Skillground Debuts

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Real video games for free play or for cash prizes

Toronto-based Groove Media Inc. is perhaps better known for a range of quality "shoot 'em up" video games but with the launch of its new SkillGround.com subsidiary it has entered the competitive arena of skill gaming this week, offering a range of games for free download and competitive play in pursuit of cash prizes.

There are currently four retail-quality titles to choose from - LA Street Racer, Kung Fu: Deadly Arts, tactical military shooter Close Quarters Conflict and sci-fi themed FPS WarPath. A fifth title - Ultimate Tour Golf - will be released later this year.

SkillGround MD Michael Haines says that each game has a tutorial and practice mode to ease players into competition through single player score based games before going into head-to-head and multiplayer competitions for hard cash.

SkillGround is aimed at PC gamers of all skill levels and uses a proprietary skill ranking and leaderboard system designed to ensure players are fairly matched in terms of skill levels and have an equitable chance of winning. Game play is available in several modes besides tutorial and practice: one-on-one, single player, deathmatch Teamplay for up to eight players, score-based games and progressive tournaments.

Beta testing on the software has been extensive, with some 15 000 players putting the games through the wringer over 200 000 or more gaming sessions.

The skill-matching system makes score-based games fun and fair for veteran gamers and beginners alike, says Jon Walsh, CEO of Groove Media. “It's never been easier to play video games online for cash prizes. Our unique score-based game system allows players to log onto SkillGround.com anytime day or night and try to post a high score in a variety of different tournaments or events.”

Established in 2001 and headquartered in Toronto with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Groove is a global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software that has published more than 20 retail game titles on the PC, Xbox and PlayStation2 platforms.