Phones That Vibrate in Time with Java Games
Immersion Corp. has announced that handset licensee Samsung Electronics is introducing the industry's first VibeTonz-enabled mobile phones for the Korean market, the SPH-G1000 and SCH-G100. The two mobile phones are the first equipped to download and play mobile games with orchestrated touch sensations.
"The SPH-G1000 and SCH-G100 models are all-round entertainment phones," said an executive of the Mobile Communications Division of Samsung Electronics. "Our break-through use of the VibeTonz System gives users a more engaging experience for games and furthers Samsung's reputation for innovation. During an auto racing game, for example, the mobile phone vibrates as the player's car bumps over gravel or other unpaved surfaces, adding realism to virtual reality."
According to the 2005 Mobile Game Report from Informa Telecoms and Media, worldwide mobile gaming revenue is on track to grow from US$1.3 billion in 2004 to over US$11 billion in 2010. Korea is a very advanced market for mobile games, accounting for 14% of global sales in the category. SKT and KTF, the two top operators in Korea, currently derive about 10% of their total content revenue from gaming.
The new slide-up phones use an innovative design that allows use in portrait mode and game play in landscape mode. For game play, one hand controls an eight-direction multikey, and the other hand controls dedicated game keys. The phone also sports a mixed graphics capability that displays both 2D and 3D images simultaneously, high-resolution color display, 1.3 mega-pixel camera, stereo speakers, and Immersion VibeTonz technology that enlivens mobile phone game play with touch sensations.
With over 10 years of proven success in force feedback for the PC and console video game market, Immersion technology can now improve the mobile environment. "Just as our technology for console games provides users with realistic touch sensations, our VibeTonz technology can make the mobile gaming experience more fun and exciting," said John Grundy, vice president and general manager of Immersion's mobility business. "With the high growth of mobile gaming, operators, handset manufacturers, and developers can benefit from using VibeTonz technology to help differentiate their products and add value to new and existing content."
Posted to the site on 22nd April 2005
