I-play announced today that it's signed a 'multi-year' deal with Fox for the rights to produce mobile games, ring-tones and wallpapers based around hit real-time TV series, 24. The first game will be released early next year coinciding nicely with the launch of the fifth series (in which Jack has a complete stress-related breakdown and spends 24 hours trying to book into the Priory).
Although the game doesn't seem to put you into the role of Jack Bauer, it is promising to stay true to the themes of the programme:
"Just as mobile phone communication figures prominently in every heart-racing episode of "24," players of the game will receive instructions, messages, and intriguing content delivered directly to their mobile devices. The clock starts racing the moment players begin to play, echoing "24's" signature real time motif in which every second counts and calamity could be less than 24 hours away."
An intruiging immersive/pervasive gaming element there, bringing to mind the likes of EA's Majestic and Nokia's The Game. I did predict earlier this year that we'd see more games attempting to use the 'always on, always with you' nature of mobile phones to create new gaming 'experiences' - this could prove a watershed release for the genre. I-play will have to be careful though - in our current climate of fear and suspicion, getting a text message to tell you that in two hours the president is going to be infected with anthrax unless you beat a Space Invaders-style mini-game is going to really confuse and upset people.
