Vivendi Games Mobile Unveils Innovative Title Line-up for First-Half 2007
For immediate release
Paris - February 7, 2007 - Vivendi Games Mobile (VGM), a division of Vivendi Games, today announced its line-up of mobile game titles for the first half of 2007, with an emphasis on casual games and the introduction to mobile gaming of two additional gems from the iconic Sierra games catalog.
The publisher, fresh from its end-2006 series of title awards (Spike TV's Best Mobile Game Award of 2006 for SWAT Force; Airgamer's Best Strategy Game of 2006 award for Caesar; and a Gold Award from Mobile Game Faqs for Spyro Legend), announced a 2007 line-up that widens its published range of game genres and gameplay styles, and introduces new titles from its Centerscore studio in San Mateo, which became part of VGM in September 2006.
Currently launching on carrier decks is Crash Bandicoot Party, a series of 14 intuitive, one-button mini-games which can be played solo or alternatively in hot-seat mode. The title, which is the mobile version of the Crash Boom Bang title recently released on Nintendo DS by VGM's sister company Sierra, was developed in-house at VGM's studio in Meudon, France, and is already a top seller on leading carrier decks in Europe. It will be on sale with U.S. carriers in the first quarter of 2007.
Launching in February simultaneously on mobile and PSP will be M.A.C.H. Air Combat, an adrenaline-fuelled mix of jet racing and aerial dogfights in which players need to negotiate their rocket-powered aircraft through a mid-air obstacle course, with enemy fighters in hot pursuit.
One of VGM's biggest releases of the first half of the year will be The Incredible Machine, marking a return to the market for the Sierra hit PC game from the 1990's. Consisting of 80 brain-teasing levels, The Incredible Machine requires players to manipulate 44 different everyday household objects to achieve the objective of each level, constructing, in the process, the world's most incredible contraptions. Destined to be a strong VGM franchise over the years, due to the infinite number of variations possible with the game design, The Incredible Machine will be launched in March with considerable marketing support, including press, online, consumer competitions, and radio spots.
Also launching in March will be Office Wars, a life-simulation game re-creating all the politics, tensions, and mind-games of the typical office environment. Another VGM internal production, Office Wars features high-quality isometric graphics; five office locations in which players can try to evolve their character from lowly entry level to Boss of the enterprise; and a range of neurotic characters to choose from, including an absurdly ambitious trainee; a stoic secretary; an irritable union activist; and a bombastic manager.
VGM will introduce one of the more innovative puzzle games in mobile gaming with the April launch of Shock Blocks. Based on a surprising twist to classic match-block gameplay, Shock Blocks is predicted to become an instant "evergreen" title and is designed to appeal equally to gamers across the demographic spectrum. Marketing for the title will focus on heavy media investment and creative executions mirroring the title's innovative gameplay, which will be previewed to carriers and mobile gaming journalists in coming weeks.
Rounding out the first-half titles announced today is Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail, a "return to its roots" for the Larry franchise in that it is the mobile re-production of one of the six original Leisure Suit Larry PC adventure games released by Sierra from 1987 to 1999 (the series has the distinction of being the first humorous PC game franchise ever). With Larry Lovage trying his well-worn chat-up lines in situations ranging from airplanes to cruise ships to casinos, Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail affords multiple opportunities for interaction with the game setting environment and finally answers the demand that mobile gamers have been expressing for years : for Larry to return in a mobile adventure title true to the original series.
"In our first full year of operation, we are delighted to be bringing such a dynamic mix of the new and the classic to the global mobile gaming market," said Paul Maglione, President of Vivendi Games Mobile. "The high quality of our games is now established, having been recognized on several occasions last year via some very prestigious awards, so in recent months we have worked to prepare a 2007 slate which features unique, differentiated games, some of which are designed for a broad audience and others which appeal strongly to specific audience segments. I am confident that with these first 2007 titles, we have added a strong set of innovative and original games to the industry's offering, and we look forward to collaborating closely with our carrier and portal partners to bring these games to the attention and phones of mobile gamers everywhere."
About Vivendi Games Mobile
Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, is dedicated to publishing quality titles for the worldwide mobile games market. The division has a global presence, with its headquarters, operations and an internal development team in Paris and a US-based team in Los Angeles. Following the acquisition of the award-winning mobile games publisher Centerscore in September 2006, Vivendi Games Mobile also has an internal development studio in San Mateo, California. The company publishes a diverse portfolio of action, strategy, casual and arcade games based on original IP, high-profile entertainment licenses and classic Sierra IP, distributed by more than 90 operators and dozens of Web portals in 60 countries around the world. Top-selling titles include: Black Hawk Down ®, Crash Bandicoot® Tag Team Racing, Empire Earth®, Eragon®, Leisure Suit Larry® Magna Cum Laude, Spyro the Dragon®, Surviving High School and SWAT® Force. For further information, visit www.vgmobile.com.
Vivendi Games is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is the leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO) games category and holds leading positions in the PC, casual online, console, handheld and mobile games markets. Vivendi Games' two principal studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment, headquartered in Irvine, CA, and Sierra Entertainment, headquartered in Los Angeles, which includes Radical Entertainment, Swordfish Studios, High Moon Studios and Massive Entertainment. Vivendi Games is also home to Sierra Online, dedicated to publishing casual games for online play and distribution on all platforms. Vivendi Games maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and Ludlum Entertainment. The company has 16 offices around the world conducting business in 75 countries.
Contact:
Emma.kreuz@vgmobile.net