itvt

–PixelPlay’s Chaimowitz and Boltax Discuss the New Game with [itvt]

PixelPlay, the interactive TV games and technology company that was formed in 2005 via the merger of Pixel Technologies and PlayTV, has just launched a new World Poker Tour-branded Texas Hold ‘Em game on the DISH Network and Bell ExpressVu satellite TV platforms. (Note: the "World Poker Tour" TV show, which is produced by WPT Enterprises, is broadcast in over 116 countries and territories; in the US, it airs on the Discovery-owned Travel Channel.)

[itvt]’s Tracy Swedlow spoke last week to PixelPlay’s CEO, Ron Chaimowitz, and the company’s VP of programming and service management, Jonathan Boltax, about the significance of the new game, about the sophisticated artificial intelligence technology that powers it, about PixelPlay’s roadmap for the game (which will see it adding, among other things, on-demand video tutorials and cross-platform multiplayer functionality), about the role brand partnerships play in PixelPlay’s strategy, and more.

[itvt]: Could you tell us a little about this World Poker Tour game you’ve just launched?

Boltax: Yes, the game launched earlier this month on Bell ExpressVu, where it’s being offered on a pay-per-day basis, for CDN$1.49, on Bell ExpressVu’s Game Galaxy; and it launched on Wednesday on EchoStar’s DISH Network as a featured game on PixelPlay’s DishGAMES subscription service. As you know, DishGAMES offers 16 games, including many major brands that we’ve licensed, such as Scrabble, Boggle, Yahtzee, Centipede, Asteroids and Missile Command. So this game joins an all-star list of games and game brands that PixelPlay has exclusive licenses for.

In its current form, The World Poker Tour for Interactive TV, as we’re calling the new game, is a tournament consisting of 12 WPT No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em games of increasing difficulty, which are playable using your remote control. Each game/level is played against five computer bots. A level is won when all five opponents have lost all their chips and leave the table. New opponents are introduced in each level, and opponent skill and aggressiveness increase as the levels advance. Once you reach the game’s higher levels, bots based on actual WPT players are gradually introduced–we have actually licensed the names, likenesses and playing styles of a number of WPT professional poker players for the game. Game or level number 12 is based on the WPT Championship, and, if you win that level, you’ve won the entire game. The game also offers detailed tracking of player stats, and, when it’s deployed on platforms that support return-path connectivity, it allows players to participate in prize leagues: a prize league features a persistent "play money" account, and prizes are assigned to top players according to their weekly earnings.

[itvt]: Why do players have to get to the game’s higher levels before they play the bots that are based on real WPT professionals?

Boltax: Simply because that provides an incentive and motivation for players to try to get to the higher levels.

[itvt]: Which professional players’ likenesses and playing styles have you licensed?

Boltax: We have licensing deals with David Williams, Antonio Esfandiari, Michael Mizrachi, and Evelyn Ng, as well as with the host of the World Poker Tour, Mike Sexton.

[itvt]: And you struck the deals with the players themselves or with the WPT on the players’ behalf?

Boltax: All the deals are directly with the players themselves.

[itvt]: You mentioned that you licensed the players’ playing styles. Do their respective bots actually mimic those individual playing styles?

Chaimowitz: "Mimic" is probably the wrong term. The game is based on state-of-the-art artificial intelligence that allows its various bots to have a unique, human-like playing style. This AI engine that underlies the game was developed by the world’s leading developer of AI technologies for poker, the Poker Academy, which is a group that’s based out of the University of Alberta. AI players were developed specifically for the WPT game and were optimized for interactive TV. The game features 18 player profiles: each player is designed as a unique personality with its own name, image and playing style. Playing style is configured with over 20 properties, including level of bluffing, loose/tight/aggressive gameplay and more. By the way, as part of our roadmap for the WPT game, these bots will eventually be able to learn your playing style and adjust their artificial intelligence accordingly.

[itvt]: When we talked about this game in the past, you mentioned that, while playing it, viewers would be able to access videos with advice from pros…

Chaimowitz: Yes. We have worked with the WPT production team to create WPT-endorsed strategy and tips videos that will integrated into the game. These will be on-demand clips that will be accessible through the game’s "help" section. They will include WPT "Poker Corner" clips, and WPT poker lessons from the poker pros we have licensing deals with. Additionally, we will have a unique step-by-step tutorial, hosted by Mike Sexton, who will walk players in detail through two full rounds of Texas Hold ‘Em and provide detailed on-screen explanations for each move. He will prompt players to operate the game controls and correct them for wrong moves. This video tutorial will be targeted at beginners and advanced players alike: beginners will be able to use it to learn the rules of No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, and experienced poker players will use it to learn the interactive TV game controls.

Now, I should make clear that, because Bell ExpressVu and DISH Network are both satellite platforms, to date we’re not offering videos in association with the game. But going forward, as we continue to roll it out on other platforms, there will be video components. I should also add that the satellite version of the game does provide novice players with a less elaborate tutorial on playing No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em.

