles™, along with titles based on the FOX TV series Prison Break™ and Robert Ludlum's spy tale The Bourne Supremacy™. With games reaching out into new areas of content, integration, and delivery, the future of mobile gaming looks brighter than ever. Lee notes, "We were a late entrant into the industry, but we saw that there was still a great strategic opportunity... Motorola has been very supportive, and a great help to us."

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