Video Games Daily

LONDON, UK (October 29, 2009) – Kikizo Ltd, publisher of the long-established Kikizo consumer video games destination, today announced the relaunch and rebranding of the website as “Video Games Daily”, at http://VideoGamesDaily.com.

The rebrand news coincides with several other key announcements and news points, summarised as follows:

Key Announcements Summary:

• Kikizo renamed to Video Games Daily;

• Four all-new consumer gaming website brands launched:

o FPSGamer.com - first for first person shooters

o VideoGameTV.com - essential game videos

o LevelSkip.com - Cheats, tips, secrets

o Gaijin Gamer.jp - Japanese gaming culture

• New staff line-up includes Kristan Reed, contributing to FPS Gamer

• Edwin Evans-Thirlwell named as network-wide editor

• "Kikizo" remains the name of network of sites, and the company name.

• Launch of new corporate site at Kikizo.biz

• Announcements follow the previous 2009 launches of BlurayDaily.com movie enthusiast site, and FlytrapGames.com casual gaming site.

Kikizo director Adam Doree comments: "Our mission is to be different. Our websites refuse to follow the crowd, instead focusing on niches and gaps in the market that engage high value, precisely definable audiences."

Detailed Breakdown:

Video Games Daily - Kikizo Network flagship site ( http://videogamesdaily.com)

The rebranding to Video Games Daily marks the site's most exciting transformation to date. The popular site is run by veteran gamers and its roots date back to 1998.

The site obsessively delivers news, reviews, features and market leading interviews with the industry's biggest names.

Its special relaunch content includes the “Gaming Idols: Top 50 We Ever Interviewed”, looking at key interviewees such as Satoru Iwata, Kaz Hirai, Chris Stamper, J Allard, Peter Molyneux, Hideo Kojima, Yuji Naka, Dave Perry, Robbie Bach and Yu Suzuki.

FPS Gamer – “First for first person shooters!” ( http://fpsgamer.com)

FPS Gamer is a new gaming site dedicated to the most obvious editorial gap in the market we could think of: first person shooters.

It's arguably the most popular type of game today, capturing the minds of the most hardcore gamers while at the same time breaking sales records and pushing mainstream boundaries. Any yet, despite countless sites dedicated to other popular genres like MMOs, fighting games and racing games, there's been precious little for FPS fans to set their sights on... until now.

FPSGamer.com is the one-stop destination for first person shooter fanatics on both console and PC. Its launch writers include Kikizo's best staff, as well as the Kikizo debut of Kristan Reed, an FPS expert who was formerly editor of Eurogamer.

VideoGameTV - Essential video coverage for gamers ( http://videogametv.com)

VideoGameTV.com has a special heritage for us. Kikizo was one of the original pioneers of serious online video content for gamers, providing unrivalled quality (60fps; high bitrate; epic features) before others even thought about doing video. We were taking direct feed from trade shows back when official mags could only scratch their head at the source - and other mags even covermounted our exclusive footage!

Eventually, a ton of great game video sites like GameTrailers, Gamersyde, and Eurogamer TV (as well as millions of fan-produced videos on services like YouTube) meant that what was once a selling point for us became cost prohibitive.

But today, the content out there is better than ever. And with so many places to get it, some quality control is needed! Introducing VideoGameTV.com, our re-entry into the video space with a focus on actual usefulness. At launch, the site brings gamers the best video game trailers, gameplay footage and funny clips from all the best gaming sources. Soon, it will reveal its own unique content, to be announced at a later date.

LevelSkip – “Step Your Game Up!” ( http://levelskip.com)

LevelSkip is your daily guide to the most essential video game cheats, tips, strategies and walkthroughs. You might say that a cheats site is not a "gap in the market" and you'd be right; there are hundreds of cheat sites already.

But LevelSkip is different. It has a personality! It cares about the beaten gamer’s progress through the toughest games. It's a friendly, editorially-led destination that's as much a celebration of rock-hard games and a showcase of impressive gameplay achievement, as it is a gaming help aid. It breaks through the tiresome template of so many cheat destinations that simply copy and paste codes from GameFAQs.

Today, of course, there's rarely such a thing as an actual level skip code. But we remember the days when there were. And it's with the spirit of beating the hardest games - and the guilty pleasure of classic cheating - that we launch LevelSkip. A new kind of cheats site that doesn't want to be like the rest.

Gaijin Gamer – “The foreigners' guide to gaming culture in Japan” ( http://gaijingamer.jp)

The Japan gaming scene can be a bewildering one. Kikizo was one of the first sites to take the Japanese market seriously, developing relationships in the nineties that continue to produce some of the most exclusive access in the territory today.

And it's safe to say that a lot of our more "serious" Japanese games coverage will remain over on Video Games Daily. But with a BRIGHT PINK AND YELLOW theme, not to mention an EXCLAMATION MARK and a DOT JP DOMAIN NAME, you can get an idea of where we're going with Gaijin Gamer…

We've got some of our veteran reporters and Japan perma-journos hitting you up with updates on the wacky, wonderful, and downright bizarre goings on of the Japanese gaming scene. We hope it'll be a right laugh for all concerned.

New business site – Kikizo.biz

Our new corporate website, Kikizo.biz, contains information on Kikizo's lengthy history in the market, full website portfolio details, who's on our team and more.

New Staff

In addition to the expert FPS contributions of former Eurogamer editor Kristan Reed, Kikizo is announcing the expanded role of Edwin Evans-Thirlwell, who is named as network-wide editor. Edwin oversees all sites including FlytrapGames.com, a partner site run by Kikizo for AOL Games. He is joined by new recruit Rupert Higham, whose expert gaming background includes editorial for games and technology retailer CEX.

In total, Kikizo Network currently comprises over 15 staff and contributors.

About Kikizo Ltd

Kikizo is an energetic digital media publisher, reaching a global entertainment audience.

Previously, Kikizo was the name of Video Games Daily, our flagship consumer gaming site whose roots date back to 1998. Today, Kikizo remains the name of our vibrant network of entertainment and gaming sites, and the forward-thinking company behind it.

Based in London's Leicester Square area, Kikizo's dynamic portfolio of entertainment and gaming sites and five-year services partnership with AOL combine to offer products that are as valuable to entertainment companies, as they are to lovers of entertainment.

For more information, please visit Kikizo.biz.

Media Representation

In the UK, the Kikizo Network is represented as a major part of the Yukay Media games network. This network, developed since 2007 in close co-operation with Kikizo itself, is today an essential part of any media planner's schedule for game and entertainment activity. With 2.3 million UK gamers (comScore May 2009), it is the UK's largest digital gaming network and has shaken up a market dominated over the last few years by only 3-4 large players, by offering not just large volume but also powerful targeting options.

Management Details

Kikizo Ltd was founded by Adam Doree. After starting in publishing in 1996, in 2000 Adam raised £1m venture capital from Durlacher PLC (now Panmure Gordon) and other investors to expand Gamerweb Ltd, a website business he founded in 1998. After the sale of Gamerweb to Telecoms TV in 2002, Adam helped to integrate its operation for one year before launching Kikizo in 2003, and today brings a 13-year network of contacts and clients from interactive entertainment, digital media and publishing backgrounds. Adam continues to take a hands-on approach to all creative, editorial, design, technical and commercial matters. His experience prior to Kikizo includes companies such as Mirror Group Publishing, EMAP, and Imagine Media, Inc (now Future US).

(Full History at http://kikizo.biz/history.asp).