Staying in touch through mobile games

What: Z2Live

Who: David Bluhm, 48, founder and CEO

Mission: Bring multiplayer gaming to mobile devices. Z2Live is developing a multiplayer-gaming platform for iPhones and iPod touch devices, and the company will develop its own games to run on the platform. "It's another cut wire — the idea that people can play connected with each other, whether over the Internet or over the cellular network," Bluhm said.

Employees: 11

Financials: The company was launched in June with $3 million in seed money from Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group.

Going social: "The gaming experience has changed dramatically into more of a social experience," Bluhm said. "Setting up chat rooms, building your reputation, publishing your story streams to your Facebook account so that people can see when you've accomplished something." As a result, people want to take their games with them.

Going worldwide: Blumh predicted that probably in the second quarter next year, game players will be able to connect with anybody across the world using a cellular or Wi-Fi network and play a variety of games.

Homegrown team: It's not just the investment money that is from Seattle. Both Bluhm and co-founder Damon Danieli were born and raised in the Seattle area. Bluhm graduated from the University of Washington in mechanical engineering before beginning a career of high-tech startups. Danieli worked at Microsoft for 14 years.

Rare bright spot: Bluhm thinks that, despite the economy, the time is right for mobile gaming. "This is probably one of the brighter spots in the economy," he said. "We have user experiences in now. We have the networks in place. There's a lot of stuff that's never been in place before."

— Patrick Marshall