September 6, 2006

VOOM’S GAMEPLAY HD TEAMS UP WITH PRO-GAMING PRODUCER GAMECASTER FOR ITS FIRST ORIGINAL STUDIO VIDEO GAME COMPETITION

Tournament Series Pits Teams Head-to-Head On First-Ever Televised Competitive Play of EA’s Yet to Be Released Battlefield 2142

Series Production Will Use Patented-Pending New Gamecaster Cybercam™ S2 Technology To Deliver Unprecedented and Compelling Viewer Experience

Voom HD Networks’ GamePlay HD, the high-definition channel leading the next generation of television for gamers, announced today that it will work with Gamecaster, a San Diego based pro-gaming production house, to co-produce the first ever televised competitive play of Electronic Arts’ (NASDAQ:ERTS) highly anticipated PC game, Battlefield 2142. The original eight part half-hour tournament series titled, Gamecaster's Battlefield 2142™ Invitational Presented by GAMEPLAY HD will be taped in Los Angeles on September 26 and 27. GAMEPLAY HD is part of the VOOM HD Networks, the largest and most diverse suite of high-definition channels nationwide currently available on DISH Networks.

GAMEPLAY HD launched in February of 2006 as a 24/7 High Definition video game network. It is a whole new experience in video game television, using the next-generation games to create next gen TV. GAMEPLAY HD covers the top tournaments from around the world and provides tips, tricks, news, reviews and previews for all kinds of gamers. The network is the first of its kind, taking advantage of the gorgeous, native HD resolution of next gen games.

“With more than 76 million gamers in this U.S., and an exploding interest in competition as a spectator sport, the time is right to create a series of high-production-value TV events for millions of gamers to see,” said Mark DeAngelis, an award-winning producer and Vice President of Programming and Development at VOOM HD Networks. “With this series, GAMEPLAY HD is not only getting the exclusive on a yet to be released game but it is also benefiting from the creative drive of the Gamecaster crew, and from the Gamecaster Cybercam technology which offers a significant new breakthrough in TV coverage of games.”

The Gamecaster Cybercam S2 integrates the real-world camera hardware and techniques of sports broadcasting into the virtual world of pro gaming. The technology will enable the show’s pro sports cameramen to film within Battlefield 2142 with an unprecedented degree of precision and fluidity, and deliver gripping coverage of each heated battle on par with traditional sports coverage.

"The GAMEPLAY HD team has a real passion for pro gaming and we're excited to have this strategic relationship,” said David MacIntosh, President and CEO of Gamecaster. “We’re also excited to launch our Gamecaster Cybercam S2 technology at our Battlefield 2142 Invitational with one of the most highly-anticipated PC games of the year."

Battlefield 2142 is a ground-breaking first-person shooter from the critically acclaimed Swedish development studio, DICE. The year is 2142 and the dawn of a new Ice age has thrown the world into a panic. The math is simple and brutal: soil not covered by ice can only feed a fraction of the Earth’s population. Some will live but most will die in the inexorable land grab to come. In Battlefield 2142, players will choose to fight for one of two military superpowers in an epic battle for survival, the European Union or the newly formed Pan Asian Coalition. Armed with a devastating arsenal of high-tech assault rifles, cloaking devices and sentry guns, players will also do battle using some of the most imposing vehicles known to man. Massive battle walkers and hover tanks wage fierce combat on the ground, while futuristic aircraft rule the skies. When facing these behemoths, players will need to use their wits and an arsenal of all-new countermeasures like EMP grenades and cloaking devices to level the playing field and win the battle.

Eight teams will be invited to the tournament taping and get the extraordinary opportunity to be among the first in the world to compete on a pre-release version of EA’s upcoming Battlefield 2142 for the PC. The "winner takes all" tournament will award the winning team $30,000. For more information about Gamecaster's Battlefield 2142 Invitational Presented by GAMEPLAY HD, please visit www.gameplayhd.com. 

GAMEPLAY HD September Schedule

GAMEPLAY HD is now available on iTunes! Kicking this off for the month is GAMEPLAY HD’s “Art of Play” show on podcast. Available through the iTunes Music Store, GAMEPLAY HD’s first podcasts featured Kameo and Shadow of the Colossus. This extension onto the free podcasts moves GAMEPLAY HD into a wider media arena and provides viewers with easier access to their programs. Available every Tuesday, upcoming podcasts are:

Title Date

• Art of Play Gun September 5, 2006

• Art of Play Splinter Cell September 12, 2006

• Art of Play Oddworld September 19, 2006

• Art of Play Perfect Zero September 26, 2006

GAMEPLAY HD is gearing up for a busy fall season with exciting new HD programming. GAMEPLAY HD crews traveled the world filming exciting new tournaments which will air this month. Log onto www.gameplayhd.com  to get a view full programming schedules, and some promos and short form spots.

Name Specific Program Premiere Date Showtime

• TransAtlantic Showdown EuroCup September 13, 2006 10:00 p.m.

• TransAtlantic Showdown AmeriCup September 20, 2006 10:00 p.m.

• TransAtlantic Showdown Finals September 27, 2006 10:00 p.m.

• WSVG Kentucky LANWAR September 27, 2006 9:00 p.m.

GGL TransAtlantic Showdown For the first time ever the GGL is bringing together the best CounterStrike, WarCraft and Quake players for a head-to-head battle. Winners of AmeriCup and EuroCup will clash at the TransAtlantic Showdown to determine who is Number One in the world.

World Series of Video Gaming (WSVG) Tournaments

The World Series of Video Games (WSVG) is the first video game competition circuit on multiple gaming platforms that culminates in final rounds at which true world champions emerge. To create the ultimate circuit of competitive events, the WSVG has established partnerships with major competition leagues, bringing together PC and Xbox game communities for the first time.

LANWAR Kentucky The World Series of Video Games (WSVG) preliminary LANWAR event was filmed in Louisville, Kentucky from June 15 – 18, 2006. With four days of non-stop gaming action including the 30 Seconds to Mars Concert, the Miss WSVG Contest, and a whole lot more taking place. Louisville’s games are the first round of an international competition that will culminate in the crowning of world champions in a final event in November.

Look for future schedules and news from GAMEPLAY HD in the coming months. GAMEPLAY HD is available as part of the VOOM HD package which is currently seen on DISH Channel 9485.

GAMEPLAY HD is the only 24/7 High Definition video game network – it is a whole new experience in video game television, using next-gen games to create next-gen TV. GAMEPLAY HD covers the top tournaments from around the world and provides tips, tricks, news, reviews and previews for all kinds of gamers. The network is a first of its kind, taking advantage of the gorgeous, native HD resolution of games. At GAMEPLAY HD the intensity of the video game comes alive.

Share | Digg This | Glink It

---