Who's Europe's #2 in games?

Who is Europe's second largest mobile games provider? EA, Gameloft, Glu, Hands-On, Namco, I-Play, THQ? Nah - it is Zenops! Who? Yes, you heard right... That is, at least as per the lead investor in Zenops, who rather boldly stated this in their announcement of the acquisition of formerly high-aiming and recently rather ailing In-Fusio (including Mobile Scope) and niche player Filao.

Now, the acquisitions suggest that Zenops aims towards i-mode: this is where it was active in the past, and where Filao has expertise. It probably aims to apply Mobils Scope's and In-Fusio's expertise to expand this onto other platforms. But #2? Come on!

The statement is all too bold, and it gives the whole thing a bit of a stale taste. Do never pretend things you cannot be. To aim for such positions is an honourable and worthy task. To simply assert it without any hint as to where this should be derived from or on what it is based is, well, best left uncommented, in particular if it comes with such humbling clarifications: Zenops' website currently (11 May 2007) says under the download tab: "For non i-mode user, games from ZENOPS will be available in a few months". It gets worse: ex-In-Fusio man Florent Pitoun writes that his "old company has been sold to a small industry player at a really ridculous value, meaning that my shares are now worth nothing." Ouch!

So, dear folks from Zenops-In-Fusio-Mobile-Scope-Filao: send your investor chap to a course in media training and good luck to you all!