Archive for August, 2007

Aug 29th, 2007

Get out and play - with N-Gage games in your Nokia device

Posted by Newsman @ 11:22 am

Life just got more entertaining with the new N-Gage mobile gaming service. The service allows you to try all N-Gage games for free from any one of the tens of millions of compatible Nokia devices in the market. Once captivated, you can conveniently download and buy a game on your device or PC and continue the fun. You can also share the fun by connecting with friends, challenging players around the world, and participating in community activities in the N-Gage Arena.

As we expand our focus from a dedicated game phone to a gaming service, we are making getting and playing games even easier,” said Jaakko Kaidesoja, head of the games business at Nokia. “The N-Gage service combined with powerful devices, world class titles and brands, and interactive social networking features, takes the mobile gaming experience beyond traditional boundaries.”

The N-Gage service will be available globally in November 2007. At that time, the free N-Gage application can be downloaded from http://www.n-gage.com (PC or mobile) and installed in compatible devices. Later, the N-Gage application will be embedded in a wide range of Nokia devices, including the new Nokia N81 and Nokia N95 8GB, so consumers can play straight out of the box.

Furthermore, support for N-Gage continues to grow with EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA 08, The Sims(TM) 2 Pets, Tetris®, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® being developed for the platform as well as new publishers Capcom and Vivendi, and its famed Crash Bandicoot®, on board. Nokia Publishing also announced new titles: Snakes Subsonic and Bounce Boing Voyage.

With the new N-Gage experience, fans of some of our most popular franchises like FIFA or The Sims can play and stay connected with other fans. With millions of compatible Nokia devices already in the marketplace, we’re very excited to help bring quality mobile gaming expriences to the fingertips of a global audience,” said Barry Cottle, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EA Mobile.

The indicative pricing for N-Gage games sold through the N-Gage store will range between six and 10 euros excluding local taxes and can be bought with a credit card or charged through operator billing where available. Operator billing is supported in over 20 countries and credit card billing is available globally. Daily and weekly game licenses are also available at lower prices and all games are free to try before purchase. Moreover, whether you choose to get games over the air or over the internet, managing your games catalog is a breeze with simple store and sync to your PC.

Aug 29th, 2007

The Nokia Music Store - your music, your way

Posted by Newsman @ 11:20 am

With millions of tracks from major artists, independent labels as well as local hits, the Nokia Music Store offers people the chance to enjoy music directly on their Nokia device or personal computer. Part of the Ovi by Nokia offering, the Nokia Music Store, with its compelling combination of download and streaming services, empowers you to connect to music you want, in the way you want.

With a single account, music lovers can access the Nokia Music Store via their desktop computer or directly from optimized Nokia devices beginning with the Nokia N81 and Nokia N95 8GB. You can browse for new music, get recommendations or search for your favorite artists, songs or albums all from the palm of your hand. Once a track captures your attention, you can add it to your wishlist to buy later or purchase it immediately for download to your device without having to download the same song again on your computer. You can also transfer purchased songs via your PC to compatible Nokia devices, including the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic and Nokia 5610 XpressMusic. You can pay by a variety of payment options, including credit cards, PayPal and pre-paid vouchers.

The Nokia Music Store is opening across key European markets this fall with additional stores in Europe and Asia opening over the coming months. Individual tracks will cost EUR 1.00 and albums from EUR 10.00, with a monthly subscription for PC streaming for EUR 10.00.

The Nokia Music Store brings together a powerful combination of great music and great devices in an easy to use way. You can select from a huge range of music, including local music from your country, and download it directly to your Nokia device,” said Tommi Mustonen, the head of Nokia’s music activities. “You can choose between purchasing tracks a la carte via your Nokia device or computer, or you can stream an unlimited number of full length tracks to your computer. The unlimited streaming is a great way to discover new music and the integrated mobile and PC download service is a fantastic way to build a music collection that is always with you.”

With millions of tracks from major labels, as well as thousands of independent labels from around the world, you can be sure to find music to match your mood. In addition, the Nokia Music Store aims to provide more locally relevant music than any other digital music store. If you want to see what others are enjoying, the Nokia Music Store provides a dynamic recommendations engine as well as genre-based instant playlists.

