Starwave Mobile to deliver virtual girlfriend and boyfriend 3G games to new markets

By Jessica Kinsey

Starwave Mobile has announced a mobile licensing agreement with Hong Kong-based Artificial Life, Inc. to exclusively publish localized versions of Artificial Life's famous 3G games, V-girl - your Virtual Girlfriend and V-boy - Your Virtual Boyfriend, in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

The V-girl and V-boy applications are role-playing mobile games complete with robust storylines and video components. Players begin by choosing a potential virtual girlfriend or boyfriend among several available candidates before embarking on a virtual courtship. For example, in the V-girl game, players can interact with a realistic virtual girlfriend supported by artificial intelligence. She can laugh, send text messages and chat about a wide range of topics including art and philosophy or her day at the office. She enjoys receiving gifts such as flowers and candy as well as going on virtual dates in a variety of settings including the local nightclub and movie theaters.

"These innovative mobile experiences from Artificial Life have performed very well internationally and we are excited to work with them on expanding the popular V-girl and V-boy franchises to these new markets," said Ricci Rukavina, vice president product development, Starwave Mobile. "We haven't seen anything comparable to these games in the mobile marketplace today. With their unique, hip concepts and storylines and spectacular animation, we believe they will resonate with several key mobile audiences including teenagers and young adults."