Mobile Game

David Braben shows us a smart-phone version of Frontier 's motion tracking pet sim

Amid the tumult of Microsoft 's Gamescom' players per day 'event with Gears of War 3, the ear pummeling on one side of the room, and Forza 4 revving away on the other was David Braben reveals a queietly impressive new project.

Frontier Developments has created a mini-version of his hit pet sim for Windows Mobile Kinectimals 7th The format is similar to the original Kinect: You get the option to adjust, and maintain your own unbearably cute little critters, this time with the touch screen to pet it and teach it tricks. There are also a number of mini-games designed to use the phone interface - Braben showed me a jump rope challenge, where you stroke the screen to jump around to get your cub, a whirling rope. The animal and its movements, both smooth and detailed. "It 's with the same animation as the Xbox \ version" says Braben. "It 'sa are lower-res screen, but the models in great detail."

This, however, isn 't the most impressive part.

No, that's the kicker, that animals from the Xbox version of Kinectimals (or the new addition Kinectimals Now with bears) import to the phone, and vice versa, on a screen QR code. Just hold the handset up to the camera and the mammalian Kinect exchange between the two devices. It 'sa similar technology, the Kinectimals stuffed animals that can be held up to the Xbox title' s scan stone, so that they transfer into the game. But here is the exchange all of your stats, results and details, and if you unlock items in the mobile version, they 're available if your animal is transferred to Xbox. It 'sa persistent cross-platform experience.