Exent Launches a Third Project for EU Research & Development Framework Programme

TEL AVIV, Israel and NEW YORK, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the more exciting areas of online gaming today is the ongoing evolution of massively multiplayer online games (MMOG), in which thousands of players can simultaneously interact with each other in a virtual world.  The growth of broadband Internet availability has facilitated the rapid expansion of MMOG diversity and consumer adoption over the past decade.  The Community Network Game (CNG) project, a new initiative supported by the European Union's RTD Framework Programme, will facilitate another wave of MMOG expansion by developing new technologies that enable players to experience an unprecedented ability to share user generated content (UGC) while playing online.

Though MMOGs currently enable some degree of player community activities while playing online, the client-server architecture typical of most games has limited the degree to which this can be done and has virtually prohibited the integration of sophisticated user generated content (UGC) within the game.  The CNG project promises to remove these limitations through the addition of peer-to-peer (P2P) networking and in-game graphical insertion technology (IGIT) from Exent.  Exent, the leading distributor of online downloadable video games, has pioneered the development of IGIT, which enables game content to be inserted or replaced in real time without the need to change the game's code on the client or server side.  Coupled with P2P networking, the possibilities for MMOGs are limitless.

"We are honored to continue our relationship with the EC (European Commission) as we begin a third project with the ground-breaking Development Framework Programme," stated Itay Nave, VP and CTO of Exent.  "Migrating our IGIT technology from the one-to-one environment to a one-to-many, or more accurately, many-to-many environment is an exciting challenge and one we are uniquely qualified to undertake.  Exent has frequently led the industry in the application of IGIT, including the recent introduction of our U-Pic series of customized casual games."

Exent has been involved in the EU's fifth and sixth framework programmes (FP5, FP6) and now embarks upon the seventh with the CNG project.  The new project will partner Exent with industry leading companies like MMOG operator RedBedlam, UGC specialist Kaltura and organizations like the European Game Developers Federation to overcome the challenge UGC presents to networks already occupied by MMOG client-server traffic.  The project intends to research and develop new techniques for 3D/video streaming that are "friendly" to MMOG client-server traffic by pushing their processing and integration to P2P networks and end-user devices.

Additional partners to Exent in the CNG project are Research Academic Computer Technology Institute (CTI), Groupe des Ecoles des Telecommunications (ITE), De Montfort University (DMU) and i2 media research Ltd (Goldsmiths, University of London).  The team of partners brings together expertise in games development (Red Bedlam, EGDF), User Generated Content (Kaltura), network/transmission (CTI, DMU, ITE) and user needs/user research/ market research (i2 media research).

About Exent

Exent is the leading global market solutions provider for broadband-based monetization of PC and video games.  Exent delivers technologies and products for various markets, including video game publishers, broadband service providers, consumer portals, consumer electronic manufacturers, media companies, ad agencies, brand owners, retailers and others.

SOURCE Exent