Nokia, together with Sega, today announced Pocket Kingdom: Own The World for the N-Gage game deck. Pocket Kingdom: Own The World is the world's first global massively multiplayer online mobile game, challenging gamers to build a mighty online empire while competing against challengers from around the world. Set in a fantasy landscape, it is a game of combat, action and strategy. Send out armies to explore the Map of Ulgress, searching for treasure and new army recruits. Online, in the N-Gage Arena, gamers can encounter thousands of players from around the world, to compete against each other for spoils and glory - all competing to Own the World!

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The Sims Bustin' Out, scheduled for an April 28th release date, promises N-Gage exclusive features such as multiplayer bluetooth support, N-Gage exclusive mini-games, and the ability to upload scores to N-Gage Arena. The use of bluetooth multiplayer and N-Gage arena will also unlock special locations and the ability to earn extra Simoleons and special objects.

“The Sims is particularly well suited to mobile connected gaming on the N-Gage game deck,” said Pasi Pölönen, Director of Game Publishing, Entertainment and Media Business Unit, Nokia Mobile Phones. “It is a great example of how the N-Gage platform and its mobile connectivity features can be used to create innovative and inspiring game play, as well as create a completely new mobile community of The Sims fans.”

The Sims Bustin' Out screenshots have been added to our screenshot database.

Nokia has revealed some details of the upcoming N-Gage title Requiem of Hell. Requiem of Hell is an isometric action RPG, in the style of Diablo and Baldur's Gate. In Requiem, the first ever RPG title for the N-Gage, you play as Troy, a hero who has unknowingly released Dalu, the most evil fiend in existence, from imprisonment.

Billed as "a gothic nightmare exclusive to N-Gage", Requiem of Hell was built specifically for the N-Gage control pad, promising an intuitive interface with a short learning curve. Requiem, scheduled for a June 30th release date, will offer 2-player support via bluetooth and content downloads via N-Gage arena.

GI reports that John Romero denies ever saying that he has seen a prototype of an upcoming version of N-Gage hardware, as reported yesterday. "I've never seen a prototype of any new N-Gage," he told GI.

"I was talking to some guy, who I did not know was a journalist, and he asked me what I thought of the N-Gage," explained Romero. "I told him, then he told me that he thought it had an awful design with the MMC chip and the way you talk on it... I just said, 'Yeah, well Nokia's fixing those problems in their next one.'"

Russian news site compulenta.ru reports that legendary game developer of Doom and Quake fame, John Romero, has seen a prototype version of an upcoming "N-Gage 2" Gamedeck. At the Moscow Game Developers Conference, Romero, now working on projects for N-Gage, revealed a few details concerning the next version of Nokia N-Gage.

According to Romero, the new N-Gage will let you talk on the phone holding the device either way - with the narrow side or the flat panel to your face. Romero also stated that the "N-Gage 2" will be smaller in size and will allow for users to easily insert and remove game cards by flipping open the back cover.

Nokia has no comment on upcoming N-Gage Gamedeck developments at this time.

GI reports that Britain's Advertising Standards Authority has instructed Nokia to stop airing several of it's N-Gage advertisements, after repeating several complaints that they promote violent behavior and contain sexual connotations. The advertisements, available for download on Nokia's website, featured taglines such as "This is where I cut them down to size" and "This is where I left Kate, Lucy and Michelle begging for more."

Nokia, together with Hudson Soft, announced Monday Bomberman for the N-Gage game deck. Bomberman for the N-Gage will be the first ever release of Bomberman to take advantage of Bluetooth wireless. Using Bluetooth wireless technology, Bomberman fans can battle against one another in five unique battle stages only available in the two-player mode.

Bomberman is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2004.

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