GDC 2010: Prepare for Namco's avalanche of Android games

Android is the little platform everyone wants to succeed.

And Namco Networks America might be the first major mobile publisher to throw the brands, resources and games to finally demonstrate that commercial success.

"We have a very aggressive schedule planned for Android," said Rob Schoeppe, senior director of production and deployment.

"There's going to be an avalanche of Namco games coming to Android."

Android game factory

Schoeppe's Nexus One has over half a dozen games ready to go, including Pac-Man Championship Edition, The Wolfman, Inspector Gadget, Katamari Mobile, More Brain Exercise and Harvest Moon Frantic Farming.

There's also Pool Pro Online 3, the first game to use Namco's UniteSDK cross-OS multiplayer social platform, which has just launched for iPhone and will be supported across Android, as well as Java, Brew, PC and Mac.

Throw in the already announced port of iPhone multi-million seller Flight Control, and it's an impressive line up.

Indeed, it could be argued if that selection of games doesn't have a large commercial impact on the Android Market, Google has some serious rethinking ahead.

Schoeppe is confident however; even in terms of selling content via the much maligned Android Market - maligned even by Namco execs - rather than the new off-portal or open-style of Android app stores that are being rolled out.

"The major carriers are getting behind Android," Schoeppe points out. "There are a lot of devices coming out and there's a now big push to make it and the Android Market a success.