NVIDIA Corporation proudly announced that the following handheld partners will be supporting the International Mobile Gaming (iMG) Awards: Nokia, Orange Partner Program and Alias. The sponsors will jointly contribute, with NVIDIA, to elevating the importance of the mobile gaming category within the hearts and minds of development studios around the world.

“Nokia is expanding its overall mobile connected gaming activities for the next generation smartphones,” said Kamar Shah, global marketing manager of Nokia Multimedia. “We see the iMG Awards as a great opportunity to learn as well as meet and build potential commercial opportunities with developers who are already undertaking the challenge of entering the mobile gaming space.”

 NVIDIA has formally launched imgawards.com, the worldwide portal where developers have until the end of October to submit their titles for consideration in the competition.  The site features guidelines, rules and regulations, a FAQ section, special features, white papers and technical documents, and conditions of entry. 

“The iMG Awards encourage developers of all levels to get involved in the development of 3D content for mobile devices and we see this as an invaluable opportunity to seek out new talent and get a insightful view on what the future holds for mobile gaming,” said Steve Glagow, director of the Orange Partner Program. “Network operators succeed in this competitive market place through differentiation, and delivering the most compelling and exciting content to our subscribers remains a top priority for Orange.”

“The iMG Awards celebrate the exciting global opportunities in 3D mobile gaming. Alias is proud to be a supporter," said Geoff Foulds, global industry manager for games for Alias. “3D mobile gaming is a great opportunity. It is the fastest-growing 3D gaming market with the lowest cost of entry, so there is great scope for creativity. We’re looking forward to the results with great anticipation”

Joining these organizations in support of the iMG Awards are other companies actively involved in the mobile, handheld and graphics ecosystem, and whose participation in the awards is critical to taking these games from concepts to actual available titles. These companies include the leading European retailer Auchan, which has pledged to put the winning games on retail shelves across Europe and Belle-de-Mai, a complex in Marseilles in the South of France, dedicated to creative industries, which will be offering office space and resources, if required, to entrants reaching the second stage of the competition