Mark Friedler appointment
GameDaily founder joins board of Israel-based, travel-themed virtual world outfit.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco, USA & Tel Aviv, Israel --- April 3, 2008: Journeys, a new virtual world centered on travel and lifestyle, today announced that video game industry veteran Mark Friedler has joined the company’s board of directors. Mr. Friedler, a serial entrepreneur and recognized internet advertising and entertainment media expert, is a frequent speaker and panelist at major international and domestic industry events. As the founder of GameDaily, Mark grew the property into the third largest online games media ad network and content destination before selling it to AOL in 2006. As Journeys continues to build its partner and consumer offerings, Friedler’s background will be utilized to provide guidance to senior-level executives and position the company for future growth.
“Online travel and leisure is one of the biggest markets in the world, representing a $94 billion industry in the US. This combined with the fast growing market of virtual worlds represents a huge sweet spot for youth and lifestyle brands attempting to reach a niche mainstream audience,” said Mark Friedler. “I look forward to working alongside Journeys' experienced management team to make an exciting virtual world that brings unmatched experience to consumers, while providing maximum returns to its partners and shareholders.”
“Mark is a highly respected figure in the games industry. His contribution will be a vital part of our organization’s commitment to building a world-class online destination for real world adventurers and travelers who want to take part in a casual and compelling virtual world experience,” said Guy Bendov, CEO of Journeys.
Journeys will be released as an Alpha version in May 2008, and has plans for a Beta rollout in September 2008. For more information about Journeys, please visit http://www.codename-journeys.com/.
About Journeys
Journeys is a browser-based, virtual world centered around travel and lifestyle. Using planet Earth’s geography as the backdrop, Journeys provides a casual and social online game environment for gamers and non-gamers alike. Founded in 2007 by Guy Bendov and Assaf and Sharon Priel, veterans of the Israeli internet and game industries, Journeys’ goal is to provide an accessible, fun, and engaging bridge between virtual worlds, the web, and real life. Journeys is backed by Elron (TASE & NASDAQ: ELRN) of the IDB group.
# # #
For more information about Journeys, or to book an appointment with Mr. Bendov or Mr. Friedler please contact Joe Ziemer, TriplePoint, at 212.730.9744 or via email at joe@triplepointpr.com.