Nokia announces the availability of the latest Software Development Kit (SDK) for SNAP Mobile, its end-to-end solution for connected mobile gaming in Java technology. The SNAP Mobile SDK 2.2 provides developers with a number of innovative tools to make it significantly easier to create connected mobile games. New features include a game template, skinnable user interface framework, support for J2SE and Bot API.

The new game template provides a complete implementation for all required community functionality such as friends list and chat, with an interface that allows developers to either plug in existing game code, or to use it as a basis for entirely new connected games. This template enables developers to concentrate on creating their game, not on the platform requirements, since most SNAP Mobile requirements are already in the game template.

With the user interface framework, developers can quickly manipulate a game's look and feel to change XML. The UI framework includes a clean separation of controller logic which makes it easy to use with developers' existing UI frameworks.

The SNAP Mobile SDK 2.2 also adds support for J2SE, enabling developers to design games with cross platform support. This means that SNAP Mobile games can also be created as desktop applications or applets to run on PCs and web pages with the possibility to play against the same game's mobile version. For example, the N-Gage title Reset Generation uses the SNAP Mobile support for J2SE to enable players to compete against each other from a Webpage and from their Nokia device.

The new Bot API helps developers deliver a better connected game experience as it guarantees that mobile players can find opponents online. If an opponent isn't immediately found online, the system will match players with a server based AI so they can play without having to wait for an opponent.

The SDK is available for download through Forum Nokia, one of the largest mobile development communities worldwide, here.