Games, games, games

LOS ANGELES-With mobile gaming looking to explode from niche to mass market, game-makers are targeting consumers with everything from casual poker games to arcade classics to high-tech 3-D first-person shooters. And it was all on display here at E3.

The wireless industry had more of a presence than ever at this year’s video game extravaganza in Los Angeles. While hardcore gamers waited in line to try their hands at next-generation consoles from established manufacturers, developers and publishers pushed their wares for what they hope becomes the world’s most common gaming platform-the mobile phone.

“The thing to remember is that the mobile industry is so vast in terms of the number of users,” Jill Braff, Sorrent’s vice president of marketing, said during a workshop at the show.

Some of the more notable announcements from E3 include:

• Jamdat Mobile Inc. said it reached a deal with Id Software to bring the company’s noted PC-based title Doom to wireless phones. Jamdat said it will release the game in conjunction with the upcoming Doom motion picture, slated to open in October. The Los Angeles-based publisher also said it will distribute mobile versions of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALS Mobile Recon, a console game from Sony Computer Entertainment America.
• Mforma appointed gaming veteran Stephen Anderson as senior vice president of production. The former Electronic Arts vice president is charged with leading Mforma’s global production and development operations. Mforma also touted its recently released World Poker Tour Texas Hold ‘Em title, saying the game is now available on major U.S. wireless networks.
• InfoSpace Inc. showcased a mobile engine designed to provide 3-D gaming experiences on 2-D handsets. The company is developing a line of action and arcade games to be released later this year to take advantage of the technology.
• In-Fusio offered a sneak peak at a mobile version of PC-based title Age of Empires, and touted a new 3-D version of the popular Midtown Madness racing franchise.
• Sorrent unveiled a variety of new games, most notably a wireless version of Marc Ecko’s Getting Up, a graffiti-themed game based on the urban clothing designer. The title will be launched for consoles and mobile phones later this year. Sorrent also showcased Fox Sports Mobile ’06 and Kingdom of Heaven, and announced a deal with The Bitmap Brothers to bring the company’s games to wireless phones. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe will be the first title under the agreement.
• Yahoo! Inc. and Sprint PCS said they will team to offer PC-to-mobile multiplayer games from the Internet portal’s online portfolio. The games will be introduced to the Sprint Game Lobby, a gaming community powered by M7 Networks, and will be available to users with Vision phones. The partnership’s first title, Yahoo! Poker, is due in mid-June. Sprint, meanwhile, said it had restructured its gaming deck, creating categories for hardcore gamers, casual titles and games that can be played quickly.
• Gameloft announced new 3-D multiplayer titles designed for play on Verizon Wireless’ EV-DO network. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm and Asphalt: Urban GT are playable on all the carrier’s Vcast-enabled phones.
• iFone unveiled a series of titles set for release this year based on established animated series and board games. The U.K.-based publisher will sell games based on The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Casper the Ghost and Roger Ramjet, as well as mobile versions of classic games Clue, Game of Life and Lemmings, a popular European console game.
• I-play, another U.K. game-maker, said it would release Maria Sharapova Tennis to European markets in May and to North American markets in July. I-play, which was formerly Digital Bridges, also announced a second licensing agreement with California publisher iWin to distribute mobile versions of Mahjong Quest.
• Handset provider Kyocera will offer CDMA phones with pre-loaded titles from publishers Sorrent and Taito.
• Namco America announced plans to release a 3-D sequel to Pac-Man for handhelds. The U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Namco Limited will celebrate the character’s 25th birthday with Pac-Mania, due out in June.