Nokia has announced that “Space Alliance,” an MMOG for Java-ready phones, will be released in Q1 2006. Game players work together to fight enemies, build starbases, and develop / coordinate defenses. A live moderator will coordinate the actions of the enemy alien fleet over time.
The game is designed to be purely cooperative. While this might alienate some people, I think it’s a great attempt to make the game more accessible. With no fear of being PK’d by merciless 12-year olds, you might just see players of all types getting into the game.
Equally interesting is Nokia’s decision to avoid restricting gameplay to Nokia-only handsets. Any phone with a recent version of Java can support the game, apparently. Really good call, IMO — reaching critical mass is crucial for an MMOG. I’m sure Nokia can find ways to encourage players on other handsets to eventually migrate.
