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Mastermind goes mobile -- parents get confused

14 November 2005

Those who grew up in the 1970s in the UK will possibly remember having several hours of fun playing the Mastermind game a strange take on the uber-intellectual memory fest on TV that, instead of relying on knowledge, involved the guessing of a sequence of coloured pins hidden from view. Well, now your kids can enjoy its 21st century multiplayer, interactive, personalisable version on their mobiles. It is the first time this hugely popular game well there wasnt much to do in the 1970s and 80s will be available to play on mobile phones.

To bring you this marvel of retro, Glu Mobile, a creator and publisher of mobile entertainment, has partnered with International Rights Management ( IRM ), an independent interactive rights investment and exploitation company, to develop and publish a mobile version of Mastermind. The launch goes alongside the roll out of a suitably high tech version of the board game just in time for Christmas.

Unlike the basic plastic pins version from the 1980s, the latest version of the game will feature a Quick Play mode, Tournament mode where players compete against six Mastermind professionals Pass and Play mode for up to five players, six board game styles, multiple difficulty levels and an online score system. Anyone over 35 will probably find it impossible to play.

Mastermind has been a global phenomenon since the 1970s and were delighted to be bringing it to mobile, especially given the current love for everything retro says Chris Meredith, vice president publishing EMEA, Glu Mobile. Its a perfect time to launch this kind of simple and fun game, especially with the re-release of the board game with a massive marketing programme for Christmas 2005. This will raise awareness of the brand among both original players and also introduce a brand new audience of young families, kids and teenagers.

Mastermind will be available internationally in early 2006. For more information, visit www.glu.com