Plants vs. Zombies will be the first PopCap title to utilize 'share & play' multi-screen distribution format
Antix today announced a partnership with PopCap Games to bring its titles to the Antix Game Player – a new distribution format where consumers can share the games they own across any connected device. The first title to be launched as part of this deal is the global hit Plants vs. Zombies™ during Q4 2012.
With consumers already being able to share photos, music and videos with their friends and family, they also expect to be able play games on any of their connected devices, including TVs, set top boxes, tablets, smartphones, feature phones, and PCs. Antix provides a solution for sharing games across all of these classes of device, in the home and on the move.
Using the Antix game distribution format, consumers can share games virally, challenge and play off-network as well as on-network.Gameplay and distribution is seamless, managing the fragmentation of device types, screen resolutions, input methods, operating systems and chipsets. Antix enables this in a way that protects PopCap’s IP rights and revenues.
With Antix, consumers can buy a game on one device – such as a TV – copy to another Antix registered device, share over the cloud or beam off network, for example, to a phone or tablet. For multiplayer games, consumers can then challenge and play with a third party. User payment models supported include freemium, subscription, rental and ad-based.
The Antix Game Player has been selected by operators, broadcasters and manufacturers.Known for its quirky, one-of-a-kind blend of art, humor, polish and attention to detail, PopCap has been a mainstay of casual, mobile and social gaming for more than a decade. More than a billion people around the world have played PopCap’s video games, including the award-winning, blockbuster franchises Plants vs. Zombies, Bejeweled®, Zuma®, Peggle® and Bookworm®. The breadth of PopCap’s audience is similarly impressive, as its games appeal equally to both genders and all ages.
Francis Charig, Chief Executive of Antix Labs said:
“The Antix Game Player merges home and mobile devices and brings a sense of immediacy to consumers who can share and play with their friends when in close proximity. They can also take advantage of the cloud but Antix games are playable even when there is no network availability or networks are too slow, too full or too intermittent. We are delighted to collaborate with PopCap given the suitability of PopCap's game portfolio with the delivery of a 'share & play' experience for consumers.”
Evan Spytma, Regional Director of Australia and SE Asia for PopCap commented:
“Seamless gaming is a rapidly evolving consumer expectation that PopCap aspires to surpass. Leveraging the Antix Game Player enables us to construct a seamless cross-platform and immediate proximity gaming experience for millions of consumers globally.”
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
About PopCap
PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000, was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2011, and has a worldwide staff of more than 600 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap's games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 50 million units.# # #Plants vs. Zombies, Bejeweled, Zuma, Peggle, Bookworm and PopCap are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.
About Antix Labs, Ltd. Antix):
Antix has developed the Antix Game Player incorporating a consumer-focused distribution file format and service that makes games even more viral than music and video whilst still protecting the rights and the revenues of the developers. It enables consumers to copy, share, challenge and play with others not only via a service provider’s network but also off-network by means of wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct. Antix connects consumers across feature phones and smartphones, tablets, TVs, set top boxes, PCs and other devices even when a provider’s network is inaccessible, intermittent, slow or full as is the reality in home and on mobile across most of the world. The company offers the Game Player, corresponding tools, certification mechanism, optional white-label store and an optional game warehouse necessary to deploy a complete service offering. The Antix Game Service is being used as a core gaming component by major operators, broadcasters, device manufacturers and retailers across the globe. Headquartered in the Reading Enterprise Centre in Reading, England and with offices in America and Asia, Antix was founded by Francis Charig, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.For more information, please visit: http://antixlabs.com/.Alternatively please contact:Tim Cole, Head of PR, Antix Labs Ltd.tim.cole@antixlabs.com +44 118 3570357