BT kicks off mobile phone gaming

BT has teamed up with gaming company Gameloft to distribute mobile phone games from its national network of 1,500 'Blue Box' internet kiosks.

The telco claimed the service will turn a mobile phone into a gaming console able to play Java titles including Earth Invasion, Gulo's Tale, Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer and Gameloft's Solitaire.

The service works by allowing kiosk customers access to a BT website, btringtones.com, which lists the range of games available, as well as logos, ringtones, MMS backgrounds and picture messages.

Gamers can pay for the game there and then by inserting cash directly into the terminal or electronically using credit or debit card, or by text.

The game is then sent to the customer's phone by Wap. Games cost £4 by cash or £4.50 by credit, debit card and text. They are available for Nokia, Motorola, Siemens and Sharp handsets.

Paul Hendron, director of BT payphones, said: "Games can liven up your phone, making your idle time more enjoyable. This is a great new convenient way of downloading them if you haven't got an internet connection."