Sony Ericsson WorldQuest 2005

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications today introduced Sony Ericsson WorldQuest.05, a global online reality game where contestants combine their wit, cunning skills and speed with leading mobile technology to complete challenges as part of a race to become the “Master of Mobility". Running over a 12-week period, the competition is built around the latest Sony Ericsson mobile devices and features, and combines a series live challenges in various international cities and online contests at www.sonyericsson.com/wordquest.

“As a leading innovator in mobile phones, Sony Ericsson is extremely excited to host a global reality game that combines the best of both imaging and entertainment," said Dee Dutta, Corporate Vice President and Head of Marketing for Sony Ericsson. “Sony Ericsson WorldQuest.05 is another unique way for us to show how people can use mobile devices to enhance their daily lives in practical and fun ways. This unprecedented game relies solely on the Internet and the numerous features and applications of our mobile devices, beyond just making a call."

From February 21 to March 16, potential contestants from 24 countries can register for the live competition at www.sonyericsson.com/wordquest. From this worldwide pool of entries, a team of Sony Ericsson judges will select 30 of the most motivated candidates and will present them to a global audience for online voting to determine the six finalists to compete in Sony Ericsson WorldQuest.05 live challenges. The participating markets include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

The Six Final Contestants Face Off to Become “Master of Mobility"
On April 4, the six finalists embark on their 12-day trip around the world – taking them to Beijing, Jakarta, Stockholm, Barcelona, New York and Sao Paulo – with the opportunity to engage in a series of live challenges. Armed with Sony Ericsson mobile devices, each contestant will need to be resourceful as they complete a range of tasks, such as finding and capturing the location of a famous movie scene; recruiting, directing and videotaping bystanders act out a performance; canvassing the city for ingredients for a traditional recipe; discovering the hottest music scene among other tests. All of this is possible with Sony Ericsson mobile devices which come standard with integrated advanced features, including MP3 Players, megapixel cameras, Internet browsing, MMS and e-mail, Video DJ, Video Playback and Routefinder.

To win each challenge, players must be the first to wirelessly respond to the judges’ questions and post their results. The ultimate winner will be bestowed the title “Master of Mobility" and receive ‘Phones for Life’.

Hotel accommodations for Sony Ericsson WorldQuest.05 contestants will be provided by design hotels™.

Online Participation of Sony Ericsson
Anyone can participate alongside the six finalists in the online version of the contest, and compete for a separate prize pack consisting of Sony Ericsson mobile phones and accessories, design hotels™ luxury weekends and even a trip around the world for two. The online version of Sony Ericsson WorldQuest.05 will not only allow for voting for the live contestants, but also will enable online audience members to track the finalists via real-time video, read the six contestants’ blog entries, and have a chance to predict the winner of each challenge.

The campaign site will also include online game versions of the different challenges played in the six cities. The combination of all these interactive components will allow the online gamers to experience the live challenge, the different cities and the technology and possibilities of the Sony Ericsson mobile phones. The result will be a true online reality game experience.

More details regarding Sony Ericsson WorldQuest.05 can be found at www.sonyericsson.com/wordquest