) I guess the next on will be Poland then...
Post by RegisFan on Mar 4, 2012 1:19:29 GMT -5
Source: www.c21media.net/archives/77640?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
The company, which snapped up rights to the Millionaire franchise four years ago and has since taken it into more than 100 countries with almost as many merchandising and multi-platform spin-offs, will release the Facebook game some time after April.
While a Facebook game based on Millionaire is already available in the US, where ABC holds interactive rights, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has these everywhere else and is now lining up a version that will exist independently of broadcasters.
The company will, however, work with its partners in territories where the programme brand is closely interwoven with that of the broadcaster. The prize money will come in the form of Facebook Credits.
“Two years back we were earning our money with board games and in-show SMS competitions. That has really changed in the last 24 months because of Facebook,” SPT VP of interactive media and licensing Stephan Zingg told C21.
He also highlighted the impact iOS and Android mobile devices have had on SPT’s Millionaire product development, with a play-along second screen app for use alongside the TV show now a major European focus for 2012.
“The Millionaire gaming mechanism suits the Facebook or social gaming universe very well. We are convinced the Facebook game will be very successful,” said Zingg.
“We need to have a version everybody can play. Otherwise it doesn’t make sense. You can’t do country-by-country but we’re looking to a version which works with different languages. Millionaire has been a well-established brand for many years so we don’t need a broadcaster. The brand is strong enough,” he said.
But Zingg added: “In certain territories we will definitely work with the broadcasters because the brand is so linked with the broadcaster in that specific country – for example RTL in Germany.”
The SPT exec explained that one of the challenges in bringing the global version of the Facebook game to market had been discussions with ABC in the US. But with these now resolved, the roll-out will begin shortly.
“The big discussion we had on Millionaire was how do we make it exciting for the viewers so that they come back time and time again. That’s why it took us a few months to really decide what we’re going to do on Facebook,” said Zingg.
“There aren’t that many successful TV games on Facebook and you have to be very clever. One of the biggest UK soaps has failed on Facebook,” he said, referring to ITV’s Coronation Street spin-off Corrie Nation. “That for us was a big lesson – you can’t just take a big brand and put it on Facebook. You have to look at it and think what makes sense. Is it a downloadable iPhone game, is it Facebook game, does it suit board games or consoles in different territories?”
In the latter category, SPT recently released special editions of its Millionaire games for Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation – one featuring characters from South Park (above) and most recently another set on board Star Trek’s starship Enterprise.
