IPFranchise and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Bring Old Friend into New Era of
Gaming SAN FRANCISCO, CA, February 22, 2012--The Pink Panther is step-
ping into the spotlight of the social gaming scene in a partnership
between media development company IPFranchise, Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer Studios, Inc. The collaboration between MGM and IPFgames on
“Pink Panther’s Amazing Adventure” will provide a new venue for fans
to experience the lovable and iconic character.

"We're very excited to take the lead in bringing this brand to Face-
book as MGM's first social game. It represents fans of all ages and
a worldwide audience who have loved the Pink Panther since the late
60s,” said Kandice Cota, CEO of IPFranchise (IPF). This interactive,
animated adventure game will launch on Facebook and expand to Google+
and other global social platforms. With an interactive spin on one
of pop culture’s original cartoon franchises, longtime fans and new-
comers will join Pink Panther on a comic adventure as they navigate
the social gaming universe.

“We are thrilled to be working with IP Franchise on this great new
game,” said MGM’s VP, Licensing & Consumer Products, Tricia Samuels.
“We look forward to bringing the Pink Panther to social gaming, a
platform we recognize as an important entertainment medium for our
classic properties.”

For nearly 50 years, MGM’s Pink Panther character has charmed and
delighted audiences of all ages. Along Pink’s adventure there are
various clues and puzzles, holding true to the original charm and
mischievous nature of the Pink Panther franchise. Mini-games will
allow for additional engagement to supplement the main story & give
gamers a layered, unique experience.

The current target market for “Pink Panther’s Amazing Adventure” game
is also the fastest growing market on Facebook; women ages 30 to 55.
In addition to this existing market, a study by Park Associates re-
veals that advertising revenues and sales of virtual goods would make
social gaming a $15 Billion industry by 2015.

About IPFranchise:
IPFranchise, Inc. is a next generation media studio and home of IPF
games. They specialize in social networking games and applications
that can be played on social networks such as Facebook and mobile
smartphones. IPF packages and previsualizes creative intellectual
properties into marketable concepts as games, films, television and
licensed products, and manages all phases of development and distri-
bution. IPF also teams up with partners to coproduce their IP and con-
tent and is currently working on several studio projects, adapting
games from famous movies and other media. www.ipfranchise.com

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is actively engaged in the worldwide
production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming,
home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The
company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising
around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films
Inc., MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distri-
bution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM
Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership
interests in domestic and international TV channels reaching over 130
countries. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

MGM Interactive is a national video game publisher owned by Hollywood
Studio, MGM. THE PINK PANTHER ™ © 1964 – 2012 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Media Contact:
Name: Sandy Jones-Kaminski
Phone Number: 415-613-8508
E-mail: sandy@ipfranchise.com
www.ipfranchise.com
www.mgm.com

According to a new study by market research firm Parks Associates, 135 million people play a videogame at least one hour per month compared to 56 million four years ago.

While that’s a positive sign for the $16 billion a year games industry, there’s a catch: 80% of gamers prefer free titles like “Angry Birds” and “FarmVille” available on sites like Facebook and other platforms, opting to avoid subscription fees and pay only for add-ons and upgrades.

Still, they’re spending on average $21 a month on virtual goods or other perks, Parks Associates said, which added that occasional gamers with videogame consoles spend up to $27 per month.

Hasbro is looking to take advantage of those digital dollars by pairing up with social gaming giant Zynga to turn its toys into mobile games.

Deal, announced Thursday, also encompasses co-branded merchandising that will intermingle Hasbro and Zynga brands. First products should be available in the fall.

Article by Marc Grazer in ‘Variety’ http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118050022

by Tom Curtis

Social game company 6waves Lolapps has acquired mobile developer and recent publishing partner, Escalation Studios, giving the company its first fully-owned mobile development branch.

This acquisition gives 6waves Lolapps (Ravensky City, Ravenwood Fair) an established foothold in the mobile space, and positions the company to further expand beyond social gaming.

“Basically, what we did in social from a publishing and development capacity, we want to do for mobile,” said Arjun Sethi, 6waves Lolapps chief product officer, in an interview with Gamasutra.

6waves Lolapps hopes to mirror its social strategy by establishing an internal mobile team that can both develop new products for the company, and provide additional resources to the its other mobile publishing partners.

“The way we saw it, if we work together, we’ll be able to hit the market faster and make decisions better, since we have a lot more data distribution,” said Sethi. “We also want to have a better understanding of the mobile space, and we want to have a better understanding of what other developers will need.”

Sethi added that while Escalation is based in Dallas, Texas, 6waves Lolapps plans to use the team to create games for international markets, spanning platforms such as iOS, Android, and Tencent’s QQ.

In the wake of this acquisition, 6waves Lolapps CEO Rex Ng said that the company hopes to double its business in 2012, with mobile games playing “a significant role in our growth on both the publishing and development sides of our business.”

Prior to working with 6waves Lolapps, Escalation Studios worked on a number of commissioned projects based on existing IP, including mobile games like Doom Resurrection and Where the Wild Things Are, as well as console-based titles like Samba de Amigo for Wii.

• Related news:
• 6waves Lolapps Makes Mobile Debut
• 6waves Lolapps Acquires Beijing Developer Smartron5

169  11th St,  San Francisco, CA  94103   Thursday, December 15, 2011 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (PT)

Teams from the hottest startups will be pitching the next groundbreaking games and providing demos and Q&A sessions. From iOS fanboys to Android aficionados to console freaks, all platforms will be represented. Join us and indulge in some drinks, a night of gaming, and enjoy some great networking opportunities at the beautiful pariSoma Innovation Loft!

More info and sign up:  http://gamingmixerparisoma-demoers.eventbrite.com

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