The Nokia Music Store also offers locally relevant music, in addition to international artists. “People don’t just want the top global hits, but also music that is relevant to them, whether from local artists or songs in their own language. That’s why we are working with thousands of major and independent labels to bring as many songs on the local top charts as possible to the Nokia Music Store in each country,” explained Mr. Mustonen.

Lucian Grainge, Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Group International said: “It’s obvious that innovation and imagination in the digital music download business are the keys to future growth. It’s good for music - and good for our artists - that consumers can easily find and buy the songs they want, when they want. That’s why we welcome the Nokia Music Store.”

Tracks are typically delivered in high quality 192Kbps audio in Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. You can easily transfer your purchased songs to your Nokia device using Windows Media Player or with the new Nokia Music PC client available later this year. The Nokia Music PC client enables reverse synchronization of playlists, ripping from a CD to your device and PC simultaneously, as well as auto-synchronization of your purchased music and direct access to the Nokia Music Store. With the Nokia N81 and its integrated music player, you can create playlists and manage your music collection, including editing song and artist information, as well as adding your own choice of album artwork, all while on the move.

Aug 29th, 2007

Meet Ovi, the door to Nokia’s Internet services

Posted by Newsman @ 11:15 am

Nokia today introduced Ovi, the company’s new Internet services brand name. With the introduction of Ovi, Nokia is expanding from a focus on mobile devices to offering a range of Internet services. Ovi, meaning ‘door’ in Finnish, enables consumers to easily access their existing social network, communities and content, as well as acting as a gateway to Nokia services.

As part of Ovi, Nokia announced the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage, two services that make it easy for people to discover, try and buy music and games from a blockbuster range of artists and publishers, including exclusive content only available through Nokia. Also under the Ovi umbrella is Nokia Maps, a navigation service that offers maps, city guides and more directly to compatible mobile devices. Nokia aims to bring more Internet based services to Ovi in the coming months.

Speaking at the Nokia Go Play event in London, Nokia President and Chief Executive Officer Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo presented Ovi and the new Nokia services for consumers, and spoke about the company’s future plans as an Internet company: “The industry is converging towards Internet driven experiences and Ovi represents Nokia’s vision in combining the Internet and mobility. Nokia is the number one mobile device company in the world. Looking into the future, we will deliver great devices, combined with compelling experiences and services, to make it easy for people to unlock the potential of the Internet.”

We started this journey with our navigation services earlier this year and we are now combining all our services into a single branded offering - Ovi by Nokia. Over the coming 12 months, you will see us integrate new user interface elements, service suites and web communities to Ovi,” added Kallasvuo.

Ovi - one key opens every door
Ovi (http://www.ovi.com) is the gateway to Nokia’s Internet services, including the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and N-Gage games. It will also be an open door to web communities, enabling people to access their content, communities and contacts from a single place, either directly from a compatible Nokia device or from a PC. The first version of Ovi.com is scheduled to go live in English during the fourth quarter of 2007 and additional features and languages expected to go live during the first half of 2008.

Nokia Music Store - all the world’s music in your pocket
The Nokia Music Store (http://music.nokia.com) offers millions of tracks from major artists, independent labels as well as a broad range of local artists from around the world. The store is accessible via a desktop computer or directly from a compatible Nokia device, such as the Nokia N81 or Nokia N95 8GB multimedia computer. Browse for new music, buy what you like or add a song to your wishlist to download later. You can easily transfer your purchased songs to your mobile device and with the built-in music player, create playlists on the go and manage your music collection.

The Nokia Music Store offers full track streaming on your PC as well as individual track and album purchase. The dynamic recommendation engine and genre-based instant playlists provide access to show you what others are enjoying. The store opens across key European markets this fall with additional stores in Europe and Asia opening over the coming months. In Europe, individual tracks cost EUR 1.00 and albums from EUR 10.00, with a monthly subscription for PC streaming for EUR 10.00.

