PopCap Games has announced the launch of a new puzzle title called Bookworm.
Originally released online and on PCs, Bookworm is a puzzle game where players must build words from tiles on a grid. Words can be selected via the d-pad/cursor, triple-tap, or predictive text entry, which is exclusive to mobile phones. Longer words grant bonuses as well as special power-up tiles.
“Bookworm is very well suited for mobile phones because it can be played in short bursts of a minute or two whenever and wherever the opportunity arises,” said Andrew Stein, director of mobile business development at PopCap. “At the same time, the game also offers a great challenge for marathon word-builders since it’s essentially infinite in its replayability.”
The game is available now throughout North America and the UK.
THQ Wireless has released information about two upcoming games.
First up is Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Mobile, a new action/adventure game that lets players experience scenes from the famous movie through a series of mini-games. Players will control either Luke Skywalker, training with Yoda on Dagobah or battling Darth Vader, or one of the many vehicles in the Star Wars universe, from Snow Speeders on up to the Millennium Falcon, flying through asteroid fields or escaping Imperial Star Destroyers.
Then we have Ratatouille: Cheese Rush. Unlike the first game, Cheese Rush lets gamers play as the rat Remy. Players guide Remy on his quest to find 15 gourmet cheeses in locations from the movie such as Mabel’s farmhouse, the Paris sewers and of course the restaurant Chez Gusteau’s.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Mobile will be available in December and Ratatouille will release in January of 2008.
Inlogic Software has announced the release of a new game called Star Defence.
The game puts players in the midst of a war between two alliances: WGi and DCa. The decades-long war has lead to a complete lack of supplies on Earth. You are a commander in charge of the WGi’s space station NCX87 and must use tactics and strategy to defend it from the DCa.
“According to first acclaims, the game is catchy, people like it and that’s why we believe in its success”, said Michal Lacko, Head of Development at Inlogic Software. “We wanted to expand our portfolio by a game with sci-fi theme, which was missing there.”
The game is available now, although it has not yet appeared on Inlogic’s website.
Hudson Soft and Living Mobile have teamed up to release Bomberman, which includes both Bomberman Classic and Bomberman Supreme.
Bomberman Classic is a tribute to the classic 80s arcade game, where players must destroy enemies using bombs in a series of maze-like tunnels. It also includes a history special to look up background details about the game. Bomberman Supreme updates the game with new graphics, enemies, and power-ups. It also includes a multiplayer mode over Bluetooth. Both games also allow players to upload high-scores and compare them in daily, weekly, monthly, and all-time rankings.
The game is available now.
The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) has announced that they are extending their global mobile games reach by expanding their development studio in Prague.
The WDIG plans for the studio, which is being renamed the Disney Mobile Games Studio, to become their largest European location for development.
“The mobile gaming market is developing at a rapid pace,” said Cindy Rose, SVP and managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. “With the strength of Disney’s brand, the depth of our content offering and our mobile gaming expertise, we feel that we are well positioned to capitalise on the growth potential of this sector across the EMEA region.â€
This move is part of a more general plan to expand Disney’s worldwide reach.
Gameloft has announced the release Beowulf: The Official Mobile Game.
This is the fruition of their announcement back in August that they had signed an agreement with Paramount Pictures to develop a game based on the movie. Beaowulf: The Official Mobile Game puts players in the role of Beowulf as he battles the evil Grendel. Gamers will battle across 14 levels and utilize over 15 fighting movies, as well as a number of weapons, to defeat the wide variety of enemies.
“We are proud to translate the exciting thrills of this famous epic to mobile handsets worldwide,” said Gonzague de Vallois, senior vice president of publishing at Gameloft. “The game not only stimulates players visually, but immerses them into the intense, action-packed world of Beowulf that is sure to intrigue and captivate players for hours.”
The game is available now through carriers worldwide.
Electronic Arts has announced rally racing game Dakar 2008.
Dakar 2008 is the official game of the Darkar Rally 2008, and features 15 circuits spanning five countries and two continents, in cities like Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, and Senegal. Rally mode allows players to consecutively race all 15 increasingly difficult courses, while flag chase mode allows players to catch flags on five exclusive circuits. Quick race mode is available to retry previously beaten courses to achieve a better time.
“Following the success of Dakar 2007, and the continued popularity of this famous race, we’re delighted to bring Dakar 2008 to rally and mobile gaming fans across Europe,” said Javier Ferreira, VP of European Publishing at EA. “Thanks to our continued relationship with the Dakar rally, EA Mobile is recreating the excitement of the rally for the mobile platform.”
The game will be available across Europe on December 14th.
Indiagames has announced the formation of a partnership between themselves and Glu.
Under their new agreement, Indiagames will distribute some of Glu’s games, as well as wallpapers and ringtones, throughout India. Games that will be distributed include Age of Empires III Mobile, Atari Legends 3, Pong, Asteroids Deluxe, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, DC Comics, and Zuma.
“It is Glu’s goal to be the leading developer and publisher of mobile games worldwide, and our partnership with Indiagames supports our strategy to bring our award-winning games to a wide audience of consumers around the world,†said Jill Braff, senior vice president of global publishing at Glu. “We see tremendous opportunity for Glu games in India, and our partnership with Indiagames will allow us to expand our global audience for our award-winning titles.â€
The titles will be available from leading operators in India as well as the gaming portal run by Indiagames.
HeroCraft has announced the release of a new action game called Black Shark 3D.
Players take control of the KA-50 Black Shark helicopter and pilot it through hostile territories to destroy a terrorist menace. The game features 3D graphics, vibration effects, a wide variety of enemies, and a large arsenal of weapons and armor to collect and choose from.
More information is available at HeroCraft’s website.
Ojom has announced that they have modified their game Maya - Secrets of the Temple to work with Apple’s iPhone.
The game is comprised of a series of puzzles. Each puzzle is made up of a cluster of triangles with varying colors in each corner. The puzzle is solved by flipping or rotating the triangles to form a pattern where the corresponding colors are connected to each other. Modifications to the game allow iPhone users to use the touchscreen while playing the game.
“This is a great opportunity for Ojom to show that we can adapt and innovate to suit new technologies,” said Thomas Brockhage, Ojom’s general manager. “Maya was one of our most popular games and is perfect for the iPhone’s touch sensitive screen. We are proud to release our first game specifically adapted for the iPhone.”
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