Gizmodo: cellphone games

Zeemote JS1 Nunchuk Gaming Controller Bundles With Sony Ericsson W760

John Mahoney — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:30:00 EDT

The Zeemote analog joystick controller for Bluetooth phones is now starting to see the light of day, at least for lucky Dutch W760 buyers, who will get it free as a promo package. This isn't the Wii-like motion-control version the company has been promising, and still no word on U.S. pricing or availability, but it looks like your first person cellphone shooters will soon get a bit easier to play. Full release follows.

Sony Ericsson Takes Mobile Gaming to New Level With Launch of Zeemote(TM) JS1 Controller

BEDFORD, Massachusetts, August 4 /PRNewswire/ —

- Sony Ericsson First to Market

- Retail Promotion in Netherlands Gives New W760i Consumers Mobile
Gaming Edge

Zeemote(TM), Inc. (http://www.zeemote.com/), the makers of intelligent
wireless controllers for mobile devices and Sony Ericsson, today announced
a partnership to bring near-console game play to the W760i. In a world
first, Sony Ericsson is to launch the Zeemote(TM) JS1 Controller featuring
Bluetooth(TM) technology with an exclusive promotion throughout hundreds of
retail outlets across the Netherlands.

Across the Netherlands, from August 8th 2008 to October 31st 2008, the
Zeemote(TM) JS1 Controller will be offered free to purchasers of Sony
Ericsson's new 3G mobile handset, the W760i Walkman, via a mail-in voucher
promotion. The W760i will come with two embedded Zeemote Ready(TM) games
with a further fourteen additional games available through the Fun &
Downloads section on the http://www.sonyericsson.com/nl/

Additional to the Walkman capabilities, 3.2 megapixel camera and GPS
functions of the W760i the Zeemote(TM) JS1 Controller will bring a whole
new dimension in mobile game play to Sony Ericsson customers - enabling a
near-console experience on mobile phones. With a thumbstick and four
assignable trigger buttons, the JS1 offers real analogue control over
Bluetooth(TM) enabling users to truly engage with mobile games. Sitting
perfectly in the hand and ergonomically designed the JS1 weighs just
47g/1.7oz.

"Sony Ericsson prides itself on bringing intuitive technologies to its
customers. We recently announced the motion gaming F305 and we're delighted
to be giving our Netherlands customers the opportunity to be the first to
own an award winning Zeemote JS1 controller," said Max Van Den Berg,
General Manager at Sony Ericsson Benelux. "Adding a new dimension, such as
controllers for mobile gaming, gives us and our customers a competitive
edge!"

"Mobile gaming will never be the same as the Zeemote(TM) JS1 launches
through our first commercial relationship with Sony Ericsson". Said Jim
Adams, VP of Worldwide Sales at Zeemote. "We are delighted to partner with
Sony Ericsson and give users even more of a reason to buy the feature
packed W760i. This agreement is the first of a number of deals we intend to
announce over the coming months."

Cell Phone Gaming Prodigies No Longer Chopped Liver, Says Midnight Gaming Championship

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:00:00 EDT

Admit it, you've always been jealous of console gamers getting all the chicks, living the high life, while you, you're stuck in line at the post office, utterly dominating Bejeweled, yet nobody cares.

Well, here's your chance. Midnight Gaming Championship is hosting the first "mainstream" (like not in your mom's basement) cellphone game tournament. Contenders won't, alas, be playing Bejeweled or any other puzzle classic. The featured game will be The Fast and the Furious: Fugitive. Is that right? Jump for the press release, and to tell me what cellphone game you'd be all Van Damme on in a major international kuma-te. – Wilson Rothman

MIDNIGHT GAMING CHAMPIONSHIP HOSTS FIRST EVER MAINSTREAM CELL PHONE TOURNAMENT
I-Play Presents 'The Fast and the Furious: Fugitive' Mobile Tournament

(Dallas) - The Midnight Gaming Championship, presented by McDonald's, will host the first ever mainstream mobile phone gaming tournament during 52 Midnight Gaming Championship tournaments held in cities across the United States.

