EEDAR and GameTrailers.com Announce Partnership to Deliver Insights on the Impact of Video Game Media on Marketing

EEDAR and GameTrailers.com Announce Partnership to Deliver Insights on the Impact of Video Game Media on Marketing

Consumers leveraging the power of the Internet to aid in purchasing process;
Consumer awareness and viral nature of Internet-based video marketing campaigns
strong indicators of potential for market success

Carlsbad, Calif (PRWEB) February 17, 2009 — Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR), a business intelligence and research firm specializing in the video game industry, today announced the establishment of a partnership with GameTrailers.com, the premier online destination for video for gamers, to provide detailed insights into the relationship of video game media, consumer awareness and market success.

In 2008, tens of thousands of pieces of video game media were released on GameTrailers.com resulting in over 900 million cumulative views; an increase of 70% over 2007 (Source: GameTrailers StreamStats). Research conducted by EEDAR in 2008 identified that – for the majority of current generation video game titles – trailers had a stronger correlation with increased retail sales than demos, while also being less disruptive to the game development process.

“The role of the video game trailer has become increasingly important as consumers more frequently leverage the Internet and online console experiences to research game titles before making a purchase decision,” said EEDAR Executive Chairman, Gregory Short. “Through partnering with GameTrailers, the number one Internet destination for video game media, EEDAR has gained a valuable ally towards our goal of supplying the video game industry with comprehensive, factual data to help maximize efficiency and enable more informed decision making.”

The partnership will combine data from the GameTrailers’ StreamStats service with EEDAR’s proprietary database of video game features, covering more than eight thousand historical game titles. Delivered via EEDAR’s web-based GamePulse™ service, industry professionals will have access to rapid, quantitative data in areas such as consumer awareness, franchise strength, genre interest levels and publisher mind-share.

“We are thrilled to partner with EEDAR to provide more evidence as to how essential video is for marketing video games,” said Brad Winters, general manager of GameTrailers.com. “StreamStats is a powerful analytics tool that allows game industry insiders the ability to gauge user interest and purchase intent for upcoming video games. StreamStats combined with EEDAR’s GamePulse will provide invaluable insight into the state of the video game industry.”

In addition to the data integration, GamePulse will also incorporate the ability to view trailers directly, increasing the efficiency of marketing agencies and industry professionals in their daily duties.

Subscribers to EEDAR’s web-based GamePulse information service will be able to access the GameTrailers integration in March 2009.

To arrange for a private demonstration or obtain more details about EEDAR services visit http://www.eedar.com, phone +1.877.883.3327 ext 104 or email sales@eedar.com.

About GamePulse™

GamePulse™ is the video game industry’s premier information service, designed to support video game production, development, research, marketing and investment professionals. Continually updated with the latest factual data, GamePulse provides unique industry insights through a single web portal on the features in game titles, review scores, downloadable content, company portfolios, industry trends, franchise history, marketing spends, consumer awareness and more!

GamePulse brings EEDAR’s knowledge of the video game industry to your fingertips, centralizing disparate data sources, expanding accessibility to information and enabling more informed decision making.

About StreamStats

StreamStats is an analytics tool offered by GameTrailers.com for publishers, developers, analysts, retailers and other game industry professionals. Tracking key information such as daily visitors, total media views, consumer rating scores, searches and third party embedding of videos on fan sites or blogs, StreamStats contains valuable information for video game marketers planning their campaign strategies or retailers who need to gauge pre-purchase interest in upcoming video game titles. To learn more, visit http://stats.gametrailers.com.

About EEDAR

Founded by a team of interactive entertainment veterans in 2006, EEDAR is the premier information and research provider specializing in the video game industry. Leveraging their proprietary database of over eight thousand game titles and more than eight million game features, EEDAR provides products and services to many of the largest publishers and developers in the industry. Through the delivery of more accurate, actionable and accessible data, EEDAR is increasing the efficiency, profitability and creativity of the video game industry.

EEDAR is based in Carlsbad, California. For more information please visit http://www.eedar.com or call +1 877-88-EEDAR.

About GameTrailers Inc.

