Namco Networks on Monday announced that Jonathan Kromrey has been named General Manager of the company’s recently formed Apple Games business unit. Namco’s Apple Games unit is focused on developing software for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Namco Networks develops games based on its own library of IP, including classic coin-op arcade game hits like Pac-Man, Pole Position, Galaxian and more. Kromrey said in an interview with Macworld that the company will continue to do so, though it will also focus attention to the publication of games from other developers.
It’s going to be a busy rest-of-the-year for Namco’s Apple Games group, Kromrey revealed. “We have five games shipping in August, and five more to go before the year is out,” he said.
Kromrey said that Namco will focus on developing features in both new and existing games that leverage some of the new technology Apple’s introduced in iPhone OS 3.0. “We want to reward our users for staying with the games,” he said. What’s more, Namco will be embedding Facebook Connect support in games, leveraging the popular social networking Web site’s potential.
Kromrey comes to Namco Networks from Apple, where he was an iPod and iPhone games producer. His credits include Apple’s own Texas Hold ‘Em game for the iPhone. He’s a video game industry veteran who previously worked at I-play, a developer of games for BREW, J2ME, and Symbian mobile devices; EIDOS Interactive, Mattel Interactive and others.