[GDN] For the developers, what makes the Julius System so special? How long does it take to incorporate into a game?

[EM-JE] We are the only platform company with mature technology and a track record in both web and mobile multiplayer games. Also we don’t do just stand-alone games, but rather integrate the online games into broader infrastructure and content offerings. Think of a common profile and community standards across different games from different developers. Social network integration, so you can invite and challenge your friends that are not gamers (yet).

CRM and content management to make the platform more relevant for companies that have an established customer base, want to track usage and learn from games and to be able to create and manage content not just across games, but even outside of them. Broadcast integration to allow for TV Play Along, so online games can be synced to linear media types allowing for new types of formats. We’ve been spending more time and effort to make these integrations possible than any other games platform company.

On the distribution side, instead of focusing on mobile operators (that have no interest in non-mobile channels) or console (that have no interest in web or mobile) we focus on distribution partners and clients that look across these boundaries. That means we work with media companies, agencies, publishers in both traditional and new media. Not always the usual suspects from a games industry perspective, but with one thing in common: games have become a strategic asset to their media mix - and they typically have substantial user bases that don’t have a games console or experience in browsing operator’s decks.

The amount of time it takes to integrate our platform features into a game develops on a number of factors, but typically ranges from a couple of days for highscore, competition and profile integration to a couple of weeks for sophisticated multiplayer gameplay.

[GDN] How are these cross-platform games being used by your clients?

[EM-JE] Let’s illustrate this by a real world example - a radio station that has been doing call-in quiz shows on air for ages. Instead of randomly selecting a lucky dialer from a few hundred people, now they announce a URL and SMS shortcode that people can enter on their PC or phone. Then they get access to the web or mobile version of the game, and they can all participate so it becomes, you could say, a massive multiplayer play along trivia quiz.

The game is designed and developed to be in sync with the radio show, meaning that the producer in the studio controls the timing and flow of the online application and that you get instant relevance between the game you play and the radio show you’re listening to. This mass-media activation of a traditional audience to play an online game results in thousands of people in a single session, a very exciting prospect for games and media companies alike.