GameTrailers (GT) is the premier video destination for gaming entertainment and information. GT delivers timely, high-resolution broadband video content for gamers that includes original shows, video reviews, game trailers and comprehensive video coverage of gaming events from around the world. GT also has a robust community that features user-generated content, a community marketplace and a variety of communication tools so gamers can talk to friends and share media such as fan movies, machinima and daily blogs. GT has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York and is a division of Viacom Inc.’s (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B) MTV Networks Entertainment Group.

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Contact Information

Gregory Short
EEDAR
http://www.eedar.com
+1-877-883-3327(102)

UCLICK Launches Magic Eye for Apple’s App Store

UCLICK Launches Magic Eye for Apple’s App Store

Uclick®, the #1 provider of mobile and on-line humor and comics, announced today that Magic Eye, the 3-D Image craze that magically turns a seemingly two-dimensional image into an eye popping illusion, is now available on Apple’s App Store.

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) February 17, 2009 — Uclick, the #1 provider of mobile and on-line humor and comics, announced today that Magic Eye, the 3-D Image craze that magically turns a seemingly two-dimensional image into an eye popping illusion, is now available on Apple’s App Store.

Originally published in the 1990s, Magic Eye quickly became a sensation selling more than 20 million copies. Magic Eye I, II, and II appeared on the New York Times Best-seller list for a combined 73 weeks. Now the Magic Eye phenomenon is making its way to the revolutionary iPhone and iPod touch, where the “hidden picture” and 3-D images seemingly emerge from the stunning Multi-Touch display.

“It’s amazing to bring Magic Eye to Apple’s App Store,” said Uclick CEO, Douglas Edwards. “The images look great on the revolutionary iPhone and iPod touch and seem to come to life and jump from the stunning display. It’s something you have to see to believe.”

Magic Eye fans – veterans and newcomers alike – will enjoy delving into this great collection of mind-bending illusions.

Magic Eye is available for $2.99 from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=304466075&mt=8

About UCLICK:

UCLICK® is the leading digital entertainment provider of humor, comic strips, manga, graphic novels, editorial cartoons, and other content for desktop, web and mobile phones. Uclick is also the leading creator and distributor of crosswords, and other word and number puzzles. Partners featuring Uclick content include the leading consumer portals Yahoo!, MSNBC.com, New York Times, Slate.com, washingtonpost.com, CNN, USA Today, and AOL. Uclick features include the top brand franchises Garfield, Doonesbury, Calvin and Hobbes, Paul Frank, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TOKYOPOP, USA Today, Pat Sajak, Wyland, and many more. Uclick creative content and services are available through the GoComics.com website, U.S. mobile phone operators, the iTunes App Store, and other distributors worldwide. UCLICK, LLC is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, the leading newspaper syndicate and publisher of humor books and calendars in North America. For more information on Uclick, visit http://www.uclick.com.

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Contact Information

Paul Richardson
UCLICK, LLC
http://www.uclick.com
816 581 7645

Poker Bloggers Get $1,000 for Best Bad Beat Story

Poker Bloggers Get $1,000 for Best Bad Beat Story

Compatiblepoker is currently running a contest for poker/casino bloggers only. The person to come up with the best, or should they say “worst” bad beat story will win $1,000 in cash.

Jax Beach, FL (PRWEB) February 17, 2009 — The bad beat contest (http://www.compatiblepoker.com/poker-rumors/bad-beat-stories/1271) started yesterday and it will be accepting the first 25 applicants who post a link to their story on Compatiblepoker’s blog comment section. If more than 25 want to spill their bad beat stories then Compatiblepoker will double it to 50 applicants and give two $1,000 winners.

Basically Compatiblepoker is asking poker bloggers to post on their own blog about the worst beat they’ve taken in life, poker, or whatever they want. Funny stories are of course welcome.

So far one contestant lost out on a $100K progressive slot jackpot because he forgot to put in 20 cents for the progressive slot in which he usually does. He proceeded to hit a royal flush. Another blogger thought he ran up a 5 figure amount at the poker table, only to find out he was playing play money for almost 3 hours.

