EA Mobile inks distribution deal with Namco Bandai Networks Europe

EA Mobile and Namco Bandai Networks Europe have inked a distribution agreement granting EA’s mobile division the rights to publish existing and upcoming Namco Bandai titles across Europe, Russia, India, Latin America, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. The deal will not impact Namco Bandai’s North American distribution or its iPhone activities, both of which will continue to be handled by Namco Networks America.

The agreement starts on November 1st when Namco Bandai’s mobile content becomes available to consumers through EA Mobile’s mobile distribution channels. Management of Namco Bandai’s content in existing channels will also switch to EA Mobile. Namco Bandai will continue to own distribution in direct channels such as smartphone application stores and through its own direct online store. The agreement will see new games, including Ridge Racer Drift and Time Crisis Elite as well as existing titles becoming available to a much wider base of consumers, says EA.

Rock Band, Verizon style

EA Mobile, Harmonix and MTV Games, and Verizon Wireless are serving up Rock Band on Verizon’s wireless phones. This is the first time the music game is available on mobile platforms (not counting the PSP game). Verizon Wireless customers can rock out to 25 songs from great artists including Smashing Pumpkins, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 30 Seconds To Mars, Blink-182, Foo Fighters, and the Beastie Boys with MP3-quality sound. No sleep ’til Brooklyn!

In Rock Band for mobile phones, Verizon Wireless customers can master all four ways to play, including lead Guitar, Bass, Drums and Vocals. Rock Band also lets players hit the road solo or form a band and play with friends. They can select Quick Play Mode and Tour Mode, both of which are pretty self-explanatory.

Customers can get Rock Band mobile by texting ROCK to 4-2-6-3 (Game) from their Verizon Wireless phones or find it in the Get It Now/Media Center under Games>Get New Applications. The game is available for $3.99 monthly subscription or $9.99 one-time use on more than 30 handsets including the just-launched Samsung Rogue and the LG enV TOUCH and LG enV 3.

EA Mobile launches multiple Blackberry titles

EA Mobile has launched a handful of its popular mobile title on the Blackberry App World for Blackberry enabled devices. It’s good to see EA bringing its games to mobile platforms besides iPhone – not everyone uses the iPhone, after all.

The first games to land on Blackberry include Bejeweled, Need for Speed Undercover, RISK, SCRABBLE (in the US and Canada only), Tetris, Tetris Mania, The Sims 3, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR. Hopefully they’ll bring DOOM RPG and other original titles to the platform as well.

EA @ gamescom

Electronic Arts revealed the games that it plans to show at gamescom, Europe’s biggest consumer and trade fair for video games. Visitors will have a chance to play EA’s new properties coming out this year. EA will also host a press briefing at the Palladium, Schanzenstraße 36, Gebäude 197, 51063 Cologne. A live stream of the press conference will be available at ea.com/gamescom.

On August 19, will open its booth (Hall 6 / A-71, C-70) to the media and on August 19 until the end of the show on the 23, EA will showcase a variety of games Hall 6.1 including Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Brütal Legend, Dante’s Inferno, Dead Space: Extraction, Dragon Age: Origins, FIGHT NIGHT Round 4, FIFA 10, FIFA Manager 10, GI JOE The Rise of the Cobra, HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2, LITTLEST PET SHOP Beach Friends, LITTLEST PET SHOP City Friends, LITTLEST PET SHOP Country Friends, Mass Effect 2, MySims Agents, NBA Live 10, Need For Speed Nitro, Need For Speed Shift, NHL 10, SimAnimals Africa, The Sims 3, Spore Hero, Spore Hero Arena, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10.

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EA Mobile’s Latest Games

EA Mobile announced five new games that it plans to bring to mobile phones later this year - two of which are based on popular Fox reality shows. These new games include a game based on celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s show Hell’s Kitchen, a game based on the popular American Idol show, Downtown Texas Hold’em, Mystery Mania, and CRANIUM.

The American Idol game, which I already hate for some reason, lets you take a wannabe popstar and choose his or her, song, clothing, and activities. Naturally the game features all the faces of the Idol show, along with the weekly show s that are currently ruining my life (this is the part where I blame my wife. Thanks, honey).

Next on EA mobile’s agenda is a mobile game adaption of the popular cooking reality show Hell’s Kitchen - a show that I like because it’s fun to hear people being called cows and donkeys. Players test their cooking skills under the critical guidance of Ramsay as they compete in against the clock challenges filling orders, and avoiding Gordon’s wrath. The game also features a Play Mode where you start as a lowly dishwasher and work yourself up the ranks in 28
levels.

Downtown Texas Hold’em is pretty self explanatory, as is CRANIUM (based on the board game from Hasbro), but Mystery Mania needs an introduction. In this adventure game you play as a ” charming robot creation” built by a mad scientist. Your prime directive, apparently, to explore a mansion filled to the brim with puzzles, traps, and mysterious secrets. Mystery Mania uses vector graphic technology that provides animations and physics.

The Rundown: Dec. 17, 2008

MMO’s and iPod games seem to be the soup of the day, though there is some great news for owners of Sacred 2 and word that Nintendo has settled a lawsuit with Nyko. Take off those shoes off and jump into the news stream.

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EA Mobiles Release Three New Titles

EA Mobile has released a slate of new sports titles for mobile phones based on many of its most popular sports franchises. EA Mobile plans to roll out Madden NFL 09, NCAA Football 09, and EA SPORTS NASCAR 09. Madden NFL 09, NCAA Football 09 and EA SPORTS NASCAR 09 are currently available for purchase in North America. Check with your local mobile phone provider for availability.

I wish this story was a little more exciting, but sadly it is not.