Sprint today announced the Game Lobby -- a nationwide virtual mobile community for gamers to meet, recommend games and challenge each other. The Game Lobby will be offered as a free service to customers who purchase one of the games available on the Game Lobby. The Game Lobby, managed by M7 Networks Inc., will be available on select Java-enabled PCS Vision phones in early February.

"Over the past few years, online gaming has grown into multiple communities on the Internet. Sprint is extending that experience to the third screen in customers' lives -- the PCS Phone," said Jeff Hallock, vice president of consumer product marketing for Sprint. "The ability to play, share and compete over the air makes the Game Lobby unique in the mobile industry, complementing the games experience. The Game Lobby will be the place where gamers meet and create virtual communities, share their experiences, find new challenges and make friends with players anywhere on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network."

In 2003, more than five million games were purchased on the PCS Vision network. Some of the key launch features of the Game Lobby will include:

• Single gamer tag and password across games and publishers
• Centralized listing of high score postings across all Game Lobby games regardless of game publisher
• Ability for users to manage their identity and determine what information is stored in their profile -- from pictures to favorite games, etc.
• Flexibility and convenience for players to view and to modify information via three means: from within the wireless game, from the fixed Internet and from the mobile web
• Extended game functionality (including uploading of high scores, the ability to meet, chat with and even taunt other gamers) making game play more interactive and interesting
• The hottest single and multiplayer game titles including:
  • The Price is Right Cliffhanger from Mobliss
  • Shark Hunt by Sorrent
  • Buddy Lists for challenging and tracking friends

To bring this enhanced functionality to market, Sprint selected M7 Networks as its partner for Game Lobby. M7 Networks brought its wireless services expertise for design, development and on-going management of Game Lobby. M7 Networks worked closely with Sprint and leading publishers to tailor the service. Games for the Game Lobby will be provided at launch by leading mobile game publishers: Mforma, Mobliss and Sorrent. Sprint and M7 Networks will also provide publishers and developers the tools to create new and compelling integrated game community functionality for their games.