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Hit BBC show Spooks becomes mobile game spin off

01 November 2005

Magic Lantern, YDreams Entertainment and independent production company Kudos Film and Television have been commissioned by the BBC to develop MS4: Mobile Spooks, a series of java based mobile phone games based on the hugely successful BBC1 drama, Spooks. The package, launched last Thursday, 27 October 2005, following the terrestrial broadcast of Spooks, contains both standalone games to download and a series of mobile Missions to play via GPRS.

Users will receive briefings from Harry and other game characters to carry out agent missions including spying on individuals, bugging locations, travelling around the UK meeting other characters in genuine locations, collecting proof, tracking down known MI-5 targets and accomplices. While users are travelling on the real map, they are able to see other players and their game progress statistics but not interact with them.

The series of nine story-based Spooks mobile Missions unfold on a real UK map with genuine UK locations. This is the first time a map of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be served live on a UK mobile phone game.

Once downloaded, users can play the standalone games as frequently as they like, and hone their skills in Spooks-type training scenarios: tracing a phone number, cracking an electronic safe and bugging a room. The MS4 mobile Missions will be played online from the users phone using GPRS. The nine Spooks Missions are written around the sub-plot of the Spooks eTV story ( accessed through the red button ) and must be completed in chronological order.

The instructions are simple: users will be able to send an SMS to the BBC to sign up for the game, an SMS containing links to download the standalone games will be sent in response to enable users to begin their mission.

Anthony Lilley, Managing Director of Magic Lantern, says: Mobile platforms are absolutely perfect for this type of application, extending the Spooks brand into a full entertainment experience. MS4 turns mobile phones into the must have spy gadget for series fans and wannabe Spooks.

Spooks is a major TV franchise with a large following worldwide, and makes a great mobile gaming license, says Eduardo Dias, YDreams Entertainment Head Officer. YDreams is thrilled to collaborate with Magic Lantern, Kudos, and the BBC in bringing this spectacular series to the mobile scenario with a pioneering online title.

The BBC continues to invest in trialling digital content across platforms. It has already enjoyed success with the iBAFTA nominated Spooks online experience, and the multiple award-winning Spooks Interactive Television service. Spooks: Mobile is a natural extension of the franchise and an opportunity to try out new ways of providing entertaining and meaningful digital content to the audience.


Emma Somerville, Head of Interactive at the BBC, says, With "Spooks: Mobile", the BBC has been able to work with one of the country's leading independent production companies, Kudos, and their Spooks property, to realise a compelling interactive, mobile version of the show.

Spooks has always been a series that has prided itself on an unusually close bond with its audience. This wonderful mobile game takes that intimacy one thrilling step further, says Stephen Garrett, Joint Managing Director of Kudos Film and Television.