MUMBAI: US media entertainment company‘s Syfy‘s business development and new enterprise unit, Syfy Ventures, and branded play company Hasbro have announced they will develop the first ever online social game based on the G.I. Joe brand.
This marks the latest addition to Syfy Games‘ action-packed entertainment slate targeting male core gamers on social network platforms.
The game, G.I. Joe: Special Ops, will launch in June on Facebook and Syfy Games.com (www.syfy.com/gijoe), among other platforms worldwide.
In the arena-based combat game, players can join either the G.I JOE team or the villainous Cobra organisation, accessing a huge catalogue of iconic heroes and villains along with spectacular weapons and vehicles.
G.I. Joe: Special Ops will be released under the Syfy Games banner, which is the umbrella brand for Syfy‘s gaming projects, including the partnerships with Trion Worlds (Defiance and Rift) and Bigpoint (Battlestar Galatica Online).
As part of the agreement granting exclusive worldwide licensing rights on online social media platforms for a fresh take on the classic G.I. JOE brand, Syfy Games will serve as publisher. Artplant, creator of the award-winning Battlestar Galactica Online, will develop the game, which will be free-to-play.
Syfy president Dave Howe said, "The G.I. JOE brand holds a special place in fans‘ hearts, and we‘re delighted to offer both those long-time fans and new players an action-packed gaming experience in a fresh and exciting way. Since we launched our social game platform, nearly 90% of our players are male, compared to the typical social game audience which skews female. With G.I. Joe: Special Ops, we will build upon this early momentum and significantly expand our audience to reach that underserved male social gamer and deliver them the best social games around."
Hasbro senior VP of digital marketing Mark Blecher said, "As a global leader in branded play and gaming, Hasbro is thrilled to be working with Syfy Games to deliver the G.I. Joe: Special Ops social game for Facebook The epic G.I. Joe vs. Cobra saga is a perfect fit for this gaming platform and we‘re excited to deliver our classic characters such as Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander to fans in this new format."
In addition to G.I. Joe: Special Ops, Syfy Ventures also announced its initial slate of social games, published under the Syfy Games banner. This platform consists of an expanding suite of social games embracing the sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, action/adventure and superhero genres, ranging from original content to games based upon Syfy programming. Syfy Games will use the platform to grow Syfy and third-party published games targeting genre fans and the core gamer. Syfy Monster Island (Developer - Sneaky Games).
Inspired by Syfy‘s Saturday Original Movies (Sharktopus, Mega Python Vs Gatoroid), players hunt down and capture a cadre of bizarre monsters to discover the dark secrets of their origins.
Stardrift Empires (Developer - Blue Frog Gaming)
Players colourise planets, build massive fleets of warships and form alliances as they build their own intergalactic empire.
Rise of Villains (Developer - Eruptive Games) will launch in late Spring. Fans suit up as a super villain with an array of amazing powers and weapons to overthrow governments and take over cities in the ultimate fight for world domination.
