MySpace Mobile Goes Free, Now To Be Ad Supported
by
on September 24, 2007,
The division of Newscorp responsible for the company’s online offerings, Fox Interactive Media, announced Monday a version of MySpace formatted to fit mobile phone users’ screens, accessible free of charge and with no strings other than the require that one has the ability to roam the Web via their mobile device.
No need to be an AT&T or Helio subscriber (mind you, no word on whether this delivery is being made available across international boundaries, though I can’t imagine why it would not be) to get your fix of MySpace To Go. Just point your phone’s browser to ‘http://mobile.myspace.com’ and get whatever you’ve been wanting, wherever you want it.
In addition to this new MySpace Mobile release, the Fox Interactive Media group plans to roll out several more wireless phone-compatible sites parallel to its current desktop offerings. The company intends for mobile venues for users of FoxSports.com, its online gaming channel IGN, its AskMen online magazine, as well as its very popular photo and video host, Photobucket.
While Newscorp has ensured MySpace’s continued existence as the king of social networking market, others like Facebook have brought to the public what are arguably much more attractive innovations, which in effect place the company on the defensive. 
The latest news out of the Murdoch machine shows it is clearly looking to retain its overall hold, and ultimately remain as attractive as possible to advertisers, particularly at a moment when those advertisers are looking to test out the budding mobile ad space.
Of course, if the quality of the product (in this case, MySpace) isn’t any good, no one will buy, so we’ll have to see how the user base takes to the new site (or, reversely, does not take to it). Presumably, there will be those that use it regardless of the experience it provides, good or bad. But as for how well it “catches on,” only weeks and months of real world use by millions of members will tell us just how popular or unpopular it is.
One thing I can tell you right now, though, is that the interface is dreadfully uninspiring. Any well-paid Web 2.0-minded designers over at FIM? Anyone?
