Ultimate Baseball Online 2006 to Remain Free for All PlayersIn-Game Advertising Revenue Replaces Planned Monthly Subscription Fees
Posted by: Aaron Lockard on October 25, 2006 6:34:17 PM (11 Reads)
Netamin Communication Corp today announced that due to high interest from
advertisers the company has decided to keep UBO free to play, with no
subscription fees required.
A premium subscription option will still be
available for all players, offering leagues and tournaments with cash
prizes, player stat keeping, increased experience points for game play
and other enhancements.
Over the past four months, UBO 2006
total game play hours have increased by 50%, making the game a hot
commodity for leading consumer companies. With the help of a leading
in-game advertising agency, the overall UBO experience will become even
more realistic as ads begin to appear on billboards in UBO stadiums and
in other UBO venues. "The success of a unique gaming concept like
Ultimate Baseball Online is driven by its community of players,"
commented Judy Key Johnson, chief operating officer of Netamin. "It's a
win-win situation for our company and for the UBO gaming community if
advertising revenue can continue to keep our game free to play for all.
Market research has shown that in-game advertising in sport games is
not only accepted by players as a preferred alternative to subscription
fees, ads provide a more realistic sports game experience as they
mirror the real sports world." Ultimate Baseball Online 2006 Premium Subscription Ultimate
Baseball Online will offer a tiered system similar to the many fantasy
leagues services. A basic free version of UBO offers unlimited
character leveling through pick up games and some free tournaments.
For
a $7.95 entry fee, players can participate in a 10- game UBO "Season",
featuring cash prizes, regular season and post season awards, exclusive
news coverage on the UBO website, and double experience points during
league games. There will be five seasons during each calendar year,
with a competition at the end of each season, and an annual Best of UBO
playoff.
Players who have already subscribed to UBO may choose
either a refund, or to apply their subscription fee towards the first
official UBO league, which starts in early November 2006, and crowns
the winning team as the Best of UBO 2006.