GDC: Glu Mobile unveils initial line-up of titles coming to Nokia N-Gage

Game Developers Conference 2008 - Nokia and Glu Mobile Inc., a leading global publisher of mobile games, today announced its initial line-up of games to be launched on the N-Gage platform in 2008. The titles launching are based on two major forthcoming films from Warner Bros. Pictures, SPEED RACER and The Dark Knight, as well as Super Slam Ping Pong, a new original Glu title in the spirit of Glu’s runaway hit, Super K.O. Boxing!

image

“We’re pleased to bring these key titles from Glu to N-Gage,” said Alex Galvagni, senior vice president product development and chief technology officer, Glu Mobile. “N-Gage is a great innovation in mobile gaming technology, and this line-up of games from Glu utilizes the platform capabilities to offer richly rewarding game experiences.”

“These three titles are valuable additions to the N-Gage platform, and will deliver exciting gaming experiences for N-Gage players,” said Gregg Sauter, Director of 3rd party publishing, Nokia. “We’re delighted to further our relationship with Glu Mobile - their catalog of games is extremely strong and offers something for everyone.”

About Glu titles coming to N-Gage:

  • SPEED RACER - In this mobile game inspired by the upcoming movie, SPEED RACER players become the ultimate grand prix champion in the Mach 6. They must conquer the art of drifting, sliding, jumping and defensive driving in order to stay ahead of the pack while racing on extreme tracks with the dirtiest of competitors.
  • Super Slam Ping Pong! - In the spirit of Glu’s runaway hit, Super K.O. Boxing, Super Slam Ping Pong is a hilarious, over-the-top game that features a cast of wacky opponents such as Master Wu-Pong and the Gnarly Gnome. Players must keep an eye out for each opponent’s tell and weakness as they fill their Super Slam meter to unleash powerful slams.
  • The Dark Knight - Play as Batman in The Dark Knight, the thrilling action game based on Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming blockbuster film. Batman fights to eradicate street crime in Gotham City using his advanced combat skills and an array of unique gadgets. However, things take a darker turn when a new reign of chaos is unleashed on the terrified citizens of Gotham by a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker.

Source: Nokia press release

GDC: PopCap Games to develop multiplayer mobile games for SNAP Mobile

Cute and colorful Chuzzle first in games line-up

image Game Developers Conference 2008-  Nokia and PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, will bring connected mobile Java(TM) games to the SNAP Mobile platform. The award winning Chuzzle is the first game to be re-developed by PopCap under a multi-game agreement.

“SNAP Mobile is all about bringing fun multiplayer Java games to the masses,” said Paul Whitaker, Head of Business Development for SNAP Mobile, Nokia. “With a catalog of broadly appealing games, PopCap titles are a perfect addition to our growing portfolio.” 

“Downloads of our mobile games continue to grow rapidly and we have learned that consumers are increasingly looking for on-the-go games that allow them to interact with one another,” said Andrew Stein, Director of Mobile Business Development, PopCap. “To help meet that growing demand, we’re happy to cooperate with a company like Nokia that shares our vision of bringing engaging and fun casual games to the mobile mass-market along with a proven track record of efficiently distributing and hosting connected mobile games.”

The multiplayer version of Chuzzle will feature community offerings, including chat, leader boards, and more. The original single player version of Chuzzle, which was named ‘Casual Game of the Year’ in 2005 by Billboard’s Digital Entertainment & Media Excellence Awards, is expected to be available on a variety of mobile devices powered by SNAP Mobile by the end of 2008.

Source: Nokia press release

You make the game with Yamake on N-Gage

image Yamake for N-Gage, by Nokia Games Publishing, makes it possible for players to create their own games from a range of mini games by adding content, then playing and sharing them with friends and the wider Yamake community.

“Yamake is a groundbreaking new game for the N-Gage platform. Players can make, play and share games that are customized using user-generated multimedia content, and we are proud to be pioneering this new way of playing,” said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. “This is exactly what the future of mobile gaming should be about - creating games that you love and want to play, then sharing them with other players.”

The easy-to-use design tools enable each mini game to be transformed by the player’s personal content such as text, pictures, sound clips and movies from the mobile device or PC - creating their favorite mini games, such as picture puzzles and quizzes that are as unique as the players themselves.

Players can share their mobile mini games via the N-Gage Arena, the Yamake community and via multimedia message between N-Gage compatible and other S60 devices. The Yamake community connects players with one another, allowing them to download and review the mini games, as well as share ideas for content.

For more information on playing, making and sharing your Yamake games visit www.n-gage.com

Source: Nokia press release

Create and care for your own virtual pet on your Nokia device

Creebies find their way onto N-Gage

image

Nokia now offers a world of virtual pet-care so your pet is never left alone again. Creebies, available through the N-Gage mobile games service, gives each player their own 3D Creebi to care for, entertain, feed and even breed!

Supplied with a trailer and some virtual cash, you can customize your new friend and home with various accessories. Soon, the 3D pet will take on its own personality and appearance based on the attention it receives. With care, the pet will grow and become more independent. However, make sure to keep an eye on its individual health meters, which will let you know when its hungry or feeling ill.

image “Nokia Games Publishing has brought a quirky game to N-Gage that appeal to all ages,” said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. “With Creebies anyone can have the pleasure of owning a pet without the trouble of cleaning up the mess.”

Your Creebi can also interact with other Creebies via Bluetooth technology - for instance, they can play games together or even breed. Players can show off their newborns to others or send them to new homes through the Adoption Center in the N-Gage Arena.

