MOBILE GAMES INDUSTRY FIRST AS PUBLISHERS HOOK UP WITH MAJOR UK MOBILE PROVIDERS

Wednesday 30th May/...ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association is pleased to announce that leading games publishers Electronic Arts, Glu Mobile, Gameloft and I-play have joined forces with 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone to launch key games titles over all five of the UK networks simultaneously - a first for the industry that's expected to set the precedent mobile that games publishing ventures require.

After a series of round table discussions, four games; Glu Mobile's TRANSFOMRERS TM, Gameloft's Guitar Legend, EA SPORTS' FIFA 08 and a fourth yet to be announced, will be published across all five major service providers. These titles will be published simultaneously over each provider in June, July, August and September.

Javier Ferreira, VP Publishing, EA Mobile said "We applaud the initiative by the UK's leading mobile operators to deliver the most exciting products simultaneously to consumers. This indicates a maturing of our industry towards increased consumer focus, and should help drive the overall awareness of mobile games in the UK. Consumers will be able to recommend games to friends and family who in turn can download those games regardless of which operator they are with, empowering a viral effect that is crucial for furthering the growth of this industry."

Kristian Segerstrale, MD of Glu EMEA added, "We are delighted to be part of this pioneering ELSPA initiative. Our research shows that low awareness is still one of the key barriers to consumer adoption of mobile games and initiatives like this are very helpful in promoting the great mobile experiences that are on offer today across all the UK network operators"

Michel Guillemot, president and CEO of Gameloft, also commented, "We're thrilled to be a part of this joint initiative that unites five mobile operators for the first time in the industry. Thanks to ELSPA and the Operator Working Group, the mobile game industry is now climbing towards improved marketing efficiency and we're incredibly excited about the inclusion of Guitar Legend within the selection. This is the first time in the history of mobile entertainment that a mobile game directly links to music within its gameplay. The game's technology is truly innovative and we're very confident about its mass market potential."

This collaboration is a great move forward for the UK mobile gaming market and is the first wave of games to be released across all five major UK providers. It is expected that other opportunities and future developments, with the Mobile Games Operator Working Group as the driving force, will arise to the benefit of publishers and consumers alike.

Michael Rawlinson, Managing Director, ELSPA and chair of the Operator roundtable remarked: "We have been working with the network operators on a number of initiatives to grow the market of mobile gaming, and this is work that builds on the official charts we publish. We want mobile games publishers to become more involved with ELSPA so that we can assist them further in this growing and exciting area of gaming"

I-play was also heavily involved in the proceedings and will continue to be involved in this initiative, putting forward games for Q4 release.

David Gosen, CEO of I-play said, "This is a fantastic initiative for the industry we're hugely excited about and pleased to be involved in. Simultaneous launch releases will make a far greater impact to the consumer awareness of a product launch, and will hopefully spell the beginning of the end to consumer confusion around why particular games are available via some network operators but not others. Viral impact is critical to driving the future penetration of the mobile games industry, so when a gamer talks to their mate about the latest game they've downloaded, that friend will be able to go and download it as well."

EDITORS NOTES

About ELSPA - http://www.elspa.com

ELSPA (The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) was founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the computer and video games industry. Membership includes almost all companies concerned with the publishing and distribution of interactive leisure software in the UK.

For further information on ELSPA or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Laura West

BARRINGTON HARVEY

Tel: 01462 456780

Fax: 01462 456781

Email: laura.west@bhpr.co.uk

Issued by: Barrington Harvey, Trooper's Yard, Bancroft, Hitchin SG5 1JW