GameJump offers mobile games for free

GreyStripe has launched a new website offering mobile games free of charge to handset owners in North America, with costs offset by advertising revenue.

The site, GameJump.com, invites users to either send an SMS to receive a download link, access games via their mobile web browser, or install them from PC via Bluetooth or USB.

There's no fee to pay - according to a statement on the website, GameJump believes "mobile games should be like the web and like TV: free and supported by advertising".

"We have formal distribution agreements with all the game publishers represented on our site. While the games are completely free to you, advertisers pay to get into the system, and most of that money goes directly to the publishers."

When users play a game downloaded from GameJump, they'll typically see a two second ad when the game is launched, and another when they quit. "Generally, except for custom-branded games, we think that mobile phone screens are too small to be covering part of the screen during the game, and we think it'd be annoying to interrupt the game to show ads in the middle," the GameJump site states.

Although the games are free, users are still likely to be charged for data and ad downloads by their phone operator - and for receiving text messages if ordering download links via SMS.

So far there are 75 titles available, including Blackjack and Texas Hold 'Em, the inevitable selection of Tetris and Brickout clones, and movie tie-in The Ant Bully. According to GreyStripe, more games will be added every week.