[itvt]: Are you planning to offer a multiplayer version of the World Poker Tour game at some point in the future?

Chaimowitz: Yes, we are currently completing a multiplayer WPT game for interactive TV. You will be able to meet real opponents in lobbies or in "play now" instant matches for a No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em game. Depending upon the geographic territory, you will be able to play for real cash or for play money.

Then, the next phase after that will see us launching a cross-platform multiplayer version of the game, where you’ll have interactive TV players going up against broadband and mobile players in one consistent environment.

Boltax: I should explain that PixelPlay views gaming holistically, so to speak. While the gaming experience itself is obviously very important, we think that community features are what will ultimately make for the best games services–so, things like multiplayer functionality, leaderboards and tournaments. That’s the direction we’ll be taking with all our services we roll out in the US and the rest of the world.

[itvt]: Could you give us an idea of the timing of the various phases in the roadmap you just mentioned?

Chaimowitz: The game will probably be single-player-only through the third quarter or the end of the year. The multiplayer version will launch either in the fourth quarter or the first quarter of next year. And the cross-platform multiplayer version will launch by the third or fourth quarter of 2008. However, there may be an opportunity to launch cross-platform multiplayer internationally before we launch it in North America: that could happen as early as the end of 2007 or the beginning of 2008.

[itvt]: Can you say which international operators are considering launching the game?

Chaimowitz: I can’t say who they are until we have a contract. However, I can say that they’re located in the UK, Holland and Australia.

[itvt]: As you know, there are various other poker games out there. What do you consider to be the major differentiators of this one?

Chaimowitz: There are a number of things we’ve built into this game that are major differentiators. First is the fact that it carries the World Poker Tour brand, which is the world’s number-one poker brand and which is now seen in more than 147 countries and territories. Other differentiators include the 12 levels of play that the game offers; the fact that it’s based on this state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology which was developed by the Poker Academy, and which allows it to offer 18 different player profiles, each designed as a unique personality; the fact that it incorporates bots based on world-famous WPT pros; the detailed player stats tracking it offers; and the fact that it offers these on-demand strategy videos hosted by WPT pros and this step-by-step tutorial presented by Mike Sexton.

Boltax: I think the thing that makes us most excited about this game, though, is that it’s real. It’s now deployed with EchoStar, the operator that has the largest interactive offering in the US, and also with Bell ExpressVu, which is a very progressive operator. PixelPlay is not only focused on obtaining high-profile licenses, but we’re also focused on making games based on those licenses into a reality and getting them out there for the public to use.

Chaimowitz: Also, I should stress that, no matter what level of Texas Hold’em player you are, you will enjoy this game: from the novice to the most sophisticated player, this game will hold your interest. What we’re finding is that MSO’s who have generic Texas Hold’em games on their platforms are interested in replacing them with this new World Poker Tour game.

Anybody can develop a Texas Hold ‘Em game. However at PixelPlay we have tried to take the ITV game to the next level by basing it on an internationally known poker brand, by using sophisticated artificial intelligence, and by providing the various other unique, differentiating features that I just mentioned. We believe all this will make the game incredibly fun to play and will result in significant levels of repeat play.

[itvt]: Now, because this game is currently available only in the US and Canada, players can’t play for real money…

Boltax: Yes, it’s offered purely on a play-for-fun basis. But people are motivated to play out of competitive spirit: it has a leaderboard, and people love being at the top of the leaderboard–having the bragging rights for having won the most chips, and so forth. We plan to build on this by holding tournaments and contests: actually, we’ve already scheduled our first World Poker Tour tournament on DishGAMES for March. We’ll be giving away thousands of dollars in prizes.

[itvt]: Where will that money come from?

Chaimowitz: Both from PixelPlay and from sponsors.

Boltax: To date, we’ve given away tens of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes in association with our other games on DishGAMES.

[itvt]: How, if at all, will this game tie in with World Poker Tour’s linear TV programming? Are there, for example, plans to promote it through their TV shows?

Chaimowitz: We’re actually in discussions with World Poker Tour specifically about all that now, because we think there are some significant opportunities there. But as of now, we haven’t finalized any of that. We’re just releasing it as an ITV game. However, everything is open for discussion at this stage, including triggers in commercials.

[itvt]: Now, as you touched on earlier, securing licensing deals with major brands has always been an important part of PixelPlay’s strategy…

Chaimowitz: Yes, we’ve always been convinced that the best approach is to work with strong brands. However, anyone can slap a brand on a game: what we have learned from experience in the game industry over the last 10 years is that gameplay is as important as, and at times more important than, the brand itself. Without great gameplay, the brand is a waste of time, effort and money for the consumer, developer and game service provider.

[itvt]: Would it be fair to say that your relationship with World Poker Tour is the most significant brand partnership that PixelPlay has entered to date?

