SAN FRANCISCO, CA and BASKING RIDGE, NJ ? Shockwave.comTM, the leading consumer destination for casual games, today launched Shockwave Minis, a new category of mobile games built with Adobe Flash Lite, available exclusively on Verizon Wireless. In introducing Shockwave Minis, the companies unveiled an innovative pricing structure that gives Verizon Wireless customers access to all 30 games for a small monthly fee, marking the first time a complete library of titles is made available to wireless customers on a subscription basis. Several of the new titles are based on such hit franchises as Nickelodeon's ?SpongeBob SquarePants? and MTV's ?Pimp My Ride,? reflecting the first joint endeavor between Shockwave.com and its new parent, MTV Networks.
?Shockwave Minis bring a new category of impulsive and easy to play mobile games to the mass market consumer just as Shockwave.com and AddictingGames.com have done with online casual games,? said Dave Williams, SVP, Games. ?Teaming with Verizon Wireless gives us the unique opportunity to work with a leader to jointly increase mobile game penetration in the United States.?
In addition to being the first multi-game mobile subscription service, Shockwave Minis is the first U.S. gaming service to take advantage of Adobe's Flash Lite technology. Much as Adobe Flash revolutionized the ability for consumers to enjoy video and other graphic content on the PC, Adobe's Flash Lite has the potential to greatly lower the cost, increase speed to market and improve the quality of entertainment content on the mobile device.
Recently acquired by MTV Networks as part of Atom Entertainment, Shockwave.com is in the coveted position of developing entertaining games that leverage popular consumer brand properties from one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Players will have the chance to guide SpongeBob out of a sticky situation in SpongeBob SquarePants Escape and will need to catch a flashy ride to score high in Pimp My Ride Hitchhike. The co-branded ?SpongeBob SquarePants? and ?Pimp My Ride? games will be the first of many joint content projects between the two companies.
Pricing and Availability
Through Shockwave Minis, Verizon Wireless customers can gain access to an extensive and original library of casual gaming content on select Get It Now®-enabled phones. Shockwave Minis are available for $3.49 monthly access or for download in packs of 3, 5 or 10 at prices starting as low as $3.99. New games will be added to the service every month. Shockwave Minis are currently available on four phones from Verizon Wireless, including The V (LG VX9800), Motorola RAZR V3c and V3m and Samsung SCH-a950, in the getGAMES shopping aisle of the Get It Now virtual store.
In accordance with this launch, Shockwave.com has also partnered with CELL, the leading developer of Flash Lite content in Japan, to create games exclusively designed for Shockwave Minis. This partnership will mark CELL's entry into the U.S. mobile content market with five titles part of the Shockwave Minis launch and more in development.
Download charges for Get It Now applications vary and airtime charges apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications. Customers need a Get It Now-enabled handset and Verizon Wireless digital service to access the Get It Now virtual store.