Famous MILTON BRADLEY and PARKER BROTHERS Board and Card Games Going Mobile
LOS ANGELES, E3 Expo, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- MFORMA Group Inc., a leading
global publisher of wireless entertainment, has signed a multi-year,
multi-title, multi-territory agreement with Atari Interactive, a leading
global publisher of interactive entertainment. The companies have agreed that
MFORMA shall create wireless versions of several classic MILTON BRADLEY and
PARKER BROTHERS board and card games, which Atari licenses from Hasbro, Inc.,
and distribute them to wireless operators worldwide. Titles included in the
agreement are versions of MILTON BRADLEY board games: "CONNECT FOUR,"
"Chess," "Checkers," "Dominoes," "PARCHEESI," "Pente," and "Backgammon," and
PARKER BROTHERS card games: "Cribbage," "FREE PARKING," "Gin Rummy,"
"Hearts," "RACKO," and "ROOK." The "CONNECT FOUR" mobile game version, which
is the first truly real-time multiplayer game to appear in the market, will be
the first wireless game to be released this summer.
"The category of casual games, which includes classic titles like "CONNECT
FOUR," is ideally suited for mobile phones," said Scott Jensen, VP of media
and licensing for MFORMA. "The mobile gaming market is growing rapidly, and
we believe the simplicity and familiarity of these games will attract both
current wireless gamers and the consumers who have not yet played a mobile
game."
"CONNECT FOUR" Multiplayer is based on the original MILTON BRADLEY
four-in-a-row checkers board game that users will remember from childhood.
Players can actually invite their remote friends to play with them in real
time and they can also talk to each other while they are playing through an
in-game chat feature. Other features of the game include the ability to
create nicknames, track high scores, and be listed in the "CONNECT FOUR" "Hall
of Fame." In addition to real-time multiplayer mode, players also have
options to play in single-player mode or "pass-and-play" mode.
"We are pleased to work with MFORMA, enabling Hasbro's classic board and
card games to be transformed for wireless," said Wim Stocks, executive vice
president of sales and marketing of ATARI, Inc. "Entering the growing
wireless entertainment market for our mass market properties and products is a
key objective for Atari. We together will bring these games to a broad
audience, through these new platforms, through these new methods of delivery,
and providing the consumer new ways of interacting with our games."
"Our agreement with Atari is aligned with the overall campaign to give
game fans a new way to enjoy their favorite MILTON BRADLEY and PARKER BROTHERS
board games," said Jensen. "The launch of mobile versions with enhanced
features, such as multiplayer game play to replicate the head-to-head
experience, will significantly raise the interest in these well-loved brands."
About MFORMA Group, Inc.
MFORMA is the world-leading provider of wireless entertainment content in
the U.S. and Europe. MFORMA provides wireless operators and their customers
with the world's best content and brands, and provides developers and brand
owners with the shortest route to market. MFORMA's customers include more
than 60 of the world's leading wireless carriers. In addition to the
industry's most comprehensive catalog of SMS, MMS, WAP, BREW and Java games,
MFORMA also provides sports, lifestyle, and information services subscription
products. MFORMA's carrier-grade platform manages the delivery of
downloadable games and applications for some of the world's largest carriers.
With MFORMA, wireless operators can choose to utilize any or all of the MFORMA
resources-tools, platforms and/or content. MFORMA is headquartered in
Kirkland, Washington with facilities in Los Angeles, San Diego and Cambridge,
England. Please visit http://www.mforma.com.
Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure
time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture
and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both
internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER
BROTHERS, TIGER, and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the
highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
SOURCE MFORMA Group Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.mforma.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/638284.html
CONTACT:
Kimberly Tassin of MFORMA Group Inc.,
+1-206-654-1001, kimberly.Tassin@mforma.com; or Krys Card
Grondorf, +1-562-421-1842, krys_grondorf@bhimpact.com, or Johanna
Brown, +1-310-473-4147, johanna_brown@bhimpact.com, both of
Bender/Helper Impact, for MFORMA
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