GOA.COM - THE FREE ONLINE GAMING PORTAL FOR EUROPE - IS READY FOR BLAST OFF!

Revolutionary free gaming portal set to launch on February 21, 2007 at www.GOA.com

News by GamesIndustry.biz Contributor

Published on Feb. 8, 2007

PARIS, France - Prepare for a whole new way to play! GOA, the France Telecom-owned publisher of online games, is delighted to announce the launch of Europe's first free online games portal - GOA.com - on February 21, 2007.

GOA.com is the online gaming portal with a difference: its games are free to play. The site will launch with two games - Gunbound and Pangya - and players are encouraged to customise their gaming experience by downloading fun and exciting additional content from the GOA.com portal. Just as we can personalise our mobile phones with ringtones, wallpapers and accessories, GOA.com members can download extras including new outfits, costumes, abilities and more besides. It is not necessary to buy objects to be fully effective or to win but it may offer new ways to play, in-game help and yet more customisation options.

GOA.com's two launch games, Gunbound and Pangya, are already smash hit online games in the US and Korea especially, where multiplayer gaming is massively popular. Gunbound is a colourful turn-based battle game, where players must use their squad of outlandish creatures and an arsenal of potent weaponry to their advantage. Players can fight one on one or in teams of up to four to wrest control of the battle area.

Pangya is a fantasy golf game marrying pure golf simulation aspects with magic spells, mystical items and team-based matches. Characters evolve as they play and earn rewards with which to buy new outfits and 'vitamins' to boost their skills, and up to 30 players can compete simultaneously in a single tournament! Launching in spring 2007 will be GOA.com's third free game, eXtreme Soccer, where players take to the streets in a dazzling mixture of street soccer, urban culture and breakdance moves.

All of GOA.com's games also benefit from full online ranking and leader boards, as well as regularly organised events and special tournaments. In addition, GOA.com only makes available games that are high quality and of an equivalent graphical and gameplay standard to PC games available at retail, completely for free.

"We are delighted to be able to make hit games Gunbound and Pangya available to European players for the first time via GOA.com", commented Ghislaine Le Rhun, senior Vice President of GOA. "GOA.com is a truly revolutionary online portal where players from all across Europe can play together as well as competitively for free."

To join in, visit www.goa.com and open a free account.

About Gunbound:

When you feel the need for one-on-one strategy, visceral blasting and off-the-wall characters, you're truly Gunbound! Join a cast of outlandish heroes and their fully customizable "Mobiles" - vehicles from which you can unleash fantastic firepower and sneaky tricks - and attempt to obliterate your rival. He or she could be playing in the next street, or as far away as a different European country.

Gunbound mixes the classic Worms-style turn-based gameplay with cutting edge online technology to enable players to battle against each other online, via a central server. Access is fast and easy and the gameplay is frantic and fun. Players can also enhance their Gunbound experience by increasing their avatars' skills in areas such as attack power, defence, and health regeneration. With almost limitless combinations of items and skills to try, Gunbound offers ever-changing and addictive action, comprehensive online leagues and a quirky, colourful presentation to dazzle your senses.

About Pangya:

Pangya offers competitive multiplayer golf gameplay in a totally unique setting. You've probably played digital golf before, but never like this! The game is set against a rich fantasy backdrop where the boundaries between realistic golfing simulation and fantastical characters and otherworldly magic combine in a blinding flash of colour, humour and club-swinging action. Pangya boasts an impressive array of features including: different play modes for single, small group and large team tournaments; customizable characters with a variety of skills and abilities; crazy caddies including a fairy and a friendly forest giant; and several courses of varying difficulties and styles, including lush forests, chilly winter courses, seaside links and a neon-lit night time course. Players may customize their characters with a wide range of outfits, additional skills to use during play, as well as new types of balls and clubs. Pangya is so fun that you will immediately like it, even if you have no interest in golf games!

About GOA and its Partners:

GOA is the videogames department of France Telecom's "Content Division", which benefits from seven years experience in the management of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, including the famous Dark Age of Camelot, the first MMORG in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and the forthcoming Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Forerunner of this activity in Europe, its teams combine expertise with a passion for games and take advantage of France Telecom's technical platform to offer the best of online games to European players.

Pangya is developed by Korea-based Ntreev Soft Co., Ltd. and published by Hanbitsoft, Inc., a global publisher headquartered in Seoul.Gunbound is developed by Korean developer and publisher Softnyx Co., Ltd. eXtreme Soccer is developed by SonicAnt Co., Ltd. a Korean company specialized in online sports games.

GUNBOUND is a trademark of Softnyx Co., Ltd.

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