NEW YORK-What do rapper Snoop Dogg and homerun hitter Barry Bonds have in common? Both are going mobile.
Under a new deal with wireless media company Zingy, Snoop Dogg will sell exclusive ring tones, ring-back tones and voicemail greetings to wireless users in the United States and Europe. Zingy said the offerings are now available through Sprint PCS Vision and Zingy.com, with additional North American and European carrier deployments to be announced throughout the year.
“Mobile represents an exciting new channel for our artists to monetize their talents and connect with fans,” said Constance Schwartz, vice president of strategic marketing for The Firm, an artist management company.
Separately, wireless entertainment company Mforma said it will sell mobile games featuring San Francisco’s homerun king Barry Bonds. Interestingly, the deal is the first time Bonds will be featured in a video game on any format or platform.
“It’s exciting to think that fans will be able to play a game on their phones that gives such a great baseball experience,” Bonds said. “I love new technology, and it’s amazing to see how excellent a game can be on a wireless phone. The fact that it is based on my quest to break the all-time homerun record adds to the fun, and I think fans will really get a kick out of playing it.”
Mforma’s new game, “Barry Bonds: Home Run History,” allows players to take the role of Barry Bonds and attempt to beat the home run records of baseball greats of the past.