Digital gaming publisher Gameloft is soon to announce a partnership with Samsung to supply titles for the company's Smart TV range of sets. The games will be able to be played through the compatible connected televisions, without the need for a console or set-top-box, simply by downloading them through the manufacturer's own App Store.

Speaking in a private one-to-one interview with Pocket-lint, Gameloft's senior vice president Publishing, Gonzague de Vallois, revealed that the tie-in with the Korean consumer electronics giant comes hot on the heals of a similar deal with Panasonic: "We announced the first deal with Panasonic [at CES]. And we will also be supporting Samsung with their connected TVs," he said. "That will be launching in April of this year, for the 2011 generation [of Smart TVs]."

And Samsung will not be the last to embrace Gameloft games for its connected television platform: "I think that, with more power coming to the TVs, we will have more and more manufacturers there. And better and better gaming experiences."

Of course, not everybody can afford a new TV, or has only recently upgraded. So thankfully, they will be served by conventional means: "It's the same on the set-top boxes. We know the roadmap of the processing power from Intel, and from the chipset guys, and they will catch up - with better experiences. It's going to be very exciting."

Could that include the Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo box, with its Flash 10.1 platform and processing power?

"Yeah, sure," said Gonzague. Exciting stuff indeed.

Currently, there's no word on what games will make the leap over to Samsung's sets, but the Panasonic deal includes a launch portfolio of Asphalt 5, UNO and N.O.V.A, with the latter to also offer multiplayer support. Prices are yet to be announced.

Would you bother with a games console if you could get digitally downloaded games straight to your TV? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below...