N-Gage - mobile gaming experience
N-Gage offers an easy way to find, try and buy great quality games directly from your compatible Nokia device. Selecting the N-Gage application on your compatible Nokia device, you can preview available games, connect with your friends, read reviews or download a free demo. Buying games is easy, either with a credit card or by charging to your monthly phone bill. Companies like Electronic Arts and Gameloft are making some of their biggest brands available through N-Gage. The application is expected to be available for download from http://www.n-gage.com in November 2007.

We know that people want integrated access to great content without the constraints of having to sit behind a computer or in front of a TV. With the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage services, you can access the best in music and games directly from your Nokia Nseries multimedia computer,” said Anssi Vanjoki, executive vice president and general manager, Multimedia, Nokia. “We expect the mobile device to become the most popular platform - the ‘fourth screen’ - for enjoying your digital content. Ovi brings our Internet services vision to life, where people can create, share and consume facts, feelings and emotions wherever and whenever.”

Nokia also announced several new devices and enhancements, providing a range of design and technology choices for consumers.

Aug 29th, 2007

Nokia famed Snakes Subsonic back for another bite

Posted by Newsman @ 10:50 am

The most iconic mobile game in history is back. Slither your way through four elemental zones - Earth, Wind, Water and Fire - supported with 3D graphics. Each zone breaks down into 10 levels that glow and pulse with music driven gameplay, delivering a total of 40 levels of play.

Snakes Subsonic delivers the next evolution in mobile puzzle games,” said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. “It’s an exciting combination of accessible gameplay fused with stylized presentation. The result is a rollercoaster ride in puzzle solving unlike anything on mobile.”

Intuitive and responsive controls are a key element to the Snakes experience. Players will need the reflexes of a rattler to navigate the four zones. The all important race against the clock adds to the excitement as you battle to pick up power-ups, shields and other hidden secrets.

In single-player mode, players can work through each elemental zone or can take on other players online in match-ups and tournaments - best time wins. Players can track rankings on leader boards and view lists for the Top 50 for each level of game play.

Once the rollercoaster ride through the 40 beautifully rendered levels has been mastered, there are a further 20 that can be downloaded directly to the device via the new N-Gage platform launching this fall.

Aug 29th, 2007

Bounce Boing Voyage springs to N-Gage

Posted by Newsman @ 10:36 am

Enter the surreal world of Bounce Boing Voyage for the N-Gage mobile games service by Nokia. The evil Hypnotoid has taken over the world of Pongpingy by hypnotizing all its creatures. Your mission is to guide the Bounce ball through different lands to save the world from the rule of Hypnotoid.

It’s the age-old-story of ball meets evil hypnotic block, evil hypnotic block hypnotizes ball’s friends, ball has to save world,” said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. “But it’s not just a great story. Simple controls and beautiful graphics combine to make this a game for everyone.”

Bounce Boing Voyage is an evolution of the original Bounce - moving from 2D to 3D as it makes its debut on the N-Gage service. However, some things never change; Bounce Boing Voyage is still pick-up-and-play mobile fun.

Bounce Boing Voyage challenges players to guide the spherical hero through three puzzle-filled lands, offering something new in each level. Experience surreal landscapes filled with unique creatures, mind boggling puzzles and engrossing missions as players journey on to save the world. To complete the quest, players need to master several one-thumb game play modes as well as all three ball forms - Bounce, Rock and Mud ball - in order to solve puzzles based on memory and agility.

For more information, visit www.bouncegame.com

Nokia, the world leader in mobile communications, announced today that they are teaming up with Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, to bring the legendary Crash Bandicoot ® franchise to Nokia’s new N-Gage mobile gaming platform launching this fall.

Vivendi Games Mobile is one of the most respected publishers in mobile gaming,” said Gregg Sauter, Nokia’s director of third party publishing. “Crash Bandicoot is a gaming icon as well as a global powerhouse, having sold more than 33 million units worldwide. With its fun appeal to people of all ages and incredible graphics, the Crash Bandicoot franchise is the perfect fit for N-Gage.”

