Could the multiplayer gaming experience be improved? Yes, according to Nokia, and it is making efforts to do just that.

Nokia, which is readying for the commercial launch of its first gaming device on Oct. 7, is acquiring the assets of Sega.com Inc., a subsidiary of electronic gaming giant Sega.

Under the agreement, Nokia will receive rights to Sega.com's Sega Network Application Package, or SNAP, which provides back-end support to multiplayer gaming in both the fixed and mobile environments. According to Nokia, adding SNAP to its technology portfolio will provide the company with full end-to-end multiplayer gaming capability.

Nokia executives say SNAP will immediately be integrated into Nokia's N-Gage game deck. A few games using SNAP technology will be available later this year with multiple gaming titles using SNAP available by the holiday buying season in 2004.

Besides using SNAP for its own gaming needs, Nokia plans to market SNAP to developers, publishers and wireless operators. The company believes SNAP will help the overall gaming experience, providing operators with more gaming revenue.

Sega.com executives say the company's mobile and online gaming titles that were once under the Sega.com umbrella will remain with the company.