Empire of Sports

Tuesday 26th May/... Empire of Sports, the first online world entirely dedicated to sport, is proud to have an agreement in place with the French Tennis Federation to promote the Roland-Garros French Open, for the first time in a 3D and virtual world. This agreement with the world-famous Roland-Garros strengthens Empire of Sports’ position as a global reference point for interactive sports entertainment new media.

In a first of its kind, “Roland-Garros: The Virtual Tournament” is the official online 3D version of this famous Grand Slam tournament and is now open for anyone to play in the virtual world of Empire of Sports. Very soon, the French Tennis Federation will also be taking up residency in Empire of Sports and will feature a club house modeled with the Roland-Garros colours.

Michel Grach, Media Executive Director of the French Tennis Federation, said: “Roland-Garros is also a place meant to totally support and welcome the new technologies, and that’s the reason why Empire of Sports has seduced us. Its ease of access, the high tactical qualities of its tennis game, as well as the outstanding enthusiasm of its community make our presence in Empire of Sports an opportunity to build and to dialogue with a community in line with the expectations of younger generations.”

Alexis Galley, CEO of Empire of Sports, said: “With Roland-Garros, Empire of Sports attaches its name to arguably one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. By trusting us to organize Roland-Garros events in Empire of Sports, the French Tennis Federation allows us to offer our members a unique occasion to live one step closer their passion for tennis.”

To register to Empire of Sports and have a chance to enter “Roland-Garros: The Virtual Tournament”: https://www.empireofsports.com/en/index.html

To learn more about the virtual tournament rules and prizes: https://www.empireofsports.com/community/en/events/premium-events/rg09/index.html

To learn about the French Open: http://www.rolandgarros.com

Ends.

About “Roland-Garros: The Virtual Tournament”

“Roland-Garros: The Virtual Tournament" is accessible until Thursday, 4th June 2009, to anybody in possession of a PC connected to the internet. After the newcomers have downloaded the game and created their avatar, everybody starts with a qualification phase. Then they can access the final stages of the competition, or even maybe the grand final on Saturday, 6th June 2009!

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

If you are interested in entering “Roland-Garros: The Virtual Tournament” and would like to take part, all you need to do is download the game client from www.empireofsports.com, register and start playing!

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, is about to starts 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.