We are excited to offer Nokia customers the opportunity to enter the thrilling world of Crash Bandicoot and play a number of award winning titles from the popular Crash® franchise,” said Paul Maglione, president of Vivendi Games Mobile. “We look forward to working with Nokia to offer entertaining, innovative mobile games that tap into the performance and innovation of the N-Gage application and Nokia’s mobile devices.”

Crash Bandicoot follows the original storyline where the crazy marsupial must save the world. Jam packed with action and comedy, the player must take on the role of Crash to defeat the game’s villain and mad scientist, Dr. Neo Cortex. More information about the Crash franchise can be found at the official Crash Bandicoot Web site at http://www.crashbandicoot.com

Aug 27th, 2007

Capcom to bring games to N-Gage platform in 2008

Posted by Newsman @ 11:01 am

Nokia and Capcom today revealed that Capcom will be publishing games on N-Gage, Nokia’s next generation mobile gaming platform, in 2008. Capcom is the first Japanese based publisher to show their commitment to N-Gage, which makes its global debut later this year, ushering in a new era for games on mobile devices.

With our global reach, it’s important to have strong, well respected global partners“, said Gregg Sauter, Director of Third Party Publishing, Nokia. “For many years, Capcom has been entertaining consumers around the world with exceptional gaming experiences. We’ve now reached a point with mobile technologies where companies like Capcom can deliver a whole new level of mobile entertainment. The N-Gage platform will enable this evolution with devices that deliver enhanced graphics and a development tool kit that allows for online tournaments, communities, multiplayer games and, of course, global distribution.”

Speaking of the announcement, Yosuke Yoneda, Director of Capcom’s European Mobile Division, said “Capcom is dedicated to creating great mobile games, and believes that N-Gage will allow us to bring some of our most famous franchises to the platform. Our dedication to quality and creative thinking has seen the company produce a series of ground-breaking titles, with stunning visuals and in-depth game play, never before seen on the mobile“.

Capcom has been highly successful in the mobile market as a result of the company’s commitment to innovation and faithful conversion of some of the world’s greatest video game franchises. With classic titles such as Mega Man, Street Fighter and Resident Evil, and contemporary brands such as Phoenix Wright, Capcom has captured a wide audience of fans, in terms of age, gender and game playing ability.

N-Gage games are created in a native development environment, allowing developers to take advantage of Nokia devices with advanced graphics and physics capabilities which deliver extremely sharp, clear and fluid game experiences to users. The N-Gage platform provides flexible opportunities for operators and publishers alike. Games can distributed digitally over the air through operator networks or over the internet to a user’s PC, which allows for larger file downloads and therefore games with enhanced audio and graphical elements.

Nokia announced it has filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Qualcomm has engaged in unfair trade practices through infringing 5 Nokia patents in its CDMA and WCDMA/GSM chipsets. Nokia is requesting that the ITC initiate an investigation and issue an exclusion order to bar importation to the United States of infringing Qualcomm chipsets, and products such as handsets, containing the infringing chipsets.

Qualcomm’s unfair trade practices include importing products, selling products for importation, and/or selling products after importation, and inducing others to import products such as handsets, that infringe Nokia patented technology in certain Qualcomm GSM/WCDMA and CDMA2000 chipsets.

The patents in question relate to technologies that improve the performance and efficiency of wireless communication devices as well as enabling lower manufacturing costs, smaller product size and increased battery life. These technologies are important to Nokia’s success as they allow its products to have competitive advantages over those of competitors.

There is significant evidence to warrant an ITC investigation into Qualcomm’s business conduct,” said Rick Simonson, chief financial officer, Nokia. “We are taking this action to stop Qualcomm’s practice of copying Nokia’s patented technology, without permission, and making these innovations available to its chipset customers.

We are seeking the same remedies Qualcomm has sought against Nokia in multiple venues around the world. Nokia will continue to ensure its rights and competitive advantage is protected,” Simonson added.

Nokia has built one of the strongest and broadest IPR portfolios in the wireless industry over the last 15 years through extensive investments in research and development. Nokia will continue to vigorously defend itself against the infringement and unauthorized use of its intellectual property.