Digital Bridges To Bring Jewel Quest To Mobile
Global Agreement with iWin Extends Best-Selling Web Game to Mobile Phones
London, UK & San Francisco, CA, 13th December, 2004: Digital Bridges, a world leader in the creation and distribution of mobile entertainment solutions, today announced a global agreement with iWin, the San Francisco-based online games publisher, to bring the phenomenally successful online adventure puzzle game Jewel Quest to mobile phones for the first time.
Jewel Quest was recently declared a Finalist for the 2004 Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards as 'Downloadable Game of the Year'. It is currently available from a broad range of popular online web gaming sites, including iWin.com, Yahoo Games, MSN, Shockwave, and AOL, and has broken all sales records at several of the largest distributors of mass market and casual games in North America.
The gameplay of Jewel Quest is based on an exploration of the ancient ruins of Mayan civilization. While discovering hidden treasures and priceless artefacts, the player is presented with increasingly difficult puzzles containing secret twists, cursed items, and buried artefacts. In this unique new take on the classic-style matching game, players must rearrange valuable relics to turn sand tiles into gold. As players venture deeper into the jungle, they will encounter increasingly difficult puzzles containing secret twists, cursed items, and buried artefacts.
Jewel Quest is the latest in a number of premium license agreements DB has secured. Last month the mobile games publisher announced an agreement with Sports IllustratedTM to take one of the world's most recognized media and sports entertainment brands to the mobile gaming platform in North America. DB also recently secured VU Games' best-selling
franchise, Spyro: The DragonTM for mobile release in North America.
In the last few months Digital Bridges has launched a raft of premium titles to market in Europe and North America including MGM titles PlatoonTM, RobocopTM and RollerballTM. Other exciting titles that launched this quarter include EA's FIFA Football 2005 Mobile International EditionTM, 2 Fast 2 FuriousTM, Colin McRae Rally 2005TM and dbi 3-D Pool, with more titles to launch before Christmas.
Said Paul Maglione, Senior Vice President of Publishing & Marketing for Digital Bridges: "The evolution of mobile gaming has been characterized by two content trends: the predictable success of ported video games titles, and the less anticipated success of more casual types of games, many of which have arisen from the online games community. Jewel Quest has received a phenomenal response from online gamers, and we're confident that not only will the game enjoy the same popularity on the mobile platform, but just as importantly it will help bring new audiences to cell phone gaming."
CJ Wolf, CEO of iWin Inc, commented: "We design our games to have universal appeal, and look forward to extending the phenomenal success of Jewel Quest online to the broadest mass market platform - mobile phones."
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About Digital Bridges
Founded in 1998, Digital Bridges is a world leader in the creation and distribution of mobile entertainment solutions. An industry pioneer, Digital Bridges provides the best in mobile entertainment to a global distribution network of operators, portals, retailers, interactive TV channels and other e-commerce outlets, representing over 400 million subscribers worldwide. The company possesses a unique combination of mobile technology, development and publishing expertise, and works with many of the world's leading media and entertainment brands including Crash BandicootTM, RollerballTM, RobocopTM, The Pink PantherTM, PlatoonTM, 2 Fast 2 FuriousTM, Weakest Link, Space Invaders®, EA SPORTSTM 2005 FIFA Football Mobile International Edition and EA SPORTSTM 2005 Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®. UNITY, the company's best-in-class technology platform, supports all current and future mobile standards, protocols, technologies and operating systems. Digital Bridges' investors include funds advised by Apax Partners, Argo Global Capital and Openwave Systems Inc. Digital Bridges has its commercial and publishing headquarters in London, with technology & production divisions in Dunfermline, Scotland and San Mateo, California as well as sales offices in Paris, Munich, Madrid, New York and Singapore.
For more information, please call +44 (0) 20 7901 1760 or visit us at our corporate site www.digitalbridges.com
About iWin
Founded in 2001, iWin is a leading developer and publisher of online casual games for the mass market. The company offers free games, premium download games and skill-based games through its web sites www.iwin.com and www.playsite.com. iWin also distributes its games through several leading web properties including Yahoo, Real Networks, MSN, Shockwave and AOL. In 2004, iWin's top game, Jewel QuestTM, was declared a Finalist for the 2004 Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards as 'Downloadable Game of the Year'. iWin's offices are located in San Francisco.
For more information, please call (415) 348-7276 or visit us at www.iwin.com.
Media Contacts:
Annabel Brog
Digital Bridges
+44 20 7901 1770
annabel.brog@digitalbridges.com
Jay Boor
Digital Bridges
650.430.5805