Archived News

The latest news items are listed here. This page contains previous news.

2 Years of Mopius

August 1st, 2006
The date Mopius was founded is now already two years in the past - it all started in August 2004. Since then, Mopius has accomplished a lot, won many awards worldwide and is on the verge of releasing its third public product. We're loooking forward to the future and are excited to continue to bring new ideas for mobile phones!

Vote for RealReplay

June 18th, 2006
If you think the idea of RealReplay has potential and would like to try it out as soon as possible, please vote for the application at the JavaMasters 2006 and win a mobile phone or other prizes! We're currently planning to release the game shortly after this competition is over.

RealReplay enters beta

May 13th, 2006
In the last few months, RealReplay has been significantly improved with several exciting new features. For example it does now support internal localisation methods of modern mobile phones as well (like the BenQ-Siemens SXG 75). The official release of the game will follow soon.

Genius 2005 - Award

December 1st, 2005
The goal of the Genius-Award is to find and support creative, novel ideas. This year, the jury had to rate about 80 projects. Due to the huge potential of time-shifted location based racing as used in RealReplay, our mobile entertainment application was chosen as one of the 12 winning projects!

Winner at the Forum for Mobile Communication

November 18th, 2005
The mobile project RealReplay is one of several interesting multimedia applications that were developed for the World Sailing Games 2006. The whole concept of providing useful and entertaining information for a very large event, as well as the innovative applications themselves, convinced the jury of this year's Forum for Mobile Communication. With a huge lead over the other projects, our applications were selected as the winner of the contest!

"The Journey I" now available in Russian

November 4th, 2005
"The Journey" is now available in three languages: English, German and Russian. The new translation was done by [wl], thanks for his great work and support! The download page has been updated, the source code of the new version (1.13) is also available.

"The Journey II" nominated for German Developer Award

November 3rd, 2005
The mobile game "The Journey II" is nominated for the German Developer Award 2005 ("Deutscher Entwicklerpreis"). A public voting has been set up as well, for example at GameStar.

RealReplay nominated for Europrix Award

October 31st, 2005
411 entries from 33 countries were sent in to this year's Europrix-Award - and RealReplay was selected as one of the 22 nominated projects! You will be able to experience the game and the fascinating new possibilites it offers at the Europrix Top Talent-Festival in Vienna, March 2006.

Speech "The Future of Symbian OS"

September 29th, 2005
Mopius is present at this year's Mobile Computing Forum in Hagenberg, Austria (September 29th, 2005). Based on the experience gained during development of several games based on Symbian OS as well as through holding courses at the University of Hagenberg, Andreas Jakl from Mopius will give a speech about the current state and future developments concerning Symbian OS.

Mobile developer's aid launched

September 7th, 2005
Over the time, Mopius has released several tutorials and training material for development with Symbian OS. Some of those articles have already been available at different places (they were even published by the Software Developer's Journal and the Symbian Developer Network). Now, an own site collecting all of those useful documents has been launced. Called Mobile developer's aid (http://developer.mopius.com/), the new site provides a convenient place for you to access all tutorials and to get all the information you need!

"RealReplay" website online

August 5th, 2005
The latest product of Mopius is getting ready. Called "RealReplay", it once again pushes the limits of mobile, location based entertainment applications. Using your mobile phone and built-in localization functionality or an external GPS receiver, you can record your own race tracks or compete against recorded races that you downloaded from the Internet. Find more information on the official RealReplay website.

"The Journey" in the media

July 14th, 2005
"The Journey"-series is getting a synonym for location based gaming. As of now, both parts have been downloaded more than 25,000 times. Most likely this makes them the most widely-spread location based game that exists - thanks to the game not requiring any special equipment (like GPS receivers) and the efficient, but invisible and cost-free location tracking.
Some examples of recent media coverage:

Article published in "Software Developer's Journal"

May 30th, 2005
The international magazine "Software Developer's Journal" (formerly called "Software 2.0") published an article written by Andreas Jakl, CEO of Mopius. It's a rewritten and shortened version of the Symbian OS Tutorial that has already been released through the Symbian Developer's portal. The magazine is available in English, French and Polish and can be ordered directly from their website.

Interview with Mopius

May 20th, 2005
Tapaga is a site that's specialized on telling the average mobile phone user about the real power they have in their hand when they own a Symbian OS smartphone. Now, they have included both "The Journey"-games in their directory, along with a special feature: In a short interview with Mopius, the reader will find answers to many interesting questions about the company, our games and - of course - the future!

YouFM Game Tip

April 28th, 2005
The game "The Journey II" is the current game tip of the radio station You FM. An article on their website provides a good summary of the new and innovative aspects that make the game something special. The whole (German) article can be read here, we have translated the conclusion:

[...] for 7 Euros you can get an adventure game that boosts your physical fitness, but also has a lot of depth and was made using fascinating technology. Is there still someone left who claims that players don't get any excercise?

