News - Monday 20th February 2006 - 5:50pm
San Mateo, CA
I-play, the mobile phone games company,
announced the launch of "US Olympic Team Ice Hockey," the only mobile
phone game
licensed by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The launch of the game
is a
result of the continuing partnership with International Sports Multimedia (ISM),
exclusive licensee of the USOC. The game, a realistic simulation of Olympic
ice
hockey, is launching in North America in time for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games
in
Torino, Italy.
“This launch by I-play of 'U.S. Olympic Team Ice Hockey' is an exciting
addition to
the offering of 'Torino 2006(TM) The Official Mobile Phone Game of the Olympic
Winter Games' already available from I-play to mobile phone users across the
US,”
said Raymond Goldsmith, Chairman and CEO of ISM.
The game features USA Hockey and the same 11 international teams competing
in
Torino, Italy February 10 - 26. In addition to Team USA the other country teams
featured in the game include those of Canada (winners of the Gold Medal in
the last
Olympic Winter Games, in Salt Lake City 2002); Sweden, Slovakia, Czech Republic,
Finland, Russian Federation, Germany, Switzerland, Latvia, Kazakhstan and Italy.
The mobile game will allow players to attempt a repeat of the historic USA
Hockey’s
“miracle” of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, in which
the untested and
young USA team beat the overwhelming favourite Soviet Union team on the way
to the
gold medal final victory.
Gamers can play in two different game modes: Exhibition, involving a one-off
Sudden
Death game mode; and Olympic tournament mode, which is the full Olympic Winter
Games
Ice Hockey competition starting in the Preliminary Round and progressing to
the
Playoff Round.
Developed by Distinctive Developments Ltd. on behalf of I-play, the game is
being
published via I-play’s extensive network.
David Gosen, acting CEO of I-play commented: “We are delighted to have
this quality
title join our roster of top-name sports games for mobile phone games. The
game has
been designed to appeal to both dedicated ice hockey fans, as well as more
casual
mobile phone game players; and combines I-play’s trademark ‘pick
up and play
factor’ with best-in-class graphics, controls and tournament structure.
We believe
it to be the best ice hockey game currently available for mobile phones, and
wish
users well in their mobile phone quest for Gold.”
About I-play
I-play, the mobile games company, brings the best in mobile entertainment to
a
mobile gaming audience of over one billion people via mobile operators, retail
stores and online portals, including www.iplay.com.
I-play has been creating
mobile games since 1998 and continues to spearhead the creation of games for
the
next generation. As one of the world’s longest established and respected
creators of
mobile entertainment, the I-play brand stands for quality and the best in mobile
development. Working with the best media and entertainment brands I-play is
dedicated to fulfilling the promise of the mobile phone as the first truly
mass-market electronic entertainment platform.
I-play’s investors are Apax Partners and Argo Global Capital. I-play
is
headquartered in London, with European Regional HQ in Dunfermline, Scotland
and
North American Regional HQ in San Mateo, California as well as sales offices
in
Paris, Hamburg, Madrid, Rome, New York and Singapore.