Monty's Gaming and Wireless Outlook - Issue 197

It was 1958 when the 17-year-old Pele came to Sweden and led the Brazilians to their first World Cup victory.

But it could have all been so different and Eduard Streltsov may have usurped Pele as the most famous footballer on the planet. Unfortunately for Streltsov, he was Russian and had a bit of attitude as well as the rebel's greatest weapon - a different haircut.

Ordered by the authorities to either sign for the Soviet Army's team CSKA Moscow or KGB's Dynamo Moscow, Streltsov refused and consequently became an irritant to the authorities as his teddy boy haircut was copied by the yoof of the day... and a cult beckoned.

The rest is painfully predictable. Just before the World Cup, he was accused of insulting a Politburo member's daughter at a party and was stitched up on a charge of rape. Seven years in the gulag followed and the virtual end of his career. Not something you'd wish on your worst enemy, but an exception could be made for that **** of an England football manager.

Unfortunately for Streltsov, he paid for his rebellion unlike decision-makers in the mobile content industry who never seem to pay for anything. Drinks are free, parties are free, World Cup tickets are free, the latest handsets are free and most importantly mobile phone bills are free.

Which is perhaps where the whole industry is going wrong. We don't know what it is like to get 'billshock' because somebody is always paying for it. If we were forced to pay our own bills we'd soon wise up to what content we'd be prepared to pay for... and what we wouldn't pay for.

So we should stop whining about mobile games not doing as well as expected and moaning about the lack of take-up of mobile TV during the World Cup. What we should be forced to do is break out of our comfort-gulags and live in the real world of paying our own way. Because, just like Eduard Streltsov, most people aren't so lucky.