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GameSpot (www.gamespot.com), a leading source for unbiased gaming information and a property of CNET Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNET), today announced the winners for The Second Annual Wireless Gaming Awards, also known as The Mobies, at the CTIA WIRELESS 2005 conference in New Orleans. Presented by GameSpot Mobile and Wireless Gaming Review, The Mobies are designed to showcase and reward the most innovative, well designed, and technically accomplished mobile games of 2004. Awards were given in 10 mobile gaming categories, with the highest honor, the 2004 Mobile Game of the Year, awarded to G-Mode for its simple, but highly addictive puzzle game, Topolon.
“With analysts forecasting the wireless gaming market to achieve revenues of $1.5 billion in just a few years(1), there is no doubt that wireless gaming will be vital to the continued success and development of mobile entertainment and the growing wireless industry,” said Robert Mesirow, vice president of Operations for CTIA — The Wireless Association. “CTIA WIRELESS has always been the most comprehensive industry event under one roof. Presenting the Wireless Gaming Awards at CTIA WIRELESS 2005 truly makes this the industry’s all-inclusive, one-stop extravaganza of wireless.”
The Mobie Award winners were chosen from more than one hundred submissions and judged on criteria including: gameplay, aesthetic value, and replay-ability. Gameplay covers a broad spectrum of characteristics that, in total, determine how fun the game is to play. Aesthetic value addresses the technical and artistic proficiency of the game’s graphics and sound in comparison to its competition. A game with high replay-ability will be able to sustain the user’s interest and participation over the course of time.
“Topolon reaches the ideal mobile game goal of providing the player with a game that is infectious and playable for anyone with a mobile phone,” said Stephen Palley, associate editor, mobile at GameSpot. “As the industry continues to grow in popularity, it is games like this and the other nominated finalist titles that are setting the standard by which other mobile games will be measured in 2005.”
Mobile gaming is on track to become the single largest wireless data application category from a revenue perspective, expected to overtake ring tones in 2005, according to a January, 2005, report from IDC.
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Following is a list of winners in each category:
Mobile Game of the Year
Topolon (G-mode, G-mode)
Nano Kid (Pocket Panic!, Pocket Panic!) Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (Gameloft, Gameloft)
Star Trek: The Birds of Prey (Jumbuck Corporation, Jumbuck Corporation) Might and Magic (Gameloft, Gameloft) Amy’s Hangman (Centerscore, Centerscore) Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (Gameloft, Gameloft) Topolon (G-mode, G-mode) Deer Hunter (Sorrent, Sorrent) Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3 (Gameloft, Gameloft)
About GameSpot
GameSpot (www.gamespot.com) is a leading online source for gaming information. The GameSpot family includes GameFAQs, Game Rankings, Wireless Gaming Review, GameSpot DLX, and GameSpot Trax, its real-time market intelligence tool. GameSpot’s Websites offer free access to tens of thousands of PC and video game reviews from expert editors, previews of the hottest upcoming games, game downloads, video streams, guides, breaking news, and hints. GameSpot also has one of the most active online gaming communities which is a free, innovative social network service that makes it fun and easy for gamers to meet and interact with others that share their specific gaming interests.
About CNET Networks
CNET Networks, Inc. (www.cnetnetworks.com) is a premier global interactive content company that informs, entertains, and connects large, engaged audiences around topics of high information need or personal passion. The company focuses on three categories — personal technology, games and entertainment, and business technology — and includes such leading brands as CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, MP3.com, GameSpot, CNET Download.com, CNET News.com, Webshots, Computer Shopper magazine, and CNET Channel. With a strong presence in the US, Asia and Europe, CNET Networks has operations in 12 countries.
Contacts
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