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Gameloft launches mobile games for touch screen handsets

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Gameloft announced the launch of games designed especially for touch screen mobile handsets, the first publisher to cater to this new generation of mobile phones.

Using the company’s expertise from developing stylus-based games for the Nintendo DS, Gameloft sought out ways to best utilize the touch screens, which transform gameplay into a more intuitive experience and remove the limitation of small keyboards.

Gameloft already has more than 15 touch screen games in its catalogue, including Block Breaker Deluxe, Brain Challenge and Brain Challenge 2, Bubble Bash, Platinum Solitaire, Chessmaster, Miami Nights: Single in the City, Paris Hilton’s Diamond Quest, Sexy Poker Manga, Catchphrase, Deal or No Deal, Shrek the Third, Real Football: Manager Edition, and CSI Miami. These games were developed for the first touch screen mobile phones available on the market, including the LG Viewty, LG KS20, the HTC touch screen line, and the Samsung SGH-F700. Gameloft’s touch screen games were initially developed in Java, though some will also be developed on the Windows Mobile platform.

Originally posted on February 11, 2008 @ 2:49 pm

Political contest plays out on mobile phones with Gameloft’s ‘Battle for the White House’

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Political in-fighting goes mobile as Gameloft introduced ‘Battle for the White House’, a new mobile game that spoofs the current 2008 presidential elections.

‘Battle for the White House’ allows players to assume the roles of the leading candidates: Democrats Hillary Clinton; Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Republicans Rudolph Giuliani and Mitt Romney, as they square off against one another in completely re-imagined ways.

2008’s presidential hopefuls face such daunting challenges as: Boxing, Debate, Sabotage, Parade, Ballot Ball, Sneak In, Touch the Sky, and Crow Breaker.

‘Battle for the White House’ will be available on all major mobile carrier decks in February 2008. To check the game’s availability with your carrier, text “WHITE” to 82174 on your mobile phone.

Originally posted on January 31, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

EA, Gigamedia agree to operate MMORPG Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning in Taiwan

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Electronic Arts Inc. and GigaMedia Ltd have entered into an agreement to launch and operate Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR) in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Based on Games Workshop’s Warhammer fantasy universe, the online game features next generation Realm vs. Realm (RvR) game play that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict.

The agreement between EA and GigaMedia also aims to provide the ultimate MMORPG gaming experience for players in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Working closely with the EA Mythic development team, GigaMedia will provide marketing, community management, technical support, and customer service functions. Further details concerning the release schedule will be announced in the coming months.

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Originally posted on January 31, 2008 @ 5:39 pm

Guitar Hero surpasses $1 billion sales in North America in 26 months

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Activision, Inc. announced that Guitar Hero has set an industry record, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales in just 26 months, according to The NPD Group.

Additionally, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was the #1 title in units and dollars for calendar year 2007, making it the best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.

Since its initial release in fall 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has sold in excess of 14 million units in North America alone, according to The NPD Group. In 10 weeks since the game’s launch, consumers have already downloaded more than five million songs.

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Originally posted on January 21, 2008 @ 10:00 am

PlayFirst, RockYou to roll out casual games on social networks

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playfirst.pngPlayFirst and RockYou announced a joint initiative to distribute the first casual game, Wedding Dash, on social networking sites beginning with Facebook. The distribution and integration of casual games onto social networks will create a new way for users to engage with casual game content and will open an avenue for audiences to receive promotions from PlayFirst.

As more users find and share content with friends in centralized locations, like social networks, game publishers will need to give users access when and where they want it. The PlayFirst and RockYou partnership marries the expertise of two leading companies that understand the needs of their users and the importance and urgency of migrating successful game experiences onto social networks.

PlayFirst’s Wedding Dash is a top selling game evolving from the wildly successful Diner Dash franchise, which has garnered more than 200 million downloads across the PC, Mac, mobile and handheld platforms. With PlayFirst’s new game application, Facebook users will be able to challenge their friends in an exciting game to determine who can plan the ultimate wedding.

Originally posted on December 28, 2007 @ 7:30 am