Raptr Client Bundled with The THQ*ICE Free-to-Play Title, Dragonica Online

IGN.com | 21 October 2009 12:00
 
THQ*ICE is the latest addition to the Raptr partners program.
 
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., — Raptr (http://raptr.com), the social utility that allows you to connect with your gaming friends and see what the world is playing, today announced that the Raptr client is available with today's commercial launch of THQ*ICE's Dragonica Online, a free-to-play, micro-transaction-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game ("MMORPG"). All players of Dragonica Online will have the opportunity to automatically get Raptr as part of the game's installation process, thus enabling them to see when their friends are playing Dragonica Online and chat with them online. THQ*ICE, a joint venture between US game publisher THQ and Chinese online game operator ICE Entertainment, is the latest addition to the Raptr Partners Program that already includes industry-leading companies like Activision, THQ, and Sony Online Entertainment.
 
"We are excited to be working with THQ*ICE to help spread the word virally about Dragonica Online," said Dennis Fong, Founder and CEO, Raptr. "Dragonica Online is part of the fast-growing free-to-play category in the US that is well-served by Raptr. Through our service players can learn about games like Dragonica Online from their friends' playing activity and then immediately get the game online for free."
 
Raptr's popular, free service includes a multi-network IM made for gaming that allows users to chat with friends on the top IM networks and gaming services, all in one buddy list. Raptr currently supports AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ and Facebook Chat as well as gaming services Xfire and Xbox Live. Raptr automatically tracks what games a user is playing, updates their status in real-time to show their friends what they're playing and broadcasts their in-game achievements. Friends who also have Raptr can easily join each other in-game with one click.
 
Launched in March 2009, the Raptr Partners Program provides key marketing opportunities to game publishers and gaming hardware providers. Focused on unlocking the power of word-of-mouth game discovery, these opportunities include distribution of a co-branded Raptr client bundled with a partner's games or hardware; integration with Raptr APIs to surface game data such as player stats, achievements, rankings and progress; and use of the Raptr platform and its social media integrations with top services such as Facebook and Twitter.
 
Companies interested in signing up for the Raptr Partners Program can visit http://partners.raptr.com for more information. People interested in experiencing the Raptr service can get it for free at http://raptr.com.
 
Developed by Barunson Interactive, Dragonica Online is the first free-to-play fantasy-action MMORPG to merge fast-paced combat, 3D side-scrolling and a hilarious, yet devastating, skill system. Players can join the quest to vanquish the threat of the evil Dark Dragon Elga; explore a fantastical new world rife with boss battle monsters, mission Map challenges, and epic adventures. For additional information about Dragonica Online or to register and receive product updates, please visit the official Web site at http://dragonica.thqice.com.
 
About THQ*ICE LLC 
About Raptr Raptr (http://raptr.com) is a social utility that allows you to connect with your gaming friends and see what the world is playing. Our goal is to make playing games more fun and social. We do this by letting you IM with all of your friends in one buddy list, show friends what you're playing, join your friends in-game with one click, share and compare achievements and see what games are hot right now. Raptr is the first service to automatically let you know when your friends are playing games in real-time across multiple platforms, including PC, Mac, Xbox Live, Facebook, Flash and a selection of games on the Wii and PS3. Raptr also allows you to automatically share your gaming activity with your friends on Raptr, other popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and on major IM networks like AIM, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ, Xfire, Facebook Chat and Xbox Live.
 
The Raptr client software is distributed through a variety of channels in the gaming industry via its Raptr Partners Program. Current partners include game publishers Activision Publishing, THQ, Sony Online Entertainment, NHN USA, Gamescampus and Gala-Net, as well as hardware companies Razer Group and Bigfoot Networks. For more information on the Raptr Partners Program, please visit http://partners.raptr.com. Raptr was founded in 2007 by Xfire co-founder and world champion gamer Dennis Fong. The company is made up of people who love to play games and has raised over $12 million in funding from investors that include Accel Partners and The Founders Fund. For more information, please visit http://raptr.com.
 
Supplied by IGN.com