Big market
for small games

Maui Games Inc. has been focusing on the $500 million mobile gaming market. Headquartered in California but with operations on Maui, the company is developing "Hawaiian Xtreme Frisbee Football," "Hawaiian Xtreme Frisbee Golf" and "Hawaiian Xtreme Frisbee Bowling," said David Fradin, Maui Games president.

The idea came through Fradin's friendship with Maui's Steve Welck, a recent state Frisbee Golf champion. The game is often called disc golf, so as not to run afoul of Frisbee manufacturer and patent holder Wham-O Inc.

Wham-O has not registered a copyright for use of the Frisbee name for wireless phone games. However, "we caution players not to throw their phones," so they won't be violating any copyrights, Fradin laughed.

The company has a deal to provide the games to a national wireless phone carrier that Fradin would not identify.

Manoa-based Blue Lava Wireless has its feet firmly planted in mobile gaming. Co-founder Henk Rogers is credited with popularizing Tetris, first for console game systems and later for mobile phones.

Maui Games appointed Maui-born Kalani Streicher executive vice president and worldwide studios director last year. He is the company's primary game designer. "Right now he's in Austin, Texas, but his goal is to get back to Maui," Fradin said.

Streicher started his career with "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' LucasArts Entertainment Co., where his video game credits included several Star Wars- and Indiana Jones-themed titles for leading consoles. He later broke away and founded Ronin Entertainment, which developed console and PC games.

Maui Games has 10 core people, a dozen external contractors and offshore development teams.

Development of console games can take from $5 million to $15 million and from 1 1/2 to five years. Comparatively, a game for a wireless phone takes $30,000 to $50,000 and perhaps three months.