Creebies is expected to be available in early 2008.

Source:Nokia press release

Nokia reveals N-Gage

image London, UK - Life just got more entertaining with the new N-Gage mobile gaming service. The service allows you to try all N-Gage games for free from any one of the tens of millions of compatible Nokia devices in the market. Once captivated, you can conveniently download and buy a game on your device or PC and continue the fun. You can also share the fun by connecting with friends, challenging players around the world, and participating in community activities in the N-Gage Arena.

The N-Gage service will be available globally in November 2007. At that time, the free N-Gage application can be downloaded from N-Gage (PC or mobile) and installed in compatible devices. Later, the N-Gage application will be embedded in a wide range of Nokia devices, including the new Nokia N81 and Nokia N95 8GB, so consumers can play straight out of the box. 

Furthermore, support for N-Gage continues to grow with EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA 08, The Sims(TM) 2 Pets, Tetris®, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® being developed for the platform as well as new publishers Capcom and Vivendi, and its famed Crash Bandicoot®, on board. Nokia Publishing also announced new titles: Snakes Subsonic and Bounce Boing Voyage.

The indicative pricing for N-Gage games sold through the N-Gage store will range between six and 10 euros excluding local taxes and can be bought with a credit card or charged through operator billing where available. Operator billing is supported in over 20 countries and credit card billing is available globally. Daily and weekly game licenses are also available at lower prices and all games are free to try before purchase. Moreover, whether you choose to get games over the air or over the internet, managing your games catalog is a breeze with simple store and sync to your PC.

For more information visit N-Gage

Source:Nokia press release

Nokia’s new devices unveiled in London

Pictures already posted today here

image London, UK - Alongside the introduction of Ovi, the door to Nokia’s new Internet services, Nokia today unveiled four new mobile devices specifically optimized for entertainment, music and games. Each device offers dedicated music or gaming keys, expanded memory, large screens and extended battery performance to provide quick and easy access to entertainment content. The devices range in price from 225 to 560 EUR and are expected to begin shipping later this year.

Nokia N81 and Nokia N81 8GB: Entertainment made simple

With dedicated music and gaming keys, 3.5 mm headphone connector and 3G and WLAN connectivity, the Nokia N81 multimedia computer is a true mobile entertainment powerhouse. With a sleek, polished surface and keys that light up when you activate them, accessing content on the 3D multimedia menu is fast and intuitive. Equally impressive, the Nokia N81 is configured to find, buy, manage and play music and games purchased from the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage games service. The estimated retail price of the Nokia N81 is 360 EUR before subsidies or taxes. The Nokia N81 8GB is expected to retail for 430 EUR before subsidies or taxes. Both versions are expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Nokia N95 8GB: Stunning screen, massive memory

The Nokia N95, the world’s greatest multimedia computer, just got greater. With all the key features of its predecessor, including a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, built-in A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA and an innovative 2-way slide, the Nokia N95 8GB now offers up to eight gigabytes of built-in memory. The N95 8GB also boasts a new luminous 2.8″ QVGA display - one of the largest ever for a multimedia computer - so that watching videos, browsing the Internet or viewing maps is easy. With its expanded memory, the N95 8GB offers up to 20 hours of video* or up to 6000 songs**. The N95 8GB multimedia computer is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of EUR 560 before subsidies or taxes.

[Read more]

Nokia announces Vivendi Games Mobile’s popular Crash Bandicoot franchise for N-Gage

crash Nokia announced today that they are teaming up with Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, to bring the legendary Crash Bandicoot franchise to Nokia’s new N-Gage mobile gaming platform launching this fall.  

“Vivendi Games Mobile is one of the most respected publishers in mobile gaming,” said Gregg Sauter, Nokia’s director of third party publishing. “Crash Bandicoot is a gaming icon as well as a global powerhouse, having sold more than 33 million units worldwide. With its fun appeal to people of all ages and incredible graphics, the Crash Bandicoot franchise is the perfect fit for N-Gage.”

“We are excited to offer Nokia customers the opportunity to enter the thrilling world of Crash Bandicoot and play a number of award winning titles from the popular Crash franchise,” said Paul Maglione, president of Vivendi Games Mobile. “We look forward to working with Nokia to offer entertaining, innovative mobile games that tap into the performance and innovation of the N-Gage application and Nokia’s mobile devices.” 

Crash Bandicoot follows the original storyline where the crazy marsupial must save the world. Jam packed with action and comedy, the player must take on the role of Crash to defeat the game’s villain and mad scientist, Dr. Neo Cortex. More information about the Crash franchise can be found at the official Crash Bandicoot Web site at http://www.crashbandicoot.com

Digital Chocolate to publish games for N-Gage platform

images Nokia announced today that California based mobile games developer Digital Chocolate has signed up to publish a variety of titles for the N-Gage platform launching this fall. Digital Chocolate is a leading developer known for its original, high-quality mobile games with intuitive features and entertaining content.

Digital Chocolate’s newest game series, DChoc Café, brings an exciting range of games to the N-Gage platform. DChoc Cafe merges the most popular and accessible casual games with the next generation of social gaming on mobile.

A “virtual café” featuring casual card, board and puzzle games similar to those found at a café or other neighborhood meeting place, DChoc Café offers users the opportunity to stay connected with friends through mobile gaming when they want. Additional features in DChoc Café allow players to create customized characters, earn prizes and make game recommendations.

For more information visit N-Gage

Source:Nokia