AllAboutSymbian.com reviews "The Journey"

April 18th, 2005
Probably the world's biggest site covering news about Symbian OS, AllAboutSymbian.com, has now put up a review of "The Journey 1". In contrast to the second part, which is a real, full-blown adventure game, the first game was released as a tech demo and to try out if the concept of a location based adventure actually works and if people find it interesting. Considering this and the short length of the game, the score of 65% is great, and the reviewer's impressions sum up the experience of playing the game quite well:

My own experience with Journey was a great one. [...] it actually was quite fun and kept me entertained for most of the next afternoon as I marched back and forth around the real city finding people (in game) and sometimes being found by them. [...] for free I consider it a must try and highly recommend it.

"The Journey" presented at MipTV/Milia

April 11th, 2005
The game will once again be featured at one of the world's most important exhibitions. At this year's MipTV/Milia show, visitors will be able to take a look at the game and speak to the company behind it. The game will also be presented in a special conference about new media talents, with representatives from ATI, Nokia, Orange and others attending as speakers.

UIQ version of "The Journey II" now official

March 23rd, 2005
It has already been available for some time through this site - now the UIQ version of "The Journey II" is finally official. It works on the SonyEricsson P800/900/910i phones, the Benq P30 should be compatible as well. Unfortunately the Motorola A1000 does not provide the location information, therefore the game does not work on this phone. Download the game for your UIQ phone now!

"The Journey" at CeBit 2005

February 28th, 2005
Get more information about "The Journey" at the the world's leading event for information technology, the CeBit 2005 in Hannover. During the time from the 10th to the 16th of March, a demonstration movie and some information will be shown at the Top Talent Award (TTA) booth.

"The Journey II" awarded with second place at the Series 60 Challenge

February 14th, 2005
The gala of the official Series 60 Challenge was held in one of the finest hotels of the Côte d'Azur - Hotel Negresco. It was a great event, with people from the most important mobile phone companies all around. They took the chance to take a look at "The Journey II", which was awarded with the second place. With more than 140 registered products in total, this is a great achievement for the young and ambitious company Mopius.

"The Journey" on SFT's Cover-DVD

February 6th, 2005
The latest issue (3/05) of the German magazine SFT (covering games, movies and technology) comes with the full version of "The Journey" and the demo of "The Journey II" on their Cover-DVD. The magazine is a new entertainment publication by one of Germany's biggest publishing companies, Computec Media AG. In their magazine, the game is listed in a box featuring two "Software Highlights", with the following (translated) description:

In the game (amongst others it runs on Panasonic and Nokia phones) you have to solve a mysterious case in the role of a detective. Pilot your character through numerous locations and a story worthy of a novel. - Thrilling mystery adventure with an absorbing plot.

Finalist in official Series 60 Challenge

January 17th, 2005
"The Journey II" has been selected as one of the three finalists in the gaming category of the official Series 60 Challenge! Sponsored by Nokia, Sendo, Siemens and Symbian, it is the biggest and most important contest for mobile Series 60 applications. The overall category winners will be announced on February 12th in Nice, France. For more information and to take a look at the other finalists, click here!

Accepted to the Heise software directory

January 14th, 2005
The games "The Journey I + II" managed to get accepted into the extensive software directory of the German publishing house Heise. It publishes some of Germany's most renowned magazines of information technology, c't and iX. The location based adventures are actually even the first mobile games in the directory, which contains short descriptions of several thousand applications.

New review at s60.at

January 13th, 2005
The online magazine s60.at has released an article about "The Journey II". Again, the game managed to impress the reviewer. Read the full text at s60.at, a short snip of their conclusion:

[...] a masterstroke of the Austrian programmers!

"The Journey II" reviewed by aikon.ch

January 1st, 2005
The well-known site aikon.ch (German) has reviewed "The Journey II". Their conclusion:

Amazing game with an amazing concept.

Excellent review of "The Journey II" at Midlet-Review.com

December 29th, 2004
One of the biggest and most important sites concerning mobile gaming has now reviewed "The Journey II". With an excellent rating of 8 (out of 10) points, the game managed to find its place amongst the best mobile games. You can read the full article at Mobile Gamer | Midlet Review, some short quotes of the review can be found below:

"The visuals are from the digital canvas of a really good artist. Whoever was in charge of the graphics on the development team deserves a pat on the back, because the game, while composed of static images, looks really good."

"Playing around with The Journey II’s interface gives me some hope for the future of mobile adventure gaming."

"The gameplay is very deep and very challenging. Storywise, The Journey II has a very exciting story that you’ll be enticed to follow up till the very end. It is like reading one of those New York Times best selling mystery novels."

"If you’re into a brain twisting adventure game with a classy plot that will also help you get in some much needed physical exercise, then look no further because The Journey II is your game."

"The Journey II" selected as Series60.com's Application of the Week!

December 28th, 2004
"The Journey II" has been chosen as the new "Application of the Week" of the official Series60.com-site. The Series60.com "Application of the Week" concept presents the most innovative applications running on Series 60 devices from the industry leading mobile developers around the world. Read more about it here!

"The Journey" presented in Turin, Italy

December 23rd, 2004
Following an invitation by Ars Media, "The Journey" was presented live in Turin, Italy on the 22nd and 23rd of December as a part of the "ToDig.it"-initiative. After a general discussion about new media and the game in the Atrium, a new and fascinating building in the center of the city, the game was presented in "The Beach", a well-known club in the city. On the next day, students of a media university were given the opportunity to ask questions about how the project was realized and what helped it to reach more than 10,000 downloads.

