Success guaranteed: PHOTO PLAY 2009 boosts game figures!

PHOTO PLAY 2009 has developed into a genuine guarantee for success, as the initial months following the market launch of the new system have already revealed. Hence the game figures per day and terminal in October increased a respectable 16% in comparison to the previous year and achieved a clear increase in revenue.

The crucial factor for the increase in the game figures is the exciting game offer, which consists of 14 new games, such as Shanghai Pro or Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture. Included among these are Pingu Throw, Orca Slap, Icicle Climb and Flamingo Drive four of the Internet renowned and extremely popular Yetisports games. With the Yetisports cooperation funworld is once again the branch’s forerunner, as these can only be played touchscreen-optimised on PHOTO PLAY 2009.

“The Yetisports games increase the PHOTO PLAY 2009 attractiveness through their distinctive brand world, the high level of likeability and major emotionality. They are a guarantee for enthusiastic players and provide constant motivation to play. Flamingo Drive above all has thereby crystallised in all countries into an absolute blockbuster,” declares Josef Öhlinger, funworld ag CEO.

Success factor: Linking

Largely responsible for the 16 percent game increase, in addition to the attractive games, is funworld’s successful tournament system, which vigorously boosted the game figures. PHOTO PLAY MASTERS encompasses the largest touchscreen network worldwide, in which the international community is regularly challenged and experiences the purest form of PHOTO PLAY fascination. Öhlinger discusses this:

“funworld is a pioneer and innovator in the tournament segment, which we have significantly contributed to shaping. From the very beginning to now we have been the European market leader for linked touchscreen game terminals. A total of 15,000 tournaments were held in the past ten years, in which over five million players from 46 countries competed in around 450 million games.”

On the ten-year anniversary of the tournaments in October a new attraction of MASTERS PRO was added to expand PHOTO PLAY MASTERS, and it has already guaranteed considerable additional game stimulus and long-term game loyalty. “MASTERS PRO reinforces PHOTO PLAY MASTERS as the branch’s largest tournament system and offers players an innovative tournament series, in which 12 different tournaments are held one after another during a year and the winners are nominated as national and/or international tournament champions,” explains Öhlinger.

Key to success: Online tournament in real time

The strongest motivating factor for players of PHOTO PLAY 2009 is its optimised multiplayer area, which generates a unique gaming experience. This enables players from around the globe to play live in real time against one another. They either play parallel in “Duel mode” or against one other in succession. Up to four players can compete at the same time and risk credits.

In the Multiplayer Cup the players match themselves beyond the current encounter in the tournament game with a special ranking list and status system. They can interact and communicate with each other during the game via the integrated messaging function and live video.

“The PHOTO PLAY 2009 multiplayer area currently has over 14 classic games, such as Kniffler Pro and TP Genus Ed. The absolute front-runner is Backgammon, a game of skill that is by far the most frequently played throughout Europe and in the past few months has also constantly topped the game charts. All in all the Multiplayer games already comprise 40% of all games played and this is on a sharp incline,” emphasises Öhlinger.

Further advantages of online linking

Besides the tournament systems increasing revenue, locations get to enjoy many additional benefits through the online linking of the terminals via UMTS modem, W-LAN and fixed network connections. Games can hence be regularly updated and the game offer always kept up-to-date. Moreover, the online service tool www.funservice.com enables hosts of terminals linked online to quickly and easily organise their own tournaments as well as personally adjust game settings.

Even PHOTO PLAY 2009 is fully available via online distribution, which minimises service and logistics costs as well as the host’s expenses. With the AIO software (All IN ONE) all terminal generations, such as PHOTO PLAY PRO, Xtreme or PLUS can be updated with the same software, so no other updates are required.

Due to the appealing customer advantage funworld this year was already able to achieve an increase of 25% in online distribution and the trend is developing.

“With PHOTO PLAY 2009 we offer locations an extraordinary product which — besides attractive games — also has interesting additional benefits, such as the PHOTO PLAY MASTERS or the multiplayer function. These give a mighty boost to game figures and guarantee high revenues. The only prerequisite is linking the terminals online, which makes PHOTO PLAY 2009 unbeatable,” says Öhlinger with conviction.

More information on funworld and PHOTO PLAY at www.funworld.com.

funworld ag
Public Relations, Christina Hinterleitner
Photo Play Straße 1, A-4860 Lenzing
Tel.: +43 (0) 7662 6785 450; Mobil: +43 (0) 699 16785 450
Email: christina.hinterleitner@funworld.com
www.funworld.com