Mobile gaming has always attracted have-a-go developers working without the financial backing of the major publishers, but Symbian appears keen to open up its marketplace to an even wider array of talent.

As such, the firm has announced that it is making its web application development tools available to all, the company's official line being that they make working on apps for Symbian as "easy as creating a webpage".

"Now anyone can create fantastic applications for devices such as the Nokia N8, the world’s first Symbian^3 device," said executive director Lee Williams.

Community building

"These Symbian web application development tools provide an ideal entry point for web developers targeting the vast, new development opportunities offered by the Symbian^3 platform and the wider mobile marketplace, where compelling applications are proving their ability to fuel communities."

Symbian claims any developer will be able to apply their HTML, CSS and JavaScript skills in a mobile context with its tools, which are available on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Those looking to expand their apps will also be able to access the phone's contacts, camera, accelerometer and location settings should they explore a few JavaScript APIs.

Open to all

"With these tools, web developers can leverage their existing expertise effectively to create powerful mobile applications,” Williams concludes.

"This, combined with the on-schedule release of Symbian^3, is further proof of our commitment to enabling innovation and empowering all developers, including web developers, to harness the rich capabilities of the Symbian platform."

Information about the new tools can be found on Symbian's developer website, as can the tools themselves.