A Christchurch internet agency has launched what is believed to be the world's first internet connected mobile game channel to coincide with the British and Irish Lions tour.

Developed by Mixed Mob, the new mobile division of award-winning development house ZoDAL, the Haka Mania Game Channel, can be accessed from most modern mobile phones and has been developed on the Macromedia Flash Lite platform.

ZoDAL managing director Chris Blair said yesterday the game channel showcased the technology they developed to deliver Haka Mania and introduced new ways of marketing for companies frustrated with the limitations of SMS (Short Message Service) technology.

The mobile phone boom and the low cost of text messaging has created a new category of marketing, with many companies successfully using SMS campaigns to communicate with consumers and Government agencies using the system to send out public service messages.

The launch signalled the start of a new generation of mobile content that could be used for entertainment or to improve business efficiency, Blair said, adding that mobile industry leader Nokia's decision this year to include Flash technology in its products was a signal they were on to something big.

"We've been following the swings and tides of the mobile phone industry from the early SMS marketing campaigns to early SMS real-life applications," he said.

"With Nokia signing a billion-dollar licensing agreement with Macromedia to ship all Series 60 devices with the Flash player, we knew it was time."