10:44 (BST), 25/03/2008
Emoticons
Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS
Start-up casual game studio iQ212 releases its first game, Emoticons. Puzzle game developed for multi-platform play and cross-demographic appeal.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
– Mass-market game studio iQ212 today announced the launch of their first game, Emoticons™. Emoticons is a new puzzle game designed and developed for the casual gamer, on the platforms most people use. The term emoticon describes symbols traditionally used in chat programs as icons to express emotions. Now, players can match smiley, flirty, silly, and crazy Emoticon faces in a puzzle game on their PC, web browsers, and soon on their mobile phones.
Rather than create a game that appeals to a narrow demographic or for a niche platform, iQ212 aimed for the mass-market with cute Emoticon characters, fun gameplay, and delivered the game for devices that most people use every day.
“We don’t think there is a target demographic for fun. We see everyone as a potential gamer, and therefore a potential player of Emoticons”, says iQ212’s General Manager Rick Marazzani. “Everyone has a cell phone, internet access, or uses a PC, so those are the platforms we simultaneously designed and developed Emoticons for. Your mom can play Emoticons on her home PC, the neighbor kid can play free on his Facebook page, and the guy on the bus can play on his cell phone. You can play anywhere you like.”
Emoticons is now available for a free 60-minute trial download for the PC at www.EmoticonsGame.com and is rolling out across major game portals. Users of social networking site FacebookŪ can play Emoticons for free and compete with their friends for high scores at http://apps.facebook.com/emoticonsgame. The game will soon be available for purchase on mobile phone carrier decks.
In closing, Rick Marazzani says, “Emoticons is not another ‘me too’ casual game that cuts into an existing game’s slice of the pie. Emoticons is a ‘gateway game’ that will introduce new people to casual gaming, and grow the pie for all game publishers.”
For more information on Emoticons the game, contact Rick Marazzani at iQ212.com. A PC demo is available for download at www.EmoticonsGame.com. Emoticons, iQ212, and their logos are trademarks of iQ212, Inc.
– Founded by game industry veterans Rick Marazzani and Hsiung Chen in 2007, iQ212 creates and publishes original mass-market games for PC, web and mobile. Their vision is to make great games that everyone can and will play on the devices they use every day. The corporate website is www.iQ212.com.
Rick Marazzani
iQ212, Inc.
PH: 925-408-1817
rick@iQ212.com
www.iQ212.com
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