Nokia and Activision Enter Development Agreement

Finnish wireless company Nokia announced today that it has reached initial licensing agreements with Activision, h2g2, Oxford Softworks, and Net Entertainment AB to develop interactive software for the company's Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)-enabled cell phones. The agreement is part of Nokia's mobile entertainment service - announced at last month's E3 - which allows developers, publishers, and online-content publishers to create interactive entertainment for Nokia's wireless devices. Ultimately, mobile network operators will make this service available to their customer base.

"Nokia believes there is tremendous potential for mobile entertainment, as wireless phones and other wireless devices are fast becoming much more than communications tools. They can soon be used as electronic wallets, calendars, and in the near future, a way to play games with other people across the mobile network," said Graham Stafford, head of publishing/mobile entertainment at Nokia Internet Communications. "Our purpose as a global wireless leader is to bring the necessary tools, technology, and industry expertise to help effectively drive this rapidly emerging market forward."

Activision will be developing text-adventure games for WAP-enabled devices. Twelve Activision games will be developed in all, including such classics as Zork and Planetfall. Additionally, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, another Activision text-adventure game, will be made available through a licensing agreement with h2g2. Along with the text-adventure games from Activision, Oxford Softworks will also create ten board games for Nokia Internet cell-phones.