In line with their campaign to promote N-Gage as the ultimate mobile gaming device, Nokia just announced the list of new mobile games that'll be made available on the handheld system.

We already told you that Glu Mobile will be jumping on the N-Gage bandwagon, and now news have reached our ears that major mobile game publishers, THQ Wireless and Gameloft, will also be joining in on the fun as they bring loads of games to Nokia's device.

Here's a partial list of the new games you can look forward to seeing on the N-Gage:

• Asphalt 3 - Gameloft
• Street Rules - Gameloft
• Brothers in Arms - Gameloft
• Hell's Highway - Gameloft
• Brain Challenge - Gameloft
• Midnight Pool - Gameloft
• FIFA 2008 - EA
  

In addition to all this, Nokia also announced at the GDC the software development tools to be used for the system as well as SNAP Mobile's JavaTM testing program. Gregg Sauter, Director of Games Publishing for Nokia, says,

We are reinforcing our commitment to this industry with two significant initiatives that will help the mobile games industry evolve. Our N-Gage platform will deliver a global games platform that leverages the performance of the tens of millions of S60 converged devices that we are shipping each year. Likewise, our support for Java development continues to evolve with more tools for developers supporting SNAP Mobile.

The first game to be released for the N-Gage by Glu will be World Series of Poker Texas Hold'Em, with more to follow in the months to come. No word yet on when the mentioned games will be released so stay tuned for more updates.

Berlin-based mobile games publisher Ojom GmbH announced today that they've just launched two new games to help you get out of whatever ennui-inducing muck you're in. Both tracing their origins to the silver screen, Land of the Dead and Desperado: Dual of Vengeance are now available for cellphone users worldwide.

Land of the Dead will have users grappling their way through the undead, who have taken over the world and for some reason is out to get you. Your mission then is to kill the frikkin' zombies in all of the 11 levels and get to other survivors and help them stay alive.

Desperado: Dual of Vengeance on the other hand will have a more realistic feel to it, with players taking on the role of gunslinger extraordinaire, El Mariachi, as you set out to kill Bucho and avenge the death of the woman you love. This of course won't be that easy as you're going against big-time drug lord Bucho who has tons of coke-snorting minions. Progress through the game's 12 levels with enhanced sound and vibration effects.

Land of the Dead and Desperado: Dual of Vengeance should now be available for download from major service carriers so make sure you check with them for availability. Ojom GmbH is also bringing Duke Nukem to mobiles, so make sure you watch out for that too.

Los imagenes para El Mariachi y Desperado despues el jump! Hahaha!

It's only been mere hours since Game Developers Conference 2007 opened its doors and yet news of next year's event are already circulating in, how do you say it, teh intarwebz. It's been a real crazy day here at the QJ quarters, what with all the GDC updates pouring in (in torrents, if I might add). Personally, I'd just like to deal with the ongoing GDC first, but just so you guys are way ahead of everybody else, we'll share with you the details we scored on next year's GDC.

According to DevelopMag, show organiser CMP has already confirmed this early on the dates and venues for GDC 2008. If things go as planned, the Game Developers Conference 2008 will take place on February 18-22, and will be held once again at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's shift the focus back to this year's event. GDC Mobile,the Serious Games Summit, Casual Games Summit and Independent Game Festival are the front acts for GDC 2007, with the main conference and expo scheduled to hit the stage on Wednesday. That said, allow this writer to sneak out and get back to insane GDC news reporting. Stay tuned for more.

UK-based mobile game publisher Glu Mobile announced today that they've inked the deal with Microsoft to bring their hit RTS for the PC, Age of Empires III, to mobile phones as well.

This isn't the first time that the two companies have collaborated on a mobile game, withProject Gotham Racing Mobile being one of the earlier projects they've worked on. Jill Braff, General Manager of Glu North America, says “Age of Empires is one of the highest-rated and best-selling RTS franchises on the PC, and we look forward to working with Microsoft to replicate that success on mobile.”

Age of Empires III is the third installment in the series and has sold 16 million copies worldwide. Whether the mobile version will be able to have download rates comparable to the PC version's sales, we'll have to wait and see. No word yet on the mobile game's launch date, but as the GDC updates keep pouring in, we'll make sure to keep you constantly posted on the latest goings on in the event. Stay tuned!

  

Now here's another one to add to that already long list of mobile games you have. Gameloft has revealed that Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 will be released for the mobile anytime this month.

Users may easily be deceived into thinking that this is the sequel for an earlier released GRAW 2 for mobile, but quite the contrary, this will be the first time that Ghost Recon will be ported to your handy dandy cellphones. Users will take on the role of Captain Mitchell who heads an elite U.S. Special Forces ghost unit with the task of protecting Uncle Sam's border from being penetrated by the sombrero-wearing, burritos-eating Mexican rebels.

