Baldur’s Gate Now Available on Mobile Phones

The full press release:

Sorrent and Atari to Publish BALDUR’S GATE for Mobile Phones; Leading Mobile Publisher Launches Wireless Game Based on Popular DUNGEONS & DRAGONS RPG Franchise

SAN MATEO, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Jan. 10, 2005 Sorrent, Inc., a leading creator and global publisher of mobile entertainment, today announced that, together with Atari, it has launched BALDUR’S GATE(TM) for mobile phones. Today’s announcement brings the award-winning BALDUR’S GATE series owned by Hasbro, Inc.’s (NYSE:HAS) Wizards of the Coast subsidiary, to a brand new gaming platform. The mobile adaptation of BALDUR’S GATE has already received praise from the gaming press, including an Editor’s Choice award from IGN.com, and a strong review by GameSpot, which said that it “proves that mobile can cater to more than just a casual experience.”

“BALDUR’S GATE pushes the envelope of what is possible on the mobile platform,” said Robert Nashak, vice president of production, Sorrent. “This launch gives fans of the popular series the ability to play a truly immersive RPG on their mobile phone and more deeply integrates the games people love into their everyday lives.”

The mobile version of BALDUR’S GATE is a completely new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventure, written specifically for the platform. The seven-level game challenges players with treacherous dungeons and powerful monsters, while engaging them with compelling interactions with the non-player characters they’ll discover throughout the Forgotten Realms.

“With the mobile launch of BALDUR’S GATE, Sorrent’s production team has once again created a top-rated title specifically for mobile phones that is extremely faithful to the franchise on which it is based,” said Wim Stocks, EVP of sales and marketing, Atari. “We’re thrilled to offer fans a way to play this favorite title wherever they are.”

The BALDUR’S GATE franchise, developed out of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, has regularly topped the PC game charts with sales of more than 2 million units worldwide. The franchise continues to receive accolades from gaming press around the world. BALDUR’S GATE was a top 10 PC game during the 2003 holiday season, according to NPD data; was named by GameSpy as one of the 50 best games of all time; and was named by Gamespot.com and MSNBC as “Best Game of the Year in 2003.”