14 DAY TRIAL // PacMan is back, and more mobile than ever, because Namco's Web & Mobile Content division has launched today its newly re-designed "PAC-MAN ARCADE" i-mode mobile entertainment subscription service. This service is available for the subscribers of some European mobile network operators including Bouygues in France, Cosmote in Greece, KPN in the Netherlands and e-Plus in Germany.
The re-design is the first stage in a radical re-development of Namco's i-mode services, PAC-MAN ARCADE's subscribers now being able to pick from games and entertainment, through to customization services such as ringtones and wallpapers, featuring some of Namco's most famous characters, from PAC-MAN through to Tekken.
I-mode was first introduced in Japan in 1999 and is the most widely used mobile entertainment service in the advanced Japanese market, with over 43,000,000 users. It differs from the WAP and Java standards found in Europe both technically and in terms of business model. i-mode allows content providers to create their own 'channels' for consumers, where the provider can choose the services available. Users pay a low-cost monthly subscription for access to all of the content on their chosen channel. i-mode was introduced to Europe in 2002 where it has grown rapidly. Seven operators now offer i-mode services from leading content providers, such as Namco, to over 5,000,000 users.
Pramesh Chauhan, the Head of Business Development for Namco Europe's Web & Mobile Content division, said, "The i-mode market in Europe is very important to Namco, and one which offers a compelling model for the future of mobile entertainment. It provides publishers with the ability to create dedicated, feature-rich channels for consumers and due to the commercial model, provides them with the incentive to actively market and promote the channel. This creates a closed and far more dynamic relationship between the publisher and the consumer and benefits both. Namco has had a great deal of experience with i-mode and has supported the standard since it was first introduced into the European market. Alongside the re-design, we have a number of major titles, new promotions and exciting new services to be announced over the next several months, and we're confident they will set a new standard for i-mode services, not just in Europe, but worldwide."