(14 February 2008 7:25 pm)

MUMBAI: Reliance Communications (RCom) has joined hands with CanvasM Technologies - a JV between Tech Mahindra and Motorola - to introduce multiplayer mobile games (MMG) for its customers in India.

With this latest move, RCom has opened up a new avenue for gaming community in the country to network with each other.

RCom president (applications, solutions and content group) Mahesh Prasad said, "Mobile gaming is a fast growing sector and is expected to catch up with the developed markets. Reliance's launch of multiplayer mobile games is another step in this direction and it will generate a huge interest from our mobile customers, especially the gaming audience."

CanvasM Technologies CEO Jagdish Mitra said, "CanvasM is keen to get some of the new technologies to India. Mobile gaming has come of age in India with multi-player games offering immense potential to deliver targeted advertising messages to niche audiences."

An MMG allows customers to compete with online fellow mobile and PC gamers playing the same game. In addition to gaming, MMG has features like lobby chat, messenger chat, game chat, score posting, profile and also allows users to invite others to play the game.

CanvasM is a mobile value-added services (VAS) company with global presence. With RCom, it will engage the internet and mobile customers from different locations.

CanvasM will also provide RCom with a variety of international and domestic multiplayer games.

CanvasM's multiplayer gaming platform houses a catalogue of 15 cross-media games and it has provisions for developing content as well as fostering third-party content.