Yahoo said on Friday it has launched a studio to develop video games for mobile telephones, marking the company's most aggressive step yet into the multibillion-dollar gaming market.

The company said Yahoo Games Studio has already developed games for Verizon Wireless and will soon make games available for other wireless carriers.

Yahoo also said it has acquired a company called Stadeon to enable people to play games on their phones online against those playing through the World Wide Web. Compatible games include titles like Chess and Poker.

Industry players estimate the cell phone video game market at about $2 billion worldwide in 2005, a small part of the overall gaming market, but one of its fastest-growing segments.

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