Heatwave Interactive Makes Strategic Acquisition of Highly Anticipated Gods & Heroes IP and Core Online Game Technology
Transaction by NextGen Entertainment Company Secures Award-Winning Roman Mythology Title, Game Engines and World-Class Online Platform
AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - February 22, 2010) - Heatwave Interactive™, a game development
studio and online publisher creating innovative cross-media properties,
announced today the acquisition of the intellectual property rights and all
assets for Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, the highly anticipated Roman
mythology themed Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game. As part of the
transaction with PlayGrid™, Heatwave also obtained a source code license
to the PlayGrid Platform, their online game publishing technology as well
as acquiring two game development engines.
"Heatwave's philosophy is to identify and develop world class IP, and we
believe the project is just that," said Anthony Castoro, co-founder and
CEO, Heatwave Interactive. "With this acquisition Heatwave greatly expands
its core development capabilities as well as adding a well-known,
award-winning title to its expanding intellectual property portfolio. This
game hits the Heatwave 'HIP' mark in terms of its social gaming features
and the intrinsic entertainment value found in its mythological storyline,
high action adventure and beautiful art style."
The newly acquired game engines, previously developed by Perpetual
Entertainment for in-development titles Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising and Star
Trek Online, will serve as the technology foundation for Heatwave's planned
roster of MMOs.
"The Perpetual team built high quality engines and a very robust and
easy-to-use platform. Through this transaction with PlayGrid we secure all
the necessary components needed to not only complete this game but also to
operate our entire portfolio of online games on one platform," said Donn
Clendenon, co-founder and chief strategy officer, Heatwave Interactive.
"This world-class online platform technology will allow us to reduce both
development costs and time to market."
Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising is a full scale action adventure MMO that
immerses the audience in Roman mythology. Players step into a hero's
sandals to battle monsters and command minions while seeking favor from the
gods. Heralded at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2006 as "Best
in Show" by leading MMO sites Allakhazam and TenTonHammer, and dubbed "Game
of Show" and "Best Graphics" by MMORPG, Gods & Heroes was in closed beta
when production was halted in 2007.
"We at PlayGrid are thrilled to see Rome rise again with the Heatwave
team," said Chris McKibbin, co-founder, PlayGrid, and former president,
Perpetual Entertainment. "Gods and Heroes was designed for both core and
casual MMO players alike and Heatwave is one of the few studios with the
talent and experience to fulfill this vision while delivering a final
version that will fit with what today's gamers are looking for. We are also
thrilled that Heatwave has chosen to license the PlayGrid Platform to solve
their game operating needs.
With a strong roadmap of titles and a talented development team, Heatwave
Interactive is focused on incubating its diverse and marketable roster of
intellectual properties that have cross-media entertainment potential. The
company has previously announced two IPs: Platinum Life: Web Edition and
iSamJackson. A precursor to the in-development massively multiplayer online
game, Platinum Life will launch March 2010 on social networks and the web,
offering players the opportunity to become a music icon, taking them from
the mean streets to the penthouse suites. Heatwave's first launched title
is the top-rated entertainment app, iSamJackson for Apple's App Store, an
innovative soundboard app that features an extensive collection of original
and authentic recorded quotes, humorous adages and sage insight all
provided by mega-celebrity Samuel L. Jackson.
For information about Heatwave Interactive and their entertainment
offerings, please visit www.heatwave.com and www.godsandheroes.com.
About Heatwave Interactive:
Based in Austin, TX, and established in 2007, Heatwave Interactive, Inc. is
a game development studio and online publisher revolutionizing the
entertainment landscape by creating cross-media properties for gaming,
film, music and television. The credited works of the veteran team includes
over 200 commercial video, PC and tabletop games, and Academy Award-winning
films. Heatwave's current products offerings include iSamJackson (iPhone
and iPod touch) and the soon-to-launch hip hop social gaming experience
Platinum Life: Web Edition (Social Networks/Web). For more information
please visit www.heatwave.com.
About PlayGrid:
PlayGrid is a next-generation online publisher headquartered in San
Francisco, California. PlayGrid provides developers a complete solution to
publish, market and operate online games. The PlayGrid Platform is the
world's leading integrated technology solution for monetizing and servicing
online content -- from the newest social web game to the big budget MMO.
With its service oriented business model PlayGrid offers developers a total
solution that allows them to stay focused on what they do best -- Build
Great Games.
For more information about PlayGrid please visit www.playgrid.com.