EA Mobile debuts mobile-to-console interactivity
Tiger Woods 09 rocks the cross-platform thang
EA Mobile has revealed details of its first mobile game that connects directly with its console version.
The game is Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09, and the connectivity involves completing all the challenges in the mobile version to get a stats boost in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.
The feature is called Console Boost (or, if you're writing the press release, CONSOLE BOOST), and involves the player signing in to an EA account. How big a stats boost they get depends on what difficulty level they're playing on the mobile game.
It's a simple feature, but undeniably a big deal for EA. Why? Well, it suddenly gives console gamers a good reason to buy a spin-off mobile game.
Think about it: hardcore console gamers are often the most cynical about mobile gaming – even if they love a brand like Tiger Woods PGA Tour on console, selling them a mobile version can be a struggle.
It's been a long time coming – EA Mobile execs were talking about this kind of interconnectivity when the company first got into mobile several years ago – but is big news.
The only problem now for EA is getting mobile operators to allow the feature. Some, apparently, won't.
