BWI: PlaySpan Selected by Sanrio Digital for Global Monetization Platform

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: PlaySpan India Pvt Ltd
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 09:40 PM IST (04:10 PM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Entertainment; Business: Advertising, PR & marketing, Business services, Information technology, Media & entertainment, Retailers; Technology
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PlaySpan Selected by Sanrio Digital for Global Monetization Platform
Hello Kitty® Online MMOG to use PlaySpan's UltimatePay for Monetization on DemandTM

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Tuesday, August 10, 2010 -- (Business Wire India) -- PlaySpanTM, the global leader in monetization solutions for online games, virtual worlds and social networks, announced its payment solution was selected by Sanrio Digital, the developer and online publisher of Hello Kitty Online. Under the agreement, Sanrio Digital will deploy PlaySpan's UltimatePayTM for the upcoming commercial release of Hello Kitty Online.

Hello Kitty Online is the official massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) of Hello Kitty and Sanrio friends, and is the first MMOG to integrate social networking web services into a true social gaming experience. Web services are provided in-game by SanrioTown (www.sanriotown.com)and include blogs, video sharing and email, complementing MMOG features such as customizable avatars, guilds, a skill-based system, pets and crafting.

The Item Mall in Hello Kitty Online offers players a broad selection of in-game items that can be bought using either purchased Sanrio Cash Points or earned Sanrio Loyalty Points. PlaySpan's UltimatePay delivers "Monetization on Demand" via its Developer Console and 85 international payment methods including credit cards, PayPal, mobile, and other payment methods to maximize global reach and conversion.

"Partnering with PlaySpan and leveraging its expertise will enable Hello Kitty Online to provide players with an engaging and secure purchase experience," said Robert Ferrari, Vice President of Publishing & Business Development for Sanrio Digital. "In addition, PlaySpan's Developer Console provides a rich set of analytic reports to help us efficiently drive and monitor ecommerce within the game."

"PlaySpan has the largest and most experienced team of digital goods monetization professionals in the gaming industry," said Karl Mehta, Founder & CEO of PlaySpan. "By partnering with PlaySpan, Sanrio Digital can focus on enhancing the Hello Kitty Online player experience while relying on PlaySpan's products to maximize monetization."

About Sanrio Digital

Sanrio Digital is a joint venture between Typhoon Games (HK) Ltd. and Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co., Ltd. Sanrio Digital is responsible for the expansion of Sanrio intellectual property assets into various digital and online media, leveraging an extensive library of original material that includes world-famous brands such as Hello Kitty, Badtz Maru, My Melody and others. Sanrio Digital is the developer and global publisher of Hello Kitty Online and SanrioTown.

For more information please visit www.sanriodigital.com, www.hellokittyonline.com and www.sanriotown.com.

About PlaySpan Inc

PlaySpanT is the global leader in monetization solutions for digital goods, online games, social networks, and videos. PlaySpan's patent-pending in-game digital goods commerce and micropayment platform enables game publishers and developers to generate new revenues, acquire new users, and extend the loyalty of existing users.

PlaySpan also provides global payment solutions through its UltimatePay product, which enables users to make safe, convenient, and friendly in-app purchases using over 85 global payment methods in 180 countries. UltimatePay includes PlaySpan's ULTIMATE GAME CARD, which is a pre-paid card available in over 48,000 retail locations across North America and growing rapidly worldwide.

PlaySpan is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Ohio, Virginia, and Mumbai. Investors include Easton Capital, Menlo Ventures, STIC and Novel TMT Ventures. The company won the 2009 OnHollywood Category Award for Best Gaming Company.

For more information about PlaySpan, visit: http://corp.playspan.com



CONTACT DETAILS
Vinayak Rao, PlaySpan India Pvt Ltd, +91 9820045958, Vinayak.rao@playspan.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, ENTERTAINMENT, MARKETING, BUSINESS SERVICES, IT, MEDIA, RETAIL, TECHNOLOGY

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