505 Games signs Michael Phelps for iPhone

Publisher 505 Games is aiming to make a splash with a series of games based on eight-golds Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.

It's an interesting licensing deal, as it covers next-gen consoles and iPhone one of the first examples we've seen of a deal where iPhone (but not mobile) is flagged as part of a branding deal.

The first game will be released in Spring 2010, so it's a while away. We wonder if the first iPhone game may come out sooner than that, given the shorter development cycle.

Swimming games haven't exactly been popular on mobile platforms, but if anything can buck that trend, it's Brand Phelps.

505 Games says the games will be developed out of its Los Angeles office. The publisher's US arm launched this May.