FUN Technologies Partners With GSN to Televise First-Ever Worldwide Web Games Championship
FUN Technologies Partners With GSN to Televise First-Ever Worldwide Web Games Championship
Brings Casual Gamers' Pursuit of $1 Million Prize Into Viewers' Living Rooms in December 2006
LOS ANGELES and TORONTO, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- FUN Technologies Inc. [LSE (AIM): FUN and TSX: FUN], one of the world's leading online casual gaming providers, today announced that it is partnering with GSN, "the Network for Games," the entertainment industry's leading producer of interactive television, to televise the first annual million dollar Worldwide Web Games(TM) championship, formerly known as the Skill Games World Championship(TM). GSN will promote the Championship on its air this month and encourages viewers to visit GSN.com to compete in Worldwide Web Games qualifying tournaments.
The GSN/FUN Technologies collaboration brings millions of casual games players worldwide an unprecedented platform for interactive entertainment. Hosted by SkillJam (www.skilljam.com) and WorldWinner (www.worldwinner.com), both subsidiaries of FUN Technologies, the Worldwide Web Games will bring some of the world's top casual gamers to the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood for the finals on Saturday, September 9.
"We are thrilled to be able to bring our TV audience the first-ever Worldwide Web Games," said Rich Cronin, president and CEO, GSN. "We are always looking for ground-floor programming opportunities and are excited to be able to present this new realm of competition to our viewers who love playing casual games online at GSN.com."
The qualifying competitions are already underway at GSN.com, SkillJam.com, WorldWinner.com, and other top online games sites. Players from around the world qualify for the championship by competing in any of three of the most popular skill-based games: Bejeweled 2, Solitaire or Zuma. The high-scorer in each online competition will be flown to Los Angeles to compete in the live semifinal and final round tournaments. The best all-around player will be crowned "World's Best Casual Gamer" and be awarded the $1 million grand prize. To date, more than 40 players have qualified, with new winners being announced every week.
This announcement further extends the partnership established between SkillJam and GSN last August, in which GSN's popular interactive word-guessing game, LINGO, was added to FUN's SkillJam site. The final rounds of the Worldwide Web Games will feature the LINGO Skill game in a bonus round worth $10,000 in additional prize money.
Of the estimated 70 to 100 million people worldwide who play casual games, two-thirds are women, more than half between the ages of 25 and 54. "The million-dollar grand prize brings a new level of awareness to the millions of people playing casual games," said Lorne Abony, CEO of FUN Technologies. "Through our partnership with GSN and AOL, we're giving our players the opportunity to transcend their current game play experience and enter a whole new level of entertainment."
Prospective competitors can visit www.gsn.com, www.skilljam.com, www.worldwinner.com, www.w3games.com, or any of FUN's partner sites, such as AOL Games, MSN Games, Real Networks and Virgin Games, for a chance to qualify. AOL Games will also promote the Worldwide Web Games to its audience of ten million gamers by featuring profiles of the finalists, offering championship-qualifying games open exclusively to AOL casual gamers, and providing a sneak peek at streaming clips of the broadcast, building buzz for the televised event on GSN.
For more information about the Worldwide Web Games, please visit www.w3games.com.
About GSN
GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming. The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN has allowed viewers to play-along with on-air programming via their computers and GSN.com since 2000. Now reaching more than 60 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.
About FUN Technologies
FUN Technologies is one of the world's leading online casual gaming providers. FUN's strategy is to provide its cutting-edge gaming systems to top, licensed distribution partners in regulated markets around the world. FUN is 51% owned by Liberty Media Corporation, and FUN's common shares are listed on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "FUN". For more information, please visit www.funtechnologies.com.
About FUN Games
FUN Technologies' FUN Games division, comprised of its wholly owned subsidiaries SkillJam and WorldWinner, boasts more than 70 skill games across all genres, including Puzzle, Arcade, Card and Board, Word, Trivia and Sports. SkillJam and WorldWinner develop and distribute skill-gaming solutions across online, mobile and iTV platforms, while providing private-label gaming solutions for a broad network of partner sites worldwide, including AOL Games, MSN Games and Real Networks. The companies also maintain distribution partnerships with leading global brands, such as GSN, EA-Pogo, Lycos and Virgin Games. With more than 25 million registered players internationally, FUN Games hosts ten million tournaments and awards millions of dollars in prizes every month.
Source: GSN
CONTACT: Cindy Ronzoni of GSN, +1-310-255-6933, cronzoni@gsn.com; or
Tracey Irwin of FUN Technologies, +1-416-840-0806, tirwin@funtechnologies.com
Web site: http://www.funtechnologies.com/
Web site: http://corp.gsn.com/
Web site: http://www.w3games.com/
Web site: http://www.worldwinner.com/
Web site: http://www.skilljam.com/
Web site: http://www.gsn.com/
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