Zone4Play, Inc. yesterday launched the world's first cross platform
multi-player poker solution as an technology-based answer to the worldwide
Texas Hold'em poker demand.
Worldwide poker-playing communities are now estimated at nearly 100
million people and growing, and this spurred Zone4Play to leverage
its unique cross-platform gaming technology in order to launch the
services that reach across interactive TV (iTV), Internet and mobile
delivery platforms over the coming months.
The amount gambled on poker websites around the world in 2005 is estimated
to exceed US$ 60 billion, with commission revenues around US$ 3 billion
or approximately 60 percent of the Las Vegas strip revenues, the company
claimed.
The first ever iTV multi-player Texas Hold'em poker will be available
on Sky's iTV system in the UK and accessible from more than five different
channels, including Avago, The Poker Channel (sponsored by Party Poker),
Channel Five and other major broadcasters. The solution will be initially
launched on a play for fun mode, ultimately being replaced by a real
gaming solution, depending on legislation changes in the UK.
Other iTV deployments to be launched later this year include one of
the largest cable operators in the US and the largest hospitality
provider in the world.
Zone4Play claims that its multi-player Texas Hold'em Poker is the
first and only poker game available for iTV. The company has managed
to overcome major technological barriers in order to present the market
with a swift and easy to use product.
On the Internet where Texas Hold'em poker is recognized as being the
hottest product, Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, Inc., is set
to launch an online version of the multi-player Texas Hold'em poker
game in the third quarter of this year.
Additional to the iTV and Internet deployments, Zone4Play is currently
developing a mobile version of the multi-player Texas Hold'em poker
for one of UK's leading bookmakers. The Mobile MP Texas Hold'em Poker
will be introduced to the market later on this year and will enable
play for real and play for fun versions of the popular game.
Zone4Play hosts the game on a unique hosting environment platform,
allowing competition between players who use Mobile, iTV and the web.