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Sega to Bring Games to Handheld PCs
Sega Corp and software developer Synovial Inc of America yesterday announced a deal that will this year bring classic Sega games such as "Sonic The Hedgehog" to handheld computers.
Under the deal, Sega of America, the U.S. unit of Japan's Sega, will license its game content to privately held Synovial. The first product derived from the alliance is Virtual Game Gear, software that resurrects Sega's defunct Game Gear handheld game system on devices powered by Microsoft Corp's Pocket PC operating system (OS), such as Compaq Computer Corp's iPAQ.
Synovial said the Virtual Game Gear software and games will be embedded into new Pocket PC computers sold later this year, and users will eventually have the option buy additional games.
Sega, which earlier this year unplugged its gaming hardware business to focus on making software, said the partnership marks the first time its game content will appear on a personal digital assistant, or PDA, in the U.S.
Sega on Thursday said it continues to work on creating games for Palm Inc's Palm OS, the most popular handheld computer operating system and chief rival to Pocket PC. But few details have emerged regarding the timing or scope of those Palm-based products.
Some 350 games were developed by both Sega and third party software makers for Sega Game Gear, which was unveiled in 1991. When introduced, Synovial's Virtual Game Gear will allow Pocket PCs to simulate the same "gaming experience" that consumers enjoyed on Game Gear, the company said.
SOURCE: Reuters News
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