America’s Next Top Model TV show turns into a mobile game

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 11 December 2006 11:36

Your IT - Entertainment

Are America’s Next Top Models being turned into Tamagotchis? A game using ‘avatars’ or graphical representations of each model lets you help guide their modeling career and play the TV show on your mobile.

CBS, one of the top US free-to-air TV networks, has decided to take one of their top rating shows and turn it into a game that will be compatible with many different brands and models of mobile/cell phone. They are creating the game with gaming software developer Artificial Life, known for creating the ‘V-Girlfriend’ virtual girlfriend game for mobiles.

According to the press release, “To play the "America's Next Top Model" game, players select a virtual representation of his/her favorite and least favorite contestants from the show. The main task is for users to interact with these selected virtual characters -- known as avatars -- as if they were real participants of the TV show. This means players must foster their avatar's modeling career through training and various challenges. The selection of the least favorable character allows players to play tricks on her”.

The press release also talks about how users can send their virtual model to friend’s phones for a vacation. CBS says that “The game for the upcoming 2007 season will also have a viral, player-to-player component where users must send their avatar "on vacation" to a friend's cell phone, thus ceasing to take care of their own character for a while".

CBS continues: "When sent, the friend will see the character knocking on his/her cell phone screen with a suitcase in hand. If they welcome the avatar in, they will take on the responsibility of taking take care of her for a set amount of time. This send-a-character-on-vacation-to-a-friend option is likely to serve as a teaser to bring new players into the game”.

The game is now available in the US, with Hong Kong and then many other countries to also get access to the game.

Cyriac Roeding, Vice President of Wireless, CBS Interactive, said that "We are pleased to be joining forces with Artificial Life, one of the best mobile avatar gaming companies out there, to bring the international phenomenon of Avatars to the U.S. ‘America's Next Top Model’ is a natural jumping off point for us to introduce this gaming technology given the show's young and mobile-savvy demographic. This offering furthers our strategy of extending our top brands and content to multiple platforms."

In the U.S., the game will be available to Cingular and Sprint users depending on their cell phone. Consumers can download the game by going to either www.cwtv.com, www.botme.com or by sending a text message to a five-digit number advertised via commercials during the show.

Artificial Life will also develop several mobile games over a license period of two years as part of the agreement with CBS. It will cost an initial price of US $5.99 to download the game.