Samsung readies 3D game phone

South Korean electronics giant Samsung on Friday announced its foray into the multibillion-dollar market for mobile games by unveiling a new phone that has 3D capabilities.

The company did not, however, disclose details about the pricing and availability of its new handset, dubbed the SCH-V450.

Samsung's move comes shortly after fellow handset maker Nokia came out with the first major revamp of its N-Gage game player--a prime product in the fiercely competitive game market.

Samsung's phone has a joystick and comes preloaded with three games, including ZioGolf and Metalion, and more can be downloaded from the company's "fan club Web site."

The SCH-V450 also comes with a "32MB Memory Stick Duo," which can be inserted into a slot on the side of the phone. It can also store and send pictures, and it can play music.

Consumers can play MP3 files without opening the phone, but by instead using a keypad that extends beyond the folded clamshell. The phone offers several command features in conjunction with its music player, including pause, skip and random choice.

The announcement of the new phone comes shortly after the company said it would offer a handset capable of receiving TV signals from satellite stations. Samsung announced that model in June, saying it would be available by the third quarter.

At the time, sources said Samsung was coming out with a game phone with 1.2GB of memory and an extended battery life. Samsung would not comment on the phone then.