World's first commercial online Java gaming community to launch in Hong Kong on SNAP Mobile platform

Monaco - Today at the annual Nokia Mobility Conference, Nokia announced that it is working with SmarTone, Hong Kong's leading mobile operator in multimedia services, to launch the world's first commercial online Java gaming community through the Nokia SNAP Mobile solution. Using SNAP Mobile, SmarTone will deliver and support rich Java mobile games with both multiplayer gaming features as well as key community features such as friends lists, presence, and instant messaging. The service will be available for SmarTone customers in December 2004.

"The SNAP Mobile service with SmarTone showcases the opportunity that operators have to offer a radically new community-based gaming experience to their customers," said Mr. Ilkka Raiskinen, Nokia's Senior Vice President, Games. "Our SNAP Mobile solution makes it easy for operators to create, foster and support their own connected mobile gaming communities based on next-generation multiplayer Java games. In addition to the underlying technology, the SNAP Mobile solution provides the essential specialized service and support necessary for nurturing and managing online gaming communities."

"The SNAP Mobile solution is an ideal way for us to offer a unique experience to our Java gaming customers," said Mr. Douglas Li, Chief Executive Officer of SmarTone Mobile Communications Limited. "The multiplayer and community features will attract new gamers and give our current gaming customers a dynamic and unscripted experience with next-generation, rich, multiplayer Java games. We believe that real time interaction between players within a like-minded community will broaden the appeal of mobile gaming."

SmarTone will launch SNAP Mobile enabled Java games with a number of multiplayer games, including Reversi, Backgammon and Blackjack. In addition, Sega Mobile is creating a special Java version of Pocket Kingdom: Own The World for SmarTone. The critically acclaimed Pocket Kingdom: Own The World is the world's first massively multiplayer online mobile game created for the N-Gage platform and now Sega Mobile is bringing that experience to other Java equipped mobile phones. "Through SNAP Mobile, the unique experience of this game can be brought to a much wider audience," added Mr. Douglas Li.

SNAP Mobile provides the essential technological infrastructure and specialized support services upon which network operators and other service providers can build and expand their online gaming communities, as well as providing game developers with the fundamental network tools to create mobile multiplayer, connected games.

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