CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ePlay Digital Inc. (CSE:EPY) (the “Company”or “ePlay”) today announced a series of new games and challenges for Big Shot™ Basketball Beta which are now available in the Apple App Store. The beta version of the app maintains a 4.4 out of 5 rating in Apple’s App Store and now three new daily challenges are available for NBA fans. In addition, the Big Shot Swish™ mini-game has been approved and released in the beta app. Users can build their “Big Shot Roster” #bigshotroster, unlock the new challenges, and select NBA players to compete in daily fantasy challenges. Users can play Swish while they watch their selections and rosters earn them points in NBA matches. Users earn points to unlock new challenges and tips to where the best NBA players can be found in Augmented Reality.
“We are only at beta release, but thrilled to learn that Big Shot appeals to NBA fans around the world,” says Trevor Doerksen, CEO of ePlay Digital. “The Big Shot North American Go-To-Market plan, leveraging celebrity, media partners, and others, starts this month. At the same time, we are actively developing similar exciting plans in other big markets, such as China.”
ePlay has released several beta updates of Big Shot Basketball and its official launch has been carefully planned alongside special features, celebrity appearances, media partnerships, and unique esports and augmented reality features in the mobile app. It’s difficult to launch an app without built-in marketing channels. The company has always worked with leaders such as ESPN, FIFA, Intel, Sony Pictures, CBS and others. Big Shot’s go-to-market plan for North America reaches tens of millions of people with a 7-time NBA champion, an on-air broadcaster, a celebrity with their own TV show, and one of the biggest Instagram accounts in the world. Upcoming announcements, events, features, partnerships, and coverage indicate the early phases of the Big Shot North American Go-To-Market plan. Sports media is a highly competitive business. Obtaining media rights to the NBA or the Olympics, for example, is a sensitive negotiation in Canada, the U.S., and China. Communicating details and partnerships in order to keep ahead of the competition, protect partnerships, or maximize impact in a global marketplace require discretion, strategy, and great execution.
The new features maintain ePlay’s momentum of its first mobile esports game in the Big Shot™ augmented reality game series. Big Shot™ is ePlay’s augmented reality esports mobile game described as Pokémon Go meets sports, esports, and entertainment. Nintendo’s augmented reality game, Pokémon Go, earned USD $84.8 million in September 2018, according to a recently released report from Sensor Tower.
China Daily recently reported the 2018 Chinese esports market will reach USD $18 billion with over 430 million players and viewers. ePlay, like other game developers and publishers, owns the game. ePlay is providing esports leadership in a vertically integrated manner - from game to league and from augmented reality to distribution - in multiple esports markets.
The Company also reports the third closing of its private placement whereunder the Company issued 500,000 units of securities priced at $0.07 per unit for gross proceeds of $35,000 with each unit comprised of one common share and one share purchase warrant to purchase an additional common share at $0.105 per share for a one year term.
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About ePlay
ePlay Digital Inc. is a mobile game creator and publisher specializing in sports, esports and entertainment augmented reality titles, including their new flagship title Big Shot Basketball. ePlay is operated by an award-winning team of sports, gaming and esports leaders as well as broadcast and digital technology industry experts, software engineers and athletes who have brought dozens of game titles to market for companies including Time Warner Cable, ESPN, Sony Pictures, AXS TV, Intel, AXN, Fiat, CBS, and others.
ePlay’s wholly owned subsidiary, Mobovivo esports specializes in augmented reality, mobile game development and mobile esports streaming.
NBA is registered trademarks of NBA in the United States and other countries. Apple, App Store, and iPhone are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Further Information
Further details are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and the Company’s profile on the CSE’s website at www.thecse.com/
For further media information, or to set up an interview, please contact:
Nelson Hudes
Hudes Communications International
Telephone: (905) 660-9155
E-mail: nelson@hudescommunications.com
Website: www.eplaydigital.com
Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE): Symbol EPY
Deutsche Boerse Xetra - Frankfurt Stock Exchange: Symbol 2NY2; WKN: A2AN4D; ISIN CA26885W1041
Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements and information relating to third-party research and analysis, and the Company's corporate strategy. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct, and management can neither agree or disagree on specific conclusions contained in the research report.
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