Babel Media and Nintendo strengthen relationship

Award-winning global games services specialist Babel Media has strengthened its on-going relationship with videogame publisher Nintendo. Babel has produced two localised game websites in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish, for Nintendo of Europe, and produced items for their VIP 24:7 loyalty scheme.

European gamers can become VIP members by registering their Nintendo games, and receive a package of downloadable goodies. Babel has produced original Flash games based on Nintendo's characters, plus a unique Windows application that allows the user to reproduce sounds from Nintendo's games.

Babel's designers crafted downloadable items for recent Nintendo releases including Donkey Kong Country, Wario Ware, Inc.: Minigame Mania , Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Soul Calibur II, and Advance Wars: Black Hole Rising. The team has also completed VIPitems for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, F-ZERO GX and Super Mario Bros. 3: Super Mario Advance 4 and will be working on similiar items for Top Gear Rally, Mario DD, Mario Luigi and Pokemon Pinball.

Marko Hein, Head of Product Analysis & Online for Nintendo of Europe, said: "The creation of games websites and VIP incentives for Nintendo required an agency with a deep understanding of videogames and hands-on experience of creative execution. The long relationship with Babel Media gave us the confidence to trust a partner that understands the needs and preferences of Nintendo fans and to provide online assets of creative excellence."

The news follows recent coups for the company. Babel was recently placed 30th in New Media Age's Top 100 Interactive Agencies Guide 2003 and 81st in the Sunday Times ARM Tech Track 100. In August, the company won the Best Outsourcer in the inaugural Develop Industry Excellence Awards.

Paul Munford, Director of Communications at Babel, said: "The brief that Nintendo gave us is what every creative team dreams of. We had freerange to suggest new ideas and concepts with the total support of Nintendo. As a result, the online items we have created are of the highest quality and will appeal to the most discerning of Nintendo's customers."