Empire of Sports

Thursday, 29. October 2009, Paris… The new version of Empire of Sports introduces a brand new game mode: tennis doubles. Alongside another player –chosen by you if you previously created a group with him or her– you enter the court and face two opponents. New tactics, positions on the court, effort management… Doubles are a whole new adventure, both more challenging and rewarding. Expect exciting new sensations!

And that’s not all! Thanks to the involvement and active support of its community, Empire of Sports has made major steps forward included in the latest version:

- A new club management system. In order to tighten bonds between players in the same club, members can unlock special features for their club, such as a dedicated club house, exclusive sporting abilities, a private training centre… They even can design their own coat of arms thanks to an emblem editor.

- Displaying of Titles and Achievements. This new tool is meant for players to show off by displaying their favourite distinction, and changing it whenever they feel like it. Tennis champion? Football Fan? Superstar? From now on, let everybody know that you are the best downhill skier or that you’ve made it to the top 50 in the overall ranking!

- New training modes for skiing and bobsleigh. With the “ghost” mode, players can record the runs they do, alone or against other players, so that they can replay them at will. In “time trial” mode, skiers race the clock to do the best downhill runs in the allotted time.

- Tournament monitoring. It is now possible to keep an eye on the scores of all the current matches in real time, and even watch any ongoing tennis match –and therefore collect precious information on opponents’ favourite tactics.

- Players’ first steps. New players are now given a warmer and more dynamic welcome to allow them to get in the game better and quicker.

Empire of Sports in currently in a Prologue phase: this phase allows the game to expand progressively, with the help and feedback of its vast community.

If you fancy trying out doubles for yourself, register on www.empireofsports.com, download the game, and join the first community of virtual athletes!

About Empire of Sports

Empire of Sports is a new kind of massively multiplayer games. It combines the depth of role-play and the competitive dynamics of sports games in an innovative and very ambitious (including technically) persistent world, where players can meet in real time from all over the world and play sports together. Currently in its “Prologue” phase, Empire of Sports offers unrestricted access to its featured six sports: tennis, football, skiing, bobsleigh, basketball, and track & field. During this Prologue phase, players are encouraged to provide feedback to the development team to help fine tune the gameplay and business model. Premium accounts are already available for players willing to get extra services in Empire of Sports, like boosts for their avatars’ performances, access to special events, extra avatar slots… The Premium accounts are available from as low as €2,22 per month through the account management section on www.empireofsports.com.

Empire of Sports is produced and operated by the joint venture founded by Infront Sports & Media and F4. F4 is developing the platform leveraging the expertise of its team in online gaming and the creation of persistent virtual worlds, while Infront Sports & Media is contributing its long-term relationships with top sports federations, clubs and athletes to the endeavour. Empire of Sports has open its Prologue phase in Europe while Giant, the first Chinese massively multiplayer games operator, has launched its closed beta in China.

About F4

Founded in 2002 by a pair of mathematicians, keen on gaming, mangas and philosophy, F4 is an independent company based on the Champs Elysées, Paris. Specializing in the conception, development and the operation of virtual worlds, F4 is strongly connected to 3D computer games. In contrast to other games, persistent worlds are hugely advantageous as they permit ongoing real-time dialogue within the players’ community. F4 is committed to take this a step further and continuously evolve the functionalities, gameplay and business model of its games. F4 are continuously looking to maintain and exceed player expectations.

Empire of Sports relies on F4’s high technical standards to achieve results other than that seen in many typical MMO genres, and a unique graphical identity, both rich and endearing.

Further information available from

Mathilde Remy

Empire of Sports / F4

mathilde.remy@f4-group.com

+33 (0) 153 891 204