Immense Game World to be Themed Around This Planet’s Biggest Star; Will Feature Real-World Economy Along With Opportunities to Learn About and Contribute to Charitable Causes
LOS ANGELES, Tuesday, September 21st 2010 [ME NewsWire]:
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SEE Virtual Worlds™, an entertainment company developing a virtual reality universe of connected planets tied to licensed franchises, today announced a collaborative deal with the Michael Jackson Estate to publish Planet Michael™, a massively multiplayer online virtual world set to launch in late 2011. Planet Michael will offer fans around the globe an innovative, first-of-its-kind interactive gaming and social experience that truly celebrates Michael Jackson’s extraordinary life as an artist and humanitarian.
The new planet, currently under development and slated for launch next year, will be an immersive virtual space themed after iconic visuals drawn from Michael’s music, his life and the global issues that concerned him. Entire continents will be created that will celebrate Michael’s unique genius in a way that underscores his place as the greatest artist of all time. Michael’s longtime fans will feel at home as they find themselves in places that seem familiar and yet unknown at the same time, and new generations will discover and experience Michael’s life in a way never before imagined. At its core, Planet Michael is a massive social gaming experience that will allow everyone, from the hardcore fan to the novice, to connect and engage in collaborative in-game activities with people worldwide.
Planet Michael is one of the first themed-planets that will be published by SEE Virtual Worlds for the Entropia Universe, a vast dynamic 3D environment created and provided to end users by MindArk PE AB. The Entropia Universe features several existing planets and combines a revolutionary cash economy with cutting-edge graphics. Although Planet Michael is a free-to-download world without monthly subscription fees, the real world in-game economy features gameplay monetization that allows players to take on dozens of different occupations and in certain instances, contribute to a charitable cause at the same time.
“When we first approached the Estate and talked about creating Planet Michael, one of our primary goals was to build an interactive environment where fans from all over the world come together to affirm Michael’s life-long dedication to fostering global friendships,” said Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Virtual Worlds. “In building a space worthy of those global connections, we envisioned a magical, enjoyable place that will capture that zest for fun and life that was at Michael’s very core. Throughout his extensive career, the King of Pop was well-known for his visionary contributions to music, dance, fashion, entertainment and philanthropy, and it was critical that we somehow incorporate all of those elements into the game.”
“No artist unified the world like Michael Jackson, so it is fitting that in Planet Michael his fans will be able to join together in such a unique way online to celebrate his music, his artistry and his devotion to helping those in need,” said John Branca, co-executor for the Estate of Michael Jackson. “Michael was always exploring creative new ways technology could enhance the experiences of his fans, and for that reason we are thrilled to be working with SEE Virtual Worlds to build a global interactive experience that befits an artist as innovative as Michael Jackson,” added John McClain, co-executor of the Estate.
For game updates and to register to become a part of Planet Michael, please visit: www.planetmichael.com.
For additional assets and information please visit: http://bhimpact.gamespress.com/client_page.asp?i=181.
About SEE Virtual Worlds:
Special Entertainment Events or SEE has been in the business of themed entertainment for over a decade. For SEE this is a process of utilizing known entertainment titles and franchises in new and innovative ways to increase brand awareness and create lucrative additional revenue streams for Licensors and project investors. SEE has worked with some of the most iconic names in show business, including Star Trek, Pokémon and Titanic. SEE has received numerous awards for excellence in touring attractions and other themed entertainment projects.
SEE Virtual World MJ, LLC is one of the newest divisions of the Los Angeles based SEE corporate group. A natural extension of the company’s core licensing business, SEE VW brings the world of themed entertainment online. Through a virtual reality universe of connected planets, participants interact with their favorite motion picture, television, sports, and music properties. Planet Michael is the first such themed-planet and more will be announced in the months ahead. Using the state-of-the-art Entropia Universe platform, the real cash economy is incorporated in the planet, enabling participants to earn money through gameplay. For more information on the company and its products, please visit SEE VW at http://www.seeglobalentertainment.com.
SEE Virtual Worlds is a trademark and copyright of SEE Virtual Worlds, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Planet Michael is a trademark and copyright of SEE Virtual World MJ, LLC. All Rights Reserved
About Entropia Universe:
Entropia Universe launched in January 2003 and has grown to more than 950,000 registered accounts from over 200 countries. It is the only virtual universe with a real money trading (RMT) economy whose currency, the PED, has a fixed exchange rate of 10:1 with the U.S. Dollar. Its business model is unique as it is based on micropayments, meaning that the client software is free to download from the Internet, and there are no monthly subscription fees, thus Entropia Universe provides a way for new players to immediately start exploring without having to deposit money. Virtual funds acquired in Entropia Universe can easily be exchanged and then withdrawn into real-world funds. The RMT business model has been very successful; The 2009 turnover of Entropia Universe topped $422,000,000 U.S. For more information, visit http://www.entropia-universe.com. Additional information about MindArk PE AB, developer of the Entropia Universe is available at http://www.Mindark.com.
ENTROPIA UNIVERSE® and MINDARK® are registered trademark of MindArk PE AB. MindArk supports and monitors the services and maintenance of the Entropia Universe platform.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6436667&lang=en
For media enquiries, please contact:
Bender/Helper Impact
Parnaz Taheri, 310-694-3120
Parnaz_Taheri@bhimpact.com
Bender/Helper Impact
Marion Wallace, 310-694-3151
Marion_Wallace@bhimpact.com
For The Estate of Michael Jackson
Sitrick And Company
Jim Bates, 310-788-2850
James_Bates@sitrick.com
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