Handset makers team up on games standards

The four major mobile phone manufacturers have teamed up to develop a universal specification for mobile gaming.

Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola and Siemens have set up a new body - the Mobile Games Interoperability Forum - which will attempt to define a global standard that can work across different networks and devices.

The budding market for mobile electronic games is one the telecoms industry is keen to tap into. According to analysts at Datamonitor, more than 200 million people in the US and western Europe - 80 per cent of all wireless phone users - will play online games using wireless devices by 2005, generating revenues of around $6bn.

"This agreement represents the industry's desire to ensure greater interoperability and technology uptake," said Peter Tyson, technology analyst at Datamonitor.

However, a major drawback to successful take-up by the public has been the lack of common standards. If this can be achieved, games developers will be able to produce games across multiple wireless networks to be played over a variety of mobile devices.

The Forum will use input from standards bodies and other organisations, including games publishers.