Samsung Plans Mobile 'Games Product', Integrates Haptics

According to an interview in UK trade paper MCV with VP and general manager Ju-ha Park, electronics manufacturer Samsung is planning to release a new mobile-related games product this year in Europe. The mobile phone manufacturer is apparently already working with a 'leading game firm' to develop exclusive content for the device, which is due for release later this year in Europe – release dates for other territories have not yet been mentioned. According to Park, "There will be a games product and service this year, though not necessarily in a games-specific form factor. Functionality such as 3D does not now require a dedicated handset and can now be found in regular form factors." Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that the new device will be aimed more at the mobile phone/N-Gage market than the PSP or Game Boy. In other Samsung news, the company has licensed haptics-related 'force feedback' technology from San Jose-based Immersion Corp., best known for recently winning a court case against Sony over patents that the Dual Shock controllers had violated. The haptics technology will debut in some Samsung phones next month, and a New Scientist report points out: "These devices give you a sense of how good a virtual golfing shot was from the force feedback, or let you feel how close you are to being run off the road in racing games", meaning it's possible that future Samsung mobile game products could use haptics as a significant part of gameplay.