GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 1 - May 2007

51 All Game, No Gamble: At SkillGround W ebmasters looking for something different to offer their players will definitely want to check out SkillGround, billed by its creators as the world’s first game arena where players can download real video games and play head-to-head with other players in a secure, fair environment for real cash prizes. As a partner with SkillGround, you’ll bring them players and they’ll make sure you haul in some hefty revenue for yourself. SkillGround is fully committed to the skill-gaming market sector, which is legal in 39 U.S. states, and Europe. Kelli Kennedy of the Associated Press wrote, “Like poker and skateboarding, some say gaming is the next big sport.” Video gaming is a $7-billion-a-year industry in the US — a sales figure that’s almost doubled since 1996 (Entertainment Software Association) — and DFC Intelligence predicts 70% of online gaming will be PC-based by 2009. SkillGround welcomes people of all skill levels and their proprietary Skill Rating system ensures your players will always find their match. All they need is a PC and a broadband connection to play – and they can play for free for as long as they want. Once they’re ready, they can upgrade to a cash account and play for real cash prizes. SkillGround is committed to offering great gameplay experiences to your players and will be adding new games, levels and gameplay modes regularly, in many different popular genres of PC games. There are three ways to play: One-on-One: players challenge a friend or foe by selecting them from the list of players in the lobby; Deathmatch: it’s “every man for himself” in a frantic fight to the finish; and in Score-based games, players pit themselves against AI- driven “bots” or race against the clock in a fight for the highest score — and the biggest prizes. No matter what type of games, or ability level, SkillGround has a game — and a match — for everyone. What makes SkillGround unique? Here’s Michael Haines, SkillGround Managing Director: “We would distinguish ourselves from other skill gaming sites as our games are real, retail quality video games rather than what would be referred to by a video gamer as ‘casual’ games, which are typically just Java plug-ins. By using our client-side software, SkillGround gamers are able to download games quickly and start playing immediately.” Becoming a SkillGround Partner is easy. Sign up online, and get access to pre- made ads and banners you can put up on your website, along with a powerful set of tools and reports to manage your campaigns and track your revenue. Start referring people from your website to sign up as SkillGround players, and you get a percentage based on the number of cash games played by your active-player referrals. With over 200,000 games played in the beta alone, the opportunity for generating revenue in the future is promising. Why Partner with SkillGround? • SkillGround is not a gambling site. Gameplay is based on skill and not chance, and winners are determined by their performance in a particular game. No RNG (random number generator) is involved to define the outcome of any game. As a result, there are fewer issues with legislation than with gambling-based sites. • SkillGround operates within the legal gaming framework in the jurisdictions offered. Although some jurisdictions prohibit skill games, such as those offered by SkillGround, cash accounts are not available in those jurisdictions and the full SkillGround service is only available where permitted by law. • Fair Play and Security are the two most important considerations at SkillGround and a number of measures ensure that all players are treated fairly and that their accounts are always kept secure. SkillGround’s teams work to ensure that there is no cheating or collusion and that everyone plays fairly. This ensures a fair and prosperous gaming environment to which you can comfortably refer potential players. • Becoming a SkillGround Partner means aligning yourself with the first online skill gaming site in the world, and the opportunity for growth in this sector is considerable. GPWA TIMES | SKILLGROUND Michael Haines Michael Haines, one of the founders of Groove Media Inc. and the managing director of Groove’s wholly owned company, Skillground Limited, has over twenty years experience in marketing and communications. He began his career in the video game business in 1999 as one of the founders of Hip Interactive, which went on to become the largest videogame distributor and publisher in Canada. Prior to starting Hip, he was vice president of marketing for Hill & Gertner Capital Corporation and manager of marketing Services for the Ontario Lottery Corporation.