Stephen Thackeray
A CHESHIRE-BASED games software developer has won the deal to produce a mobile phone game based on the animated blockbuster movie, Ice Age.
Warthog, which is based in Cheadle, will create the multi-level game Ice Age: Scrat Goes Nuts. It will be the company's first game for the new generation of mobile phones.
Based on Java technology and only available on the latest handsets, the game involves guiding Scrat the squirrel around the levels to collect nuts before the Ice Age sets in. Players will also be able to compare scores with other gamers around the world.
"Ice age is a great licence for us to create our first Java-based game," said Tim Coupe, Warthog's vice-president of mobile and hand-held games.
"The technology means that we can really move towards much more traditional 'console' game action on a platform that is becoming increasingly mass market."
Warthog, who employ 200 staff, has produced more than 1500 games since its launch in 1997. It has recently won licences to develop video games for titles such as Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs and X-Men.
The deal follows several SMS (short message service) text messaging games including motorcycle racing game MotoGP, and arcade classic Streetfighter which it produced for gaming giant THQ.
It also has strong relationships with Universal Studios, Electronic Arts, Infrogrames and the BBC.