The mobile gaming competition, sponsored by MGC partner I-play Mobile Gaming, will feature The Fast and the Furious: Fugitive. Mobile competitors will have the chance to compete on mobile phones at the tournament for thousands in cash and prizes including a three month, three-out membership to GameZnFlix, a one-year subscription to Electronic Gaming Monthly, The Fast and the Furious DVD and round trip airfare to Dallas with one-night hotel stay for the grand championship tournament held in October.

"I-play is excited to bring the first ever mainstream mobile gaming tournament to the Midnight Gaming Championship," said David Gosen, CEO of I-play. "We partnered with the Championship last year in its debut and are proud to partner with them once again to make this tournament a success."

"We are honored that I-play wanted to take part in the 2007 Midnight Gaming Championship," said Bryan Pettigrew, president, Affinity Sports & Entertainment Marketing. "Gamers really enjoyed the mobile phone demos at the 2006 Championship event, so it made sense to turn that into a full-blown mobile phone gaming competition."

Produced by Video Gamers League and Affinity Sports & Entertainment Marketing, MGC competitions will take place from June through September with a championship tournament held in Dallas/Fort Worth in October. Tournament participants must be at least 16 years of age.

About Midnight Gaming Championship (MGC)

Midnight Gaming Championship, presenting partner McDonald's is produced by Video Gamers League and Affinity Sports & Entertainment Marketing. Contributing partners include Ziff Davis Game Group including the 1up Network, I-play, Headplay, Coke Zero, GameZnFlix, 2K Sports, Ubisoft and Spike TV. Visit http://www.midnightgamingchampionship.com for more information or text "L8NITE" to 37438 for tournament information and a free mobile game demo.

Gosub 60's Camera Phone Darts: Here's Tomato In Your Eye

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:59:12 EDT

A few days ago we ripped DoCoMo for thinking about turning the phone into a Wii remote, but now I think the technology was unfairly compared to Nintendo's little miracle baby. As we said, there's no room for swashbuckling or tennis, but the right motion-sensitive phone game can be fun. And here, I'm talking about Camera Phone Darts by Gosub 60.

Using software from GestureTech, your phone's camera senses motion the way an optical mouse's sensor does, though the emphasis is twisting rather than linear tracking. The dart board appears on the screen, essentially on a virtual wall in front of you. Your job is to twist around until you've got the dart board centered, then tap the OK button to make the shots.

As cool as it is that the game repurposes your phone's camera for motion sensing, a camera-phone dart game that doesn't let you have fun with actual photos would be lame. Follow the jump to see me with tomato on my face.

See, it's not just a momentary timewaster, it can also be a psychotherapeutic stress reliever: simply point your phone's camera at the object of your loathing, snap a shot, then then hurl virtual objects of scorn at it.

Gosub 60 has relationships with most major carriers, and expects Camera Phone Darts to be available for download through carriers by the end of May or early June, for around $2.99 monthly, or $7.99 for unlimited access. Next up, the company is devising a version of Camera Phone Darts for phones that don't have cameras. We wish them luck with that. – Wilson Rothman

Product Page [Gosub 60]

Poppin' Joystick Makes Cellphone Gaming Easier

Adam Frucci — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:55:00 EST

One of the biggest things keeping cell phone games from being anything more than a nice distraction while you're on the can at work is the fact that those button layouts flat-out suck for gaming. I once excitedly downloaded Mega Man to my V710 (note to self: get a new phone) only to discover it was basically unplayable and I had just tossed another $5 into the bottomless, ravenous maw of Verizon Wireless.

This concept design looks to make phones a little more game-friendly. By popping the center button out into an analog joystick, it makes your phone much more capable at controlling games, if stopping substantially short of making it full-out game comfortable. Will we see this design on phones in the future? Who knows (it's tough to trust any design website with a .ru extension), but it certainly looks better than most phone's game controls out there now. –Adam Frucci

IndustrialDesign.ru [via Core 77]