Telcogames acquires Symbian developer Magic Productions

Telcogames, a global publisher and distributor of mobile games, has announced its intention to focus on the developing smartphone phone market, beginning with the acquisition of developer Magic Productions.

Founded at the start of 2003, the Paris-based developer specialises in the creation of high end, console-like games for the latest Symbian and Windows mobile phones. The company owns a number of videogame and console licenses, successfully recreating cult classics such as QWAK and Another World to widespread critical acclaim.

The acquisition forms the basis of Telcogames' strategy to bolster its more advanced gaming portfolio, reaching the growing, but largely overlooked smartphone market. There are obvious limitations to the potential audience for Symbian games, as the market is proportionately much smaller than that of Java and Brew enabled devices. However, the current installed base of 48 million devices is forecast to climb dramatically, reaching an installed base of 200 million devices by 2008.

The ability to support high-end games, video and music downloads, in addition to the more serious business applications is prompting a rapid growth in the smartphone market, with Nokia's Series 60 devices at the forefront of the curve.

Jamie Conyngham, CEO of Telcogames, said: "The Magic Productions acquisition is an extremely good fit for Telcogames. We think the studio is making some of the best mobile games in the world at the moment. We want to supplement our world leading J2ME & Brew portfolio from over 100 publishers with our own high-end games aimed at the serious and experienced mobile gamer who demands an extremely high quality product."

Telcogames has already commissioned Magic to recreate two classic titles, Cannon Fodder and Nebulus, both of which will be released this month. As part of the consolidation of the two firms, which will complete early in 2006, Magic Productions CEO Nicholas Hamel will join Telcogames as head of development.

"We are very excited about the deal with Telcogames. Together we are forging the path to a true gaming experience on a mobile phone," Hamel commented. "As the phones get more and more powerful so will the games that Telcogames publishes. We are following the technology curve."