StarHub and Yummy Interactive launch innovative Games-On-Demand service

Mobile Internet, The, July, 2005

StarHub, Singapore's integrated infocommunications provider, has announced Singapore's first online games delivery service, Games-On-Demand (GD) via its technology partner, Yummy Interactive Inc. ("Yummy"). Available exclusively as a value-added subscription service for StarHub MaxOnline subscribers, GD gives customers the capability to download, install, and play complete, original PC games on their computers for a single monthly subscription fee.

Targeted at families and youths, the service provides casual gamers with the opportunity to enjoy unlimited play of a wide selection of popular single-player and multiplayer games without having to pay for or install each title. Instead, by subscribing to GD, they have immediate access to PC titles like Neverwinter Nights, Unreal Tournament, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell, and the Hitman series. The current library has over 140 action/adventure, educational, roleplaying, and strategy games available, and new titles will be added every month. Manuals are available for download in PDF format.

"With a broad selection of games to choose from, MaxOnline customers need not go through the inconvenience of travelling to their PC game store and purchasing their games individually. All subscribers need to do is download the game software once, install it on their PCs and launch the game," said Thomas Ee, Senior Vice President of StarHub's Online Services.

"By making it simpler for our customers to access our extensive collection of PC games, and by offering the service at just a fraction of the cost of purchasing PC games, the new, innovative service offers great value for money."

Added Ee, "With StarHub now leading the market in terms of broadband access, our main thrust now is to ensure that there is considerable 'stickiness' to our broadband offerings by introducing value-added applications and services that our MaxOnline customers want. With gaming--especially online gaming--gaining significant interest amongst families and youths, we aim to create a digital distribution platform that gives our customers easier access to applications and software at their fingertips."

Yummy's CONDUIT(TM) platform, a complete, customized, turnkey solution for on-demand gaming, offers operators the ability to seamlessly deliver and manage online games as an integral part of their broadband Web portals. Yummy's subscription model for StarHub is a highly customized treatment of its service that includes several new features to the online gaming experience.

"We are delighted to have partnered with StarHub for this significant launch," said Nick Mellios, President & CEO of Yummy. "Using the broadband infrastructure that StarHub offers its end users, Yummy is now able to unlock an immense library of PC games to subscribers for online play.

We expect that the GD service will provide a compelling alternative to existing gaming distribution models on the strength of game selection, reliability, value, and convenience."