Vodafone, the world's largest mobile community, and Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless service provider, today announced they will work together to develop exclusive games and content for their customers. This unparalleled relationship will bring to customers of Vodafone live! and Verizon Wireless Get It Now(SM) an unrivaled games experience-and is expected to include content developed by Konami, a leading game publisher.
The collaboration furthers the wireless leaders' shared goal to build the world's largest mobile content business by leveraging economies of scale and offering exclusive content to its customers. The first games available to Vodafone and Verizon Wireless customers will be from Konami. Vodafone and Verizon Wireless' current games offerings through Vodafone live! and Get It Now have enjoyed immense popularity among its customers and continues to grow-both in the number of available selections and the number of games customers download and play.
"This effort, which dovetails the recent agreement between Verizon Wireless and Vodafone to collaborate on data services that customers will be able to use in the U.S. and in Europe, signifies our pursuit to work together in the consumer marketplace and on the business-to-business front," said Jim Straight, vice president of data and multimedia services for Verizon Wireless. "Games are exploding in our Get It Now virtual store and are a clear growth area for us."
"Vodafone in Japan has enjoyed a strong partnership with Konami, which is one of Japan's -- and the world's -- leading games publishers. We are delighted that Vodafone and Verizon Wireless customers will now have exclusive access to a selection of their titles," said Guy Laurence, global marketing director at Vodafone global product & content services.
Get It Now from Verizon Wireless is a virtual store with hundreds of applications available for download over the air -- without hooking up to a PC or visiting a Verizon Wireless Communications Store.
Download charges for Get It Now applications vary and airtime charges apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications. Customers need a Get It Now-enabled handset and Verizon Wireless' digital service to access the Get It Now virtual store.
Vodafone live! brings a new world of color, sound and pictures to its customers through an easy-to-use color menu, accessed from integrated camera phones. Vodafone live! customers can take and send picture messages, download and play the latest mobile games and polyphonic ring tones, send and receive voice, text and e-mails, instant message with friends and get the information they want, whenever and wherever.
