Manitoba Telecom launches games on TV

Gaming publisher and developer Iacta announced that Manitoba Telecom Services has launched gaming as part of its MTS TV service using Iacta’s Games4TV platform.

Games4TV consists of a library of games that can be played on TV using a remote control and an IP set-top box. In the case of MTS, the carrier is launching gaming as a tiered service and using Motorola’s RG2200 set-top-box.

"We can run on any IP set-top," said Laura Buddine, CEO of Iacta. "They all have a browser in them and that browser is modern enough to have Java script."

Iacta runs a rotation of games but includes a number of classic games like Video Poker, Reversi, Cinqo, Depth Charge and Golf Solitaire, as well as some original games like Train, Pyramid of Anubis and Round 'em Up!

MTS, which is among Iacta’s first publicly announced telco customers, is hosting the service within its own network. The vendor, however, also is targeting smaller telcos with a hosted service. The company also operates a consumer gaming service with similar titles from which it has developed numerous metrics around consumer behavior and buying patterns.

"Generally what we find is the best way to launch is get it all tricked up, let everyone have it for a month and then you take it to a subscription tier," Buddine said. "It’s just like you would promote with a new movie channel. Having one game of the day that rotates also is a good hook."