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Eirplay to develop unique marketing tool
Wednesday, June 27 2001
by Rory Kelleher


Irish companies can now have short on-line games created for their Web site to
help to promote their products or services.



Eirplay, a new Irish computer games company, is offering companies "Web-shorts,"
games that can be customized to suit each company's site.

The idea is that a short animated game, which people can download from a
company's Web site, will improve the "stickiness" of the Web site for users.

"The games will give Web sites something different that will make visitors
remember the company and encourage them to come back again," said Peter Lynch
founder of Eirplay.

Lynch said the company wanted to create games that people would e-mail to their
friends and colleagues upping the profile of the company.

Eirplay's second product line, and main business, is the development of a new
sports management game, which would see players managing teams in a variety of
different sports.

The company hopes to have a demo ready for the end of this year and hopes to
secure a publishing deal with a major computer games company.

Eirplay was set up six months ago and received seed funding of IEP20,000 from
Enterprise Ireland.

Apart from its initial funding, the company is self funded and currently employs
four people. When the company achieves a contract with a major games company
Lynch said it would look to increase its numbers to twelve.

Lynch said Eirplay was particularly looking at Microsofts new X-box as possible
platform for its sports management game.

The demo will initially include soccer, rugby and hurling but will later include
a range of European and American sports once it gets past the demo stage.

Lynch previously worked with games company Havas as well as working as a games
consultant with a studio in London.

He said the company hopes to start creating a second action and adventure game by
the summer of next year.