Big Brother N-Gage is watching @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on October 13, 2005

News: Nokia unveals Shadow-Born, a new kind of portable game.

The N-Gage was previously home to most watered down ports of other games on both portables and home consoles. Now it looks like Nokia might finally see that something different can make their little system stand out.

Today they announced Shadow-Born, a game that integrates real text messages, calendar appointments and phone alarms into the gameplay. It is being developed by Backbone Entertainment, but does not currently have a release date.

"We are really pushing the envelope with this game," says Gregg Sauter, Director, Games Publishing, Nokia. "Whether it's the smartphone functions such as text messaging or your to-do list, or the very fact that your mobile phone is with you wherever you go. No other platform could offer this type of gaming experience."

For all it's innovative gameplay ideas, Shadow-Born's story seems pulled from the movie "Underworld":
As a Shadow-Born, you are gifted with the rare ability to see the dark truth of the world. It is a world where supernatural beings from your dreams and nightmares surround you, and where vampires control corporations and werewolf gangs roam the streets at night. Shadow-Born offers a rich storyline and is set in the hidden realms within the urban cityscape.

If you'll recall, once upon a time EA did something similar with a game called Majestic. It integrated real world emails and phone calls to simulate some far reaching conspiracy.

Personally, I think the cell phone connectivity (and the fact that most people carry their phones with them everywhere) could make Shadow-Born work. We'll have more as it develops.