PS One to Go

Sony Corp. announced a partnership with NTT DoCoMo that will allow users to link Pocketstation games with Internet-enabled cell phones. DoCoMo is Japan's dominant mobile phone operator, whose I-mode allows cell phone users to access the Internet. Initially, the service will allow users to play games on their mobile phones and also play the same game on their Playstation. The partnership is also aimed at linking Playstations to the upcoming W-CDMA (wideband code division multiple access) broadband technology, which will allow video images and other multimedia applications to be displayed on mobile devices. Details of such a service are still unclear, however. A SCE spokesperson said that its future depends largely on what kinds of software will be developed for it and consumer demand. In other cell-phone gaming news, Tokyo's Marvelous Entertainment has developed a rock-scissors-paper-style arcade game in which characters are controlled by radio waves from cellular phones. Up to 16 players can dial a certain number to participate in a game and control characters by pushing buttons on their phones.