The contest is being run in light of the current highlight in the industry of online bad beat poker jackpots (http://www.compatiblepoker.com/poker-bad-beat-jackpot.cms.htm) reaching in the 7 figures. There are some minor requirements to qualify for the contest such as to have a poker blog or casino blog one year or older, and linking to Compatiblepoker’s contest and one page they find interesting on the site.

Roger, the owner of Compatiblepoker and writer of the blog says, “It’s actually pretty funny reading these stories as they are the best of the best so far! They are definitely not the typical aces vs kings bad beat stories that make you want to go deaf.”

Full details on the contest can be found here, “Compatiblepoker blogger bad beat contest (http://www.compatiblepoker.com/poker-rumors/bad-beat-stories/1271)”.

Press Source:

Matt W.

Compatiblepoker Contest

http://www.compatiblepoker.com

About: Compatiblepoker has been online for 4 years and is in the top 25 most visited online poker affiliate portals on the internet. It now has and has held the most extensive page for US online poker players on the internet.

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Contact Information

ROGER SHRIVER
Compatible Poker
http://www.compatiblepoker.com
4074936846

In Anticipation of its Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) Alganon, Quest Online Releases MyAlganon.com

In Anticipation of its Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) Alganon, Quest Online Releases MyAlganon.com

Online Gamers want enhanced community features. While it seems everyone has joined wide-scale communities such as MySpace and Facebook, most agree that those communities don’t cater well enough to any specific niche. Populated with add-ins and advertisements, the experience is less than exceptional. How does one curtail the noise and create a gaming community that appeals specifically to the online gamer? It seems that one company has developed a solution.

Chandler, AZ (PRWEB) February 17, 2009 — Online Gamers want enhanced community features. While it seems everyone has joined wide-scale communities such as MySpace and Facebook, most agree that those communities don’t cater well enough to any specific niche. Populated with add-ins and advertisements, the experience is less than exceptional. How does one curtail the noise and create a gaming community that appeals specifically to the online gamer? It seems that one company has developed a solution.

Quest Online, LLC has created its own MMOG Community System that will directly integrate with its upcoming MMOG, Alganon. “Enhancing the online community experience has been one of our goals from the start,” explains Quest Online’s President David Allen. “After a significant amount of research, we knew we needed to come up with a place that was media-rich and engaging for today’s avid gamer. We established a commitment to meet the needs of our target market. As a result, we have created the MyAlganon system to serve as the gateway for the upcoming release of Alganon, due later this year.”

To help meet the requirements of the upcoming Alganon Beta, Quest Online is launching MyAlganon.com into the gaming community, enabling them to sign up and gain deep insight into Alganon, as well as establish dialog with the growing community of gamers.

The MyAlganon community website offers:

* Early signup for Alganon and access to the Beta phase of Alganon.

* Player profiling and networking that enables players to build up social activities outside the game and stay connected with friends.

* User-generated content through blogging, news, articles, guides and more that can serve as an important source of information for any MMO gamer.

* Content such as previews, reviews, interviews and videos developed by our editorial staff and the community, all of which is intended to guide players through the world of Alganon.

Creating a MyAlganon account is free! The MyAlganon.com Community features: Guilds, Blogs, Pictures, Videos, Groups, and more, all appealing to the diverse set of communication and media elements that gamers seek. Additionally, one of the more compelling reasons to join is connectivity to our development team – as an avid gamer, your feedback counts! Future enhancements include direct ties into the Library, Auction, and Study systems of a player’s characters.

Visit MyAlganon at http://www.myalganon.com/signup

About Quest Online, Inc.

Founded in early 2006, Quest Online, LLC (http://www.qol.com) is a privately held corporation focused on the creation of next generation online games.

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Contact Information

David Allen
Quest Online, LLC
http://www.myalganon.com/signup
(602) 903-7878
Mathew Anderson
Quest Online, LLC
http://www.myalganon.com/signup
(602) 903-7878

US Lacrosse Launches News and Game Widget

US Lacrosse Launches News and Game Widget

Can’t wait for the season to start? Hone your stick skills with virtual wall ball.