Award for "Most Innovative Game"

November 27th, 2004
"The Journey II" received an award at the "Mobile Fun Awards 2004"! The game was selected as the winner of the category "most innovative mobile game". You can read the full story by following this link to the official, Italian contest-page.

The Journey II - Download it now!

November 8th, 2004
After the enormous success of "The Journey", which was downloaded more than 10,000 times, received several awards and was featured on TV, the successor is finally finished.

While part one was made to demonstrate the innovative location based adventure concept, "The Journey II" takes this concept to maturity. It adds a whole virtual world with full interactivity and lets the player decide what to do next and where to go next.

Now there is no excuse to still sit around somewhere while playing mobile games, it's time you get active! The new game will give you plenty of room for that. During several hours of playing time, you will have to follow many clues to uncover the truth about the exciting and dangerous happenings.

Read more about the new game at the official "The Journey II"-site, where you can also try it out for free!

The Journey - Winner in Open Summer Contest

October 7th, 2004
Out of several high quality applications and games, The Journey was selected as the winner of the Symbian Open Summer Contest, organized by NewLC. The results were announced at the Symbian Expo in London, with the jury writing the following about the game:

The application is a good mix between simplicity and innovation. The game is a little bit short but try it: this is something you have probably never seen on your mobile phone. The code is very interesting to study for a beginner to medium experienced developer and has been well documented.

The game has been awarded with great prizes, more information can be found on the results page at NewLC.

The Journey - View the TV Report Online

September 30th, 2004
This week the Austrian television channel ORF broadcasted the report about The Journey. You can now view the full video online: Teaser (10s) - Full report (3:45)

The Journey - Featured on TV

September 25th, 2004
The Austrian television channel ORF is currently producing a 5 minute report about The Journey. It is planned that it will be aired on ORF1 between 18:30 and 19:00 on Monday, September 27th. Based on the basic principle of the game which mixes virtuality with reality, the game is presented by an actor. He plays the game on his mobile phone, disguised as a detective, and lives through the whole story. At the end he is no longer sure about the seperation of fiction and reality. During the interview the possible future of location based games is being talked about, as well as how the idea of The Journey evolved and made it into a real game.

The Journey II - Nearing Completition

September 24th, 2004
The successor to The Journey is nearly finished. The game engine is already working very well and will go into beta phase in a few days. Come back soon to read more about the new features, enhanced interactivity and other improvements that you requested and that were put into reality!

The Journey - Finalist in Open Summer Contest

September 24th, 2004
The jury, consisting of people from Symbian LTD and the community, has chosen 11 applications and games that qualify for the finals of the "Open Summer '04 - Open Source Symbian Developer Contest". The Journey is one of the finalists, the official ranking will be presented at the Symbian Expo at October 4th-5th. Read more about it at NewLC!

The Journey - Europrix Award

September 17th, 2004
Mopius is part of the Europrix Award as one of the top talent teams. Out of 414 projects from 29 countries, The Journey is nominated along with 22 other projects. It will be presented at the Europrix Festival in Vienna from November, 19th to 21st. Among other activities, the project will be showcased at the Technical Museum of Vienna.

The Journey - Nominated for State Price

September 10th, 2004
The game "The Journey" is one of three nominated projects of its category for the "Austrian Multimedia and e-business State Price" and will be presented at the gala in Vienna on the 23rd of September 2004. The translated statement of the jury:

“The Journey” offers a new challenge for all who would like to play the role of Philip Marlow – in a modern, gloomy world.

The jury was convinced by the professional presentation and the well implemented demonstration and is anxious to see the further development of the project.

“The Journey” has to potential to be a globally successful mobile game and deserves the attention of potential cooperation partners.

Article Published by Symbian

July 15th, 2004
The Journey was not only developed to demonstrate the innovative game concept, but also as a practical demonstration of several game development workflow techniques for mobile phones. The article describing and explaining those has now been reviewed and published by Symbian! You can download it at symbian.com/developer or directly from the official The Journey-site.

The Journey - Compatibility Result

July 10th, 2004
Sendo has tested The Journey on their new Series 60 based mobile phone and confirmed that the game runs fine on the "Sendo X". They also sent in some screenshots of the game running on their phone: Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3.

The Journey - Updated Version

June 23rd, 2004
A small bug related to resuming a running game has been identified and fixed in the new version 1.10 of The Journey. You can get it at the download-page.

The Journey - Game Review

June 15th, 2004
The big italian gaming site Wirelessgaming.it has written a great article about The Journey and the technology behind it. Read the Italian review here! The summary translated to English:

A great technological jump is on the horizon, The Journey is the first "location-based" adventure to arrive on Nokia Series 60! We discover with the future...

The Journey - Statistics

June 13th, 2004
After being online for only about two weeks, The Journey has now already been downloaded nearly 4,000 times! Your opinions, comments and suggestions are of course always welcome - and don't forget to tell your friends about the game. The more successful it is, the sooner will the next version arrive.