November , 2007

Beanbag Studios Acquires the Worldwide Video Game Rights to the For Dummies Brand

Leading Casual Game developer Beanbag Studios has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to develop interactive titles based on the popular For Dummies® how-to books. The first two games, Sudoku For Dummies 2008 and Poker For Dummies 2008, will hit online distribution channels this year. Retail box versions will follow at a later date. Beanbag obtained the global rights to create interactive For Dummies titles, including cell phone and PDA games, in a deal with Wiley Publishing, Inc.

The announcement from Beanbag arrives on the heels of increased consumer awareness of the For Dummies brand, which launched in 1991. There are now over 1,000 unique For Dummies titles on the market and more than 170,000,000 copies of the franchise in print worldwide.

Beanbag will add to the surge by releasing close to 20 casual For Dummies games by the end of 2008. The first title slated for release, Sudoku For Dummies 2008, is based on the book of the same name, which sold more than five million copies in North America and spawned multiple sequels. Sudoku is a logic-based number placement puzzle game with millions of fans around the globe. Beanbag plans to release a new Sudoku For Dummies title on multiple platforms each year during the terms of its agreement.

Every casual For Dummies game from Beanbag emphasizes learning, practicing and playing. As a novice playing Poker For Dummies 2008, for example, simple exercises with easy-to-follow directions will amuse and absorb you as you acquire the necessary abilities. Basic skills will soon become second nature, allowing you to build broader strategies with confidence. Experienced players will enjoy skill-sharpening mini-games, such as odds-based Hold or Fold drills. Regular gameplay includes not only selectable levels of difficulty but also virtual opponents with their own personalities and play styles!

In addition, each casual For Dummies game from Beanbag raises the bar for the production of casual games with outstanding graphics, music and sound effects from the creators of the hit Xbox launch title, Shrek, and many other market-leading games.

In recent years, casual games have gone from a cottage industry to one of the highest growth areas in the videogames sector, increasing at a rate of 20 percent each year. The casual games market has surpassed $2 billion in the U.S. alone. Companies in the business of casual games reach virtually all demographic sectors. Women in their 30's to 60's comprise the typical casual game player, but men, teens, kids, college students and seniors also play casual offerings.

"The casual game segment is by far the fastest growing sector of the games industry," said Steve Bergenholtz, president of Beanbag Studios. "The increase has been so tremendous in the past couple of years, casual games now outsell hardcore costing many millions to develop. Since we are making games for the masses, our goals and the famous For Dummies brand are a perfect match."

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