Up for a Challenge?

The next text message you get might net you a handful of free N-Gage games and a Nokia goodie bag if you sign up for Nokia’s new N-Gage Arena Anytime Anywhere Tournament. Starting on Monday the 9th of January and running until the 5th of February, the tournament will be pitching pocket gamers against each other via the N-Gage Arena online multiplayer service. Participants can sign up at http://anytime.arena.n-gage.com for free and then they simply need to wait for the gauntlet to be thrown down. Arriving via text message, you could receive a challenge at any time, in any place, from anywhere in the world.

You might find yourself facing off against an Australian in Colin McRae Rally 2005, a Spaniard in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 or an American in Snakes. The three games will change weekly, with progress being charted in the N-Gage Arena chatrooms, where moderators will be on hand to coordinate the challenges, update player rankings as and when the results come through and also provide instructions on upcoming events.

"This is no ordinary tournament," said Sally Vedros, product marketing manager for N-Gage Arena. "In the N-Gage Anytime Anywhere Tournament, the competition comes to you. Having a connected gaming device in your pocket makes it easy to accept a challenge, connect to the N-Gage Arena and put your skills to the test wherever you might happen to be."