Millions of game-capable handsets aren't enough for Nokia. The Finnish company, which holds approximately a third of the world's mobile market share, wants to target gamers beyond its N-Gage platform – more specifically, it wants to rope them into the
next generation of N-Gage.
To do this, the company is to push beyond N-Gage exclusivity to bring PCs into the fold with an as-yet unannounced game.
Pocket Gamer has learned that Nokia is well into development of this cross-platform game, codenamed '
Project White Rock'. Designed to run on both N-Gage handsets and PCs, the game will be an innovative step forward for mobile gaming, and a stark departure from N-Gage exclusivity.
Pathway to Glory developer RedLynx is hard at work on the title, which is being handled out of Nokia's San Francisco office by producer Scott Foe.
Foe (pictured above), whose experience includes time spent managing Sega's online portfolio for the Dreamcast console and overseeing development of the first mobile massively multiplayer online game,
Pocket Kingdom: Own the World, is an apt choice to helm the project. His innovative work with connected gaming will take a leap forward in '
Project White Rock', utilizing SNAP technology that Nokia purchased from Sega during the days of the Dreamcast that connects game devices with PCs.
While we currently have few details regarding gameplay, we do know that '
Project White Rock' possesses over a thousand lines of recorded dialogue. Don't be fooled into thinking it's a role-playing game, though, as our sources indicate otherwise. We're also told the game's resolution will remain the same on PC as on mobile; in short, Nokia wants you to have the same experience on both platforms.
Making games playable on PCs as well as mobiles is a risky way of reaching new gamers, as our own
Stuart Dredge recently discussed. High risk can yield great reward, however, which is exactly what Nokia is counting on.
We'll continue to update you on '
Project White Rock' as we receive more information. Click 'Track It!' to watch this space.
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