Japan's Mobile Gaming Sophistication Probed

Thanks to BBC News for their article looking at the sophistication of current Japanese mobile phone games, as being showcased at the Game Developer's Conference Europe in London this week. A Namco representative showed off the mobile phone version of Ridge Racer, claiming: "You now have a PlayStation One game running on a mass market handset in Japan, delivering a fully interactive 3D game." Other innovative Japanese titles were shown, such as a Panasonic virtual pet for mobile phones, which "...uses the handset's camera to create food. When the pet is hungry, it shows a picture of a type of food like an apple. You then have to take a picture of something red, which the phone interprets as an apple and feeds to your pet."

for lack of a more insightful comment

[danguyf]

In Soviet Russia, your mobile phone probes YOU.

Gotta love it

[jsse]

When the pet is hungry, it shows a picture of a type of food like an apple. You then have to take a picture of something red, which the phone interprets as an apple and feeds to your pet."

When it shows a picture of a banana, I then have to take a picture of something yellow, long and curvey, and the nearest and the most convenient object shall be....hmm, may be I should just let it die.