The game is set in the year 2014, and to aid you in your mission, you'll be able to choose from a wide arsenal of high-tech weaponry and a team of special forces soldiers at your command. As mentioned, Ghost Recon 2 for the mobile will be released this month so watch out for further news on which service providers will carry this action title.

News have just reached our ears that Sega of America has just inked a deal with European mobile game developer Universomo to bring games off some of their well-known franchises to mobile handsets.

It seems that Sega really is going full throttle in their campaign to move into the mobile industry as the European branch of the said company has also tied up with Rockpool Games to do exactly the same thing -- port Sega-branded games to mobile phones.

Universomo will be tasked with designing and developing the games and it looks like they already have two Sega games in development, both of which are all prepped for a Spring release this year. Glenn Wissner, Senior Producer at Sega of America, says,

Universomo really understands Sega product and have been excellent in keeping to original designs while also adding their own spin and taking our well known brands to a new level of quality. They meet their objectives and often exceed our expectation in the areas of game design, playability and art direction. I look forward to working with Universomo on future games.

Now, as to whether we'll be seeing more on the speedy blue guy (y'know who we're talking about) on our mobiles, we have yet to find out. Stay tuned for more.

Last year, we told you about the Sega-Rockpool partnership, wherein Sega chose Rockpool Games to develop mobile games that sport the Sega brand. Sonic the Hedgehog: Part One has even made big waves in the mobile industry, snagging the title of being the third most downloaded game last year.

So anyway, we have just heard that SCi has acquired the Manchester-based mobile developing company as part of SCi's plans to move into the mobile game industry. Jane Cavanagh, SCi's Chief Executive, says,

Rockpool's breadth of activity, including not only mobile games but casual PC games, fits well with SCi's strategy to expand the company's business in this direction and will strengthen our position in these consistently growing markets.

Rockpool Games' previous works include Worms, Toca Race Driver, and MotoGP. Paul Gouge, MD of Rockpool Games, also remains optimistic about this new development, saying, "Being part of the SCi family means that we can accelerate our growth and build on the great achievements we have already made in the mobile, casual and wider games market."

We know how it feels to be bored out of your mind when you're on the subway, or stuck in a boring meeting or class, which is why we continue to bring you the latest news on mobile games to help you get out of similar ennui-inducing situations.

So this time, we bring you yet another game from HeroCraft (same folks who brought us Ball Rush 2, Smile Lines: Winter Season, and Rise of Antares 2, to name a few) which allows players to explore the world of legendary invincible monks, as you take on the role of a young truth-seeker in medieval Japan.

Naturally, searching for the truth won't be that easy, as you'll encounter various enemies along your way. You'll have to go through the trials to be the best warrior of the Land of Samurai and ultimately, to learn the truth you're searching for.

Other game features include:

• sound, graphics and animation of the high quality
• 10 original game locations and 10 quests
• 4 unique characters, each of them has its own weapon mix – light, hard and remote
• About 10 types of weapon and armour, with three fighting skills of characters]
• about 10 parameters of the personage (including different weapon and fighting skills)
• A global map which helps to move easily through the game locations
• User friendly, well done interface
• About 4 game hours

Get to nirvana by checking out more screens in the full article!

First announced way back in May, Glu's mobile game version of Project Gotham Racing instantly became one of the most anticipated games to hit cellphones. Building on the fame that the console version achieved, the mobile version will also sport eight of the hottest rides known in racing circles, including Aston Martins and Lamborghinis.

And now that Glu Mobile has announced that they've launched the mobile game worldwide, Xbox360-less racing fanatics will now be able to join in on the rubber-burning fun as they try to earn ‘Kudos’ by drifting around corners, making use of other racers slipstreams (drafting), overtaking and getting air time over jumps. So if you've been itching to get this game right on your phones, we suggest you consult your wireless carriers for availability right about...now.

Project Gotham Racing Mobile is now available in Europe, North and South America, and Asia and will continue its worldwide launch in the coming months.

Twistbox Entertainment has just announced that they have legally acquired all the assets of Infospace Inc.'s mobile games studio located in California.

The studio is formerly known as Atlas Mobile, Inc. and is a pioneer in the Play for Prizes mobile business across major cellular providers in North America that includes multiplayer tournaments and loyalty campaigns for consumer and entertainment brands. Twistbox CEO Ian Aaron says,

This acquisition is a perfect fit for our value added mobile game strategy... By integrating Play for Prizes into our current RapidPort development and porting platform, we will be able to accelerate the delivery of new games to market, provide broad handset support, and bring our carrier and content partners new and innovative ways to reach and retain customers.

To celebrate this acquisition, Twistbox will be launching three new mobile game titles: SuperSlyder for Prizes, Take Yer Meds for Prizes and Card Player Poker for Prizes.  And not only that, they'll also be announcing three more titles that are slated for release this year.