Chaimowitz: We work with a number of strong brand-holders–from Hasbro to Atari to Real Arcade to Luxor by Mumbo Jumbo, as well as others. We feel that the World Poker Tour, while very important to us, is part of a growing portfolio of other very strong brands. Nevertheless, WPT’s Texas Hold ‘Em is very h*t right now–and if you create the right game with the right brand, it’s really a perfect hit for interactive TV gaming. I also think the fact that the WPT is a television brand, as well a successful game, provides our company with a number of different creative opportunities that might not be available with traditional game brands. For example, the on-demand strategy and tutorial videos that are integrated into the game are a feature that allows us to take advantage of WPT’s TV content and production expertise, as well as the unique characteristics of the interactive television platform.

Again, I should stress that we’re very aware that just having the right brand doesn’t guarantee success. The most important thing is the execution of that brand into interesting and exciting gameplay–and that’s something we’re very passionate about. Most of the people who work at PixelPlay came out of the gaming industry and are actually gamers themselves.

Because this WPT game is being offered both as a pay-per-day game and as part of a subscription service, we wanted to make sure that players wouldn’t get bored, even after playing it ten times, but would continue to come back. We wanted to ensure that, each time they play, it’s another challenge. That was the most important thing for us. So, while the brand is definitely important, the quality of the game-play is at least as important to us as the brand.

[itvt]: What audio elements does the game offer?

Chaimowitz: Depending upon the platform and its restrictions, you will be able to hear Mike Sexton talk, and there’ll also be some music in the background. But again, this will evolve as we go to more sophisticated platforms and more sophisticated set-top boxes. The game will continue to improve, with things such as the VOD components we talked about earlier.

[itvt]: Do you have any interest in eventually having the game hosted by a live presenter? A number of UK companies have told us that having live presenters in association with an interactive TV games service can increase usage of the service.

Boltax: It’s something that we intend to look at, but I’m not sure at the stage we’re at with ITV gaming in North America that this is something you’ll be seeing anytime soon.

[itvt]: Why did you launch this game on EchoStar and BellExpressVu, rather than on cable?

Chaimowitz: Both EchoStar and Bell ExpressVu, as well as a number of overseas MSO’s we’re targeting, are using the OpenTV middleware. It was therefore more cost-effective to develop for that platform initially.

However, I can say that we will be launching the game on cable in the US before too long–we already have deals in place to do that. Our belief–based on the conversations we’re now having with most of the US MSO’s–is that 2007 will be the year when the MSO’s complete their trials and begin to roll out interactive TV in earnest, and that 2008 will be the year of ITV games.

[itvt]: So you’ll be adapting the game for OCAP?

Chaimowitz: We’re platform-agnostic. If the industry does indeed go to OCAP, we have already developed some games for OCAP and we’re very willing and able to adapt our other games for OCAP. If the industry continues to be split, with all kinds of different middlewares, we’re willing to go in that direction as well.

Right now, we are capable of developing games for every major platform that’s available today–so for telco TV, DBS, all the different cable platforms, and so forth. Our ability to develop for multiple platforms is one of our major strengths.

[itvt]: Now this is a client-based game, correct?

Chaimowitz: Yes. But, again, we’re agnostic. If, in fact, an operator has a server-based system, we could provide the game on a server as well. We really don’t care. We’re platform-and-technology agnostic.

[itvt]: Are you looking to launch the World Poker Tour game or any of your other games on AT&T or Verizon in the US?

Chaimowitz: We are in extensive discussions with both telcos. One of the advantages of PixelPlay–and one of the reasons why the telcos, as well as everybody else, are as interested in working with us as we are interested in working with them–is our content portfolio. As we discussed earlier, it’s totally oriented toward highly recognizable brands, not only from the games industry and the toy industry, but from the TV industry as well.

[itvt]: The World Poker Tour game has been available on Bell ExpressVu for a few weeks now: what kind of response is it seeing?

Chaimowitz: Immediately upon its launch, it was the number-one game on Bell ExpressVu. However, I can’t provide you with any specific usage figures without Bell ExpressVu’s permission.

[itvt]: One last question: I understand you’re marketing your DishGAMES service fairly aggressively; could you talk about that–and also about how you’re marketing the new WPT game specifically?

Boltax: We’ve actually been doing some very innovative marketing techniques with DishGAMES. We currently have over 150 commercial spots running per week on EchoStar with triggers that take you to DishGAMES. We’re doing bill-and-search. We’re doing a whole long list of progressive and unique things to promote our games. As for the WPT game specifically: on DISH Network, it is currently being supported by video banners on the platform’s interactive TV portal, DishHOME/Channel 100. On Bell ExpressVu, the game will be marketed through a variety of tactics, all being determined now. Bell ExpressVu is an industry leader at marketing ITV: they really "get" educating their customers and call centers about the opportunities available.

URL: PixelPlay

Originally Published: January 22, 2006  in [itvt] Issue 7.15

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