Baltimore, MD (Vocus) February 16, 2009 — US Lacrosse (www.uslacrosse.org), the Baltimore-based national governing body for the sport, has put the “fun” in functional. The organization announced today that lacrosse fans can download a free US Lacrosse widget powered by Lacrosse Magazine directly from http://www.uslacrosse.org or http://www.laxmagazine.com.

The desktop widget provides streaming RSS news feeds from Lacrosse Magazine Online (www.laxmagazineonline.com) and has the ability to sort news by men’s and women’s lacrosse and by NCAA division, Major League Lacrosse and National League Lacrosse news. It also has a score feed.

The entertainment side of the widget is the built-in virtual wall ball game. Widget users can click on “Wall Ball” and the game will expand into a full screen virtual wall. Players have their choice of a men’s or women’s 3-D stick and use the mouse to throw and catch, while getting points for hitting targets on the wall. As the levels progress, the walls change and the ball bounces off the wall faster.

“We wanted to infuse the sport of lacrosse into our fans’ everyday lives,” said Lacrosse Magazine editor, Paul Krome. “The US Lacrosse widget makes it easy to stay current with the latest lacrosse news without even opening a web browser. Plus, the wall ball game is addictive. We’re giving fans something that’s never been done before.”

US Lacrosse retained Baltimore-based ignition72 to develop the first-ever lacrosse specific desktop widget. “The US Lacrosse widget helps feed the fans’ passion with an application that marries data and entertainment,” said Stefan Muirhead, president of ignition72. “We’re thrilled to have created a single online product that consolidates news feeds, keeping fans up-to-date on all aspects of the sport, while providing a game that gives them something fun to do during downtime and sharpen their eye-hand coordination.”

Version 1.0 of the US Lacrosse widget powered by Lacrosse Magazine is available now and updates will be posted regularly.

Widget Features:

* Headlines pop-up window that streams the front page news from Lacrosse Magazine Online.

* News feed reader that separates top news by men’s and women’s lacrosse, NCAA division, Major League Lacrosse and National League Lacrosse.

* Scores feed reader that shows a daily scoreboard, separated by men’s and women’s lacrosse, NCAA division, Major League Lacrosse and National League Lacrosse.

* One-of-a-kind virtual wall ball game. Pick men’s or women’s stick. Use the mouse to throw and catch, while getting points for hitting targets on the wall.

* Compatible with Macs and PCs.

Download the US Lacrosse widget powered by Lacrosse Magazine:

http://www.uslacrosse.org/info/widget.phtml

About US Lacrosse

US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the national governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse. US Lacrosse has more than 250,000 members in 62 regional chapters around the country. Through responsive and effective leadership, US Lacrosse strives to provide programs and services to inspire participation while protecting the integrity of the game. To learn more about US Lacrosse, please visit http://www.uslacrosse.org.

About ignition72, LLC

ignition72, LLC is a private interactive development company located in Baltimore, Md. specializing in creating online entertainment applications and content management system powered websites, ignition72 works with organizations to build online resources that provide a more fulfilling user experience. For more information, visit http://www.ignition72.com.

CONTACT: Colleen Sperry Aungst

PHONE: (410) 235-6882 ext. 155

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Contact Information

Colleen Sperry Aungst
U.S. Lacrosse
http://www.uslacrosse.org
410-235-6882 +155

ChicagoVideos.com Offers Free Embedding of Award-Winning Web Videos To Any Site

ChicagoVideos.com Offers Free Embedding of Award-Winning Web Videos To Any Site

Add award-winning Chicago neighborhood videos to any web site for free. ChicagoVideos.com provides professionally produced footage of 40+ distinct Chicago communities, shot in edgy documentary style. All videos are available to watch directly on the site and embed to other web sites by copying and pasting the provided code. As part of the free video sharing concept, users can also post their own videos.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) February 16, 2009 — A new Chicago-based web site offers free embedding of award-winning web videos about the city’s most popular neighborhoods. The professionally produced footage on ChicagoVideos.com (http://www.chicagovideos.com/) shows glimpses of 40+ distinct Chicago communities. Each video is a snapshot of life in the Windy City from the perspective of actual residents, business owners and other locals. ChicagoVideos.com was created to supply other Chicago-related web sites with fresh, interactive content that can help boost visitor interest and traffic at no extra cost. Video code embeds from ChicagoVideos.com are shared by copying and pasting provided textboxs from the site.

Every video clip on the Chicago videos (http://www.chicagovideos.com/contact-us/) web site is available to watch directly on the site and/or embed to other web sites for free. The motivation behind ChicagoVideos.com is to establish a nexus for “Free Chicago Video Sharing.” Visitors are not only invited to view and obtain online footage, but are welcome to add their own creative productions for others to see and use. The site has potential to become a very extensive link to a wide variety of personal and professional portraits of everyday life in the Windy City.

The concept is simple. As the website’s homepage explains, “Watch Chicago videos, embed the ones you like on your site, and post your own featurettes.”

The objective of ChicagoVideos.com is to have a continuously expanding repertoire of Chicago-related web videos as more and more users participate in free video sharing (http://www.chicagovideos.com/about/). Both professional and amateur productions are accepted and all new content will be available to embed on other websites for no charge.

This type of resource can provide a considerable benefit to Chicago-centric sites lacking the funds to produce or purchase their own web videos. Videos are a common feature on today’s web sites that can make a site competitive and draw visitor traffic, but can also be expensive and time-consuming to create. ChicagoVideos.com makes it easy and affordable for any Chicago site to have first-rate videos from a conceivably endless inventory of footage.

The original 40+ neighborhood videos on ChicagoVideos.com are shot in documentary style and were collectively a Silver Winner of the 2007 W³ Awards. The W³ acknowledges creative excellence on the web and is sanctioned by the International Academy of the Visual Arts. The footage is fast paced and captivating, drawing upon both environmental and human elements of the distinctive Chicago communities. Each video is a window into neighborhood life with a first-hand look inside restaurants, bars, shops, homes, and offices–in addition to a brief tour of the local landscape.

ChicagoVideos.com neighborhood videos with the highest “sharing rating” include Lincoln Park (http://www.chicagovideos.com/lincoln-park/), The Loop (http://www.chicagovideos.com/loop/), Old Town, Gold Coast, West Loop, Wicker Park (http://www.chicagovideos.com/wicker-park/), Bucktown, Wrigleyville (http://www.chicagovideos.com/wrigleyville/), South Loop and River North. Local companies, community organizations, real estate agencies, and anyone with a website about Chicago can take advantage of ChicagoVideos.com’s free embedding to give their site edgy new substance and a splash of local flavor.

Bucktown Video Highlights (http://www.chicagovideos.com/bucktown/)

The footage takes visitors through the streets of this ultra trendy community and talks with the owners and patrons of several well-known neighborhood institutions….

“Bucktown has corner taverns, smaller restaurants, a lot of independent operators as far as clothing stores and such… more artistic, more cultural, more diverse,” says the owner of Club Lucky, an Italian restaurant that serves Sicilian specialties from generations-old recipes.

Over the decades, many famous faces have dropped into Margie’s Candies, a legendary Bucktown soda fountain. “This is where the Beatles sat and the Smashing Pumpkins made their album cover… this is the table where Al Capone sat all the time,” explains the grandson of Margie’s original founder on a tour of the 88-year-old shop.

In describing the neighborhood from her fashion-forward Bucktown-based clothing store, one of the owners of Akira says, “Bucktown is very comparable to a mini SoHo of New York.”

The neighborhood videos are set to music and are generally between 1.5 and 4 minutes long. They are edited to portray a fun, energetic vibe and show major attractions as well as interviews with people.

About ChicagoVideos.com

ChicagoVideos.com was launched in 2009 as a free online video sharing forum. It was created as an unlimited opportunity for visitors to watch, post, and embed web videos at no cost to the user. The site is designed to accommodate a growing library of footage as the network of participants expands. The goal of ChicagoVideos.com is to become the definitive source for online videos about Chicago. As the number of videos increases, its usefulness and significance will spread to a broader audience, creating new horizons for all participants. The original 40+ neighborhood videos, around which the site was built, were part of a project pioneered by Chicago-area real estate company Dream Town Realty (http://www.dreamtown.com/).

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Contact Information

Chicago Videos
http://www.chicagovideos.com
312-242-1000