In brief: this week's mobile gaming news

Our sister site, MobileIndustry.biz, covers all the latest news in the growing mobile gaming sector. Here, we present a brief round-up of this week's announcements.

GDC Mobile boss Robert Tercek has warned the mobile industry that the 'golden age' of paid downloads is over.

"The idea that game publishers can milk dollars on paid downloads that are in the public domain — that's over folks," he said.

Tercek expects that in-game advertising supported titles will proliferate, forcing publishers to increase the quality of their mobile offerings. The full story can be read here.

Oxfam has partnered with Unkasoft to create a new game to help raise the charity's profile. Refugee is designed to inform players of humanitarian issues and proceeds from the game will go to Sudanese refugees.

Paramount Digital Entertainment has appointed Pradeep Mittur as its new vice president of the Asia Pacific region. Mittur joins Paramount from Disney and will be responsible for growing digital and mobile operations in the region.

Gameloft has enjoyed a sales increase of 46 per cent in 2006, from EUR 46,800 to EUR 68,400. Download revenues grew by 78 per cent, and operating margins rose during the second half of the year to 11.4 per cent.

Electronic Arts is bringing its hit sports title Fight Night Round 3 to mobiles. The game will launch next month and feature content exclusive to the format.

THQ Wireless has struck a deal with Empire Interactive and will be releasing 80's arcade hit Pipemania on handsets this year.

Publisher I-Play has unveiled its first game bundles for Europe under the Absolute Value banner. Puzzle titles Sudoku, Kakuro, Slyder and pet sim My Dog are the first titles in the two-for-one offer.

PlayPhone has inked a deal with Taito to offer classic arcade titles for download. The portfolio of games includes Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble and Chase HQ.

Spanish outfit Movilenio has rebranded its games offering as AnyPlays. To celebrate three years in business, it has also released new title Yo-Yo GoGo.

Namco will be bringing Popeye games to mobiles in the near future. The company has struck a deal with editorial distributor King Features.

The top ten mobile game downloads in South East Asia for February include a number of console brands including Age of Empires, Tomb Raider Video Slots and Company of Heroes. But none have been able to shift the number one seller — AIM's Jewel Miner.