January 9, 2006

I-play Reveals Stellar Q1 Roadmap

I-play, the mobile games company, today unveiled its stellar line up of titles for the first quarter of 2006.

The line up covers a range of genres from casual ‘one thumb gaming’ puzzle titles to the hugely popular sports and action / adventure games:

• Torino 2006™ – The Official Mobile Phone Game of the Olympic Winter Games

• U.S. Olympic Team Ice Hockey

• SlyderTM – the highly acclaimed and mind-bendingly addictive puzzler

• Boulder Dash®-M.E.™2 – the timeless and much-loved classic action-puzzle game

• “24” – the genre-busting mobile game based on the global television super-hit series

To kick off the New Year, Torino 2006™ - The Official Mobile Phone Game of the Olympic Winter Games launches ahead of the start of the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy in February. This game is the first official mobile phone game to be licensed by International Sports Multimedia (ISM), exclusive licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Interactive Entertainment Software, and will launch globally via I-play’s network of over 100 operator partners. Capturing the excitement and passion of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games on mobile phone, the game will allow mobile phone users worldwide to test their skills at a number of signature Olympic Winter Games disciplines, including Downhill Skiing, Ski Jumping, Curling and Bobsleigh.

Available only in the U.S., ‘U.S. Olympic Team Ice Hockey,’ the first ever mobile phone game licensed by International Sports Multimedia, exclusive licensee of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), will also launch to coincide with the start of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. The game, a realistic simulation of Olympic ice hockey, features a USA team and the 11 other national teams competing in Torino, Italy from February 10 to26.

For fans of casual gaming titles, in the first quarter of 2006 I-play will be launching two proven franchises: -SlyderTM and Boulder Dash®.

In Slyder, players guide the adorable, blue ball-shaped “Slyder” through 150 challenging mazes, each incrementally more difficult than the previous one. The game has already experienced huge online and Pocket PC success, and the mobile edition has received critical acclaim, scoring a “great”-category 8.9 from IGN Wireless, saying “this cute, clever puzzle will be your next addiction.” The game is highly engrossing and very addictive, with impressive depth. Developed by Sandlot Games and Dhruva Interactive and being published and distributed by I-play in Europe and Asia, Slyder’s cute characters and multiple modes ensure stacks of re-playability. The casual gaming market is huge as evergreen classics show, and Slyder will prove to be “the 21st century Pac-Man.”

I-play’s second casual title in the first quarter will be Boulder Dash®-M.E.™ 2, the latest mobile edition of First Star Software’s multi-million unit selling, timeless and much-loved classic action-puzzle game first launched on home computers and coin operated machines in the mid-1980s. Rockford™, the game’s key character, thus makes a long-awaited return to mobile following 2003’s commercially successful and award-winning debut of the first mobile version of the title. Developed by InstantCom, I-play and First Star will co-publish the game globally exclusively over I-play’s extensive international network of operators, portals and at retail locations throughout the world.

Last, but certainly not least, the mobile game version of Twentieth Century Fox’s hit television series “24” will launch to a global audience to coincide with the launch of the series’ fifth season. 24 is one of the global television super-hits of the early 21st century, with record-breaking viewing figures across Europe and North America and DVD sales growing season on season. The series has won countless creative awards and its main character, Jack Bauer, has become a universally recognized post-millennial hero. The running clock and your mobile phone are key to the game’s plot as you play a CTU agent in a series of missions in a never-before-seen approach to action adventure gaming on mobile. Capturing the time-driven tension of the series and delivering a fresh breakthrough in mobile game play, the action starts the moment players begin to play, echoing “24’s” signature real time motif in which every second counts and calamity could be less than minutes away.

“Content drives this business, and the titles and gameplay experience we have lined up for the first quarter of 2006 all have a mass market appeal. The combination of one-thumb gaming casual titles and big brand franchises demonstrates I-play’s continued ability to hit the sweet spot in terms of fun, accessible mobile gaming,” commented David Gosen, acting CEO, I-play.
 

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