Buy credit for ringtones and games

Link: Beacon Journal | 04/17/2006 | Content creators bypass carriers.

Smaller companies are doing an end-run around carriers like Verizon Wireless or Cingular Wireless LLC by turning to bricks-and-mortar stores or off-line promotions, thus avoiding the fees associated with placement on mainstream mobile portal sites.

For San Jose, Calif.-based PlayPhone Inc., that means selling $5-$20 prepaid cards for buying ring tones, games, wallpaper and music videos.

Cool concept though wonder how successful this will be? 

Anyway: Cingular’s response?  Ultra lame…

Mobile carriers defend the deals, saying they can ensure the ring tones and games will work on their various phone models.

“Our first suggestion to customers is to search our site, because
it’ll work the way you’re expecting it to work,” Cingular Wireless
spokesman Ritch Blasi said. “If you go outside and that game doesn’t
play right on your phone, that’s not something I’m going to guarantee.”

That’s their entire consumer message, eh?  ‘Please buy from us.  Don’t buy from the boogey men, because it might not work’.

I was about to launch into a rant about walled gardens, mobile operators and … well, I’ll just stop there.  It’s time for lunch.