MEX

Network operator mmO2 has announced that it will introduce a Java gaming service in the UK from the beginning of September.

Customers will be able to download a wide range of colour and greyscale games to handsets such as the Siemens M50, Nokia 3410 and 7650. The games have been sourced from developers such as Motorola, THQ, Digital Bridges and Picofun. Titles include Asteroids, Pong, Men in Black II, Racing Fever and Pinball. The service will be available to all customers, both post- and pre-pay, and will be free of charge during September, excluding airtime download costs. After September, each game will be charged at GBP 1.50 and will be valid for around 30 days of gameplay. mmO2 will launch the services across its other European territories in October.

Tim Raby, head of games for O2, said: “Our research highlights that customers are looking for better ‘playability’, a greater challenge, enhanced colour graphics and a ‘console-like’ feel to games on their mobile – all of which the O2 games arcade will deliver. We have selected games that are ideally suited to mobile – that look good on screen and take only minutes to download. To ensure variety, we will be adding around three games per month to our portfolio to ensure that our gamers never get bored.” Kent Thexton, chief marketing and data officer, mmO2, added: “This is another example of how compelling devices and applications are coming together to make mobile data a reality today. We believe that the O2 games arcade and multimedia messaging, which we will launch shortly, are highly desirable mobile data applications that our customers will embrace.”