Games Publishing Deals Signed
Zoo Digital Group PLC
01 April 2005
1 April 2005
ZOO DIGITAL GROUP PLC
('ZOO' or 'the Group')
ZOO DIGITAL LICENCES GAMES IP TAKING THE COMPANY INTO THE WIRELESS GAMES MARKET
ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd ('ZDP'), the games publishing division of ZOO Digital
Group plc, today announces that it has signed two deals to take a number of its
games products into the wireless gaming market, principally for use on mobile
phones. These deals demonstrate the continuation of the Company's strategy to
license out ZOO's high quality games portfolio across different platforms and
markets.
Tuna Mobile Deal
ZOO has agreed a deal with Tuna Mobile to develop ZOO's range of Actua Sports
titles (ice hockey, soccer, pool, golf, tennis) and the high profile game Alien
Hominid for use in the wireless gaming market. Tuna Mobile is an experienced
software developer specializing in development for wireless platforms. PlayerX,
a mobile content distributor, will manage the worldwide distribution of these
titles by acting as brokers and introducing the titles to the leading mobile
network operators and portals throughout the world. These titles will start to
become available in the early summer of 2005. ZOO will receive a royalty for
each download of the games.
In-Fusio Deal
ZOO has also signed a deal with In-Fusio to develop and publish a wireless game
based on the ZOO Digital Group owned character 'ZOOL' one of its classic video
game characters. The game will be available late spring 2005 and available for
download on all popular mobile entertainment portals worldwide. ZOO will receive
a royalty for each download of the games.
Ian Stewart, Chief Executive of ZOO Digital Group plc, commented:
'We see this as a very good time to start exploiting our properties within the
rapidly growing wireless gaming market, particularly the mobile phone market.
These deals underline the quality of our games portfolio and our ability to
harvest this portfolio effectively to generate greater revenues for the
publishing business. The partners we are working with have the experience to
develop first class games and the ability to gain distribution through all of
the major operators worldwide giving us the best opportunity to maximise the
return on our intellectual property.'
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Enquiries:
Ian Stewart James Chandler/Terry Garrett
CEO, ZOO Digital Group plc Weber Shandwick Square Mile
0114 241 3700 020 7067 0767
John Llewellyn-Lloyd
Noble & Company Limited
020 7763 2200
Notes to Editors:
About ZOO Digital Group PLC
ZOO is divided into two separate divisions; ZOOtech Ltd ('ZOOtech') and ZOO
Digital Publishing Ltd ('ZDP').
ZOOtech Ltd ('ZOOtech')
ZOOtech focuses on R&D and licensing of DVD-EXTRA, the Group's highly original
development software capable of creating complex interactive content for
standard DVD players. The strategy for ZOOtech is simple; to create the industry
standard tool for the production of interactive DVD content and drive revenues
through licensing worldwide in a combination of up front fees and royalties.
ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd ('ZDP')
ZDP focuses on the publishing and distribution of interactive entertainment
products across multiple platforms such as interactive DVD, PS2, Xbox, GBA and
PC.
About Tuna Mobile
Tuna Mobile is a leading developer of interactive entertainment for multiple
mobile phone platforms. Based in Sheffield, UK, and founded in 2003 as a sister
company to experienced game developer
Tuna Technologies, Tuna Mobile have developed a number of popular titles. Many
of these, both original and licensed properties, are available across the world.
About PlayerX
PlayerX is a mobile entertainment broker, which provides a route to market for
content creators and media companies wishing to move into the mobile sector. The
company pro-actively works to introduce new practical, entertainment and
educational content to the leading mobile network operators, portals and
distributors across Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and Asia.
PlayerX has already introduced content for a number of famous brands and
licenses including mobile phrase guides and translation packages with Berlitz
and CNN. Mobile games based on TV shows such as I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of
Here and The X Factor, edutainment titles for kids as well as Active
Screensavers, an entirely new concept for Vodafone, which allows users to
personalise their phone with a screensaver which reacts to calls, texts, alarms
etc.
PlayerX was founded in 2003 by Tony Pearce & Ari Honka, two veterans of the
mobile entertainment sector. The company was created to provide an expert and
knowledgeable channel within the rapidly evolving global mobile market. PlayerX
is headquartered in London, UK.
About IN-FUSIO
IN-FUSIO is a leading mobile entertainment company, publishing top-tier games
for mobile phones and delivering players' community management services.
IN-FUSIO applications are enjoyed by more than 15 million people worldwide,
through 130 operators and portals across all handset platforms. The Company
currently has a portfolio of over 70 games and has offices in Los Angeles,
Chicago, London, Bordeaux, Moscow and Shanghai. Customers include Verizon,
Sprint, Vodafone, D2, Orange France, SFR, Orange UK, Vodafone Omnitel,
Telefonica